Orcas Island Rowing Club’s fall rowing season begins on Saturday, Sept. 7.

Anybody residing on Orcas that is a seventh grader or older is welcome to participate – adults and teens, boys and girls.

“If you are new to rowing you will learn a wonderful new sport that can become a lifetime passion,” say organizers. “If you are an experienced rower you will get a chance to practice the art, get some exercise and join in one or two fun regattas.”

Fall is a fairly short season. The last day is a regatta, the Head Of The Lake in Seattle on Sunday, Nov. 3.

Participants need to be able to swim and tread water comfortably. There will be a swim test and a test to make sure you can climb back into a boat on the first day. So bring a towel and a bathing suit. Cascade Lake is still comfortably warm.

“Rowing is a healthy, safe sport, but it can be strenuous so you do need to be in good health,” according to the coaches.

The weekly practice schedule is Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 6 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Contact Martin Taylor with questions or to join. He can be reached at martin@OrcasDigerati.com or 376-6935.