Athlete Safety & Club Policies

Each new member is required to be a consistent, registered member of an LPBC team or training group for their first year of membership. A new member who wishes to row on their own at the LPBH outside of their team’s practices can get approval and assigned an appropriate boat through the Head Coach or Assistant Coach.

All Associates and guests must know how to swim; expected proficiency is the ability to swim 100 meters in light clothing, and to tread water for at least ten minutes.

The Lincoln Park and Park 571 boathouses and aprons are Chicago Park District property. The Chicago Park District prohibits the following from the Park 571 and Lincoln Park boathouses: Alcohol, Tobacco, Dogs or other pets. Pets and Tobacco are not allowed at the Lathrop boathouse.

Bikes, scooters, and skateboards are not allowed inside any LPBC boathouse or boat storage area.

Associates and guests may use a locker for their belongings for each visit to the club. If you wish to rent a locker for overnight or permanent storage, please visit our Regatta Central page to register for one.

Keep the facilities clean by cleaning equipment after use, picking up your belongings, and disposing of your own refuse. After entering or exiting, be sure boathouse doors and gates are closed securely.

Non-members may now join LPBC to row or paddle on a limited and temporary basis via our Guest and Visitor options. Guest rowers must be hosted by a current LPBC member; Visitors do not need to be hosted by a current member.

Guests must pay a $15 fee and register in advance of their attendance. Guest rowers must be paired with a current member at all times they are present at LPBC rowing locations. LPBC requires an emailed confirmation of sculling skill level from a home club (to be initiated by the guest rower) if the member plans to row a club double or single. No email confirmation is necessary if the guest is rowing a private shell. This guest pass is valid for 4 rows maximum within a 2 week period. If the guest is planning to row at LPBC longer than that, they should consider one of our monthly membership team options.

Visitors must pay a $50 fee and register in advance of their attendance. Visiting rowers or paddlers are not being hosted by a current member of LPBC. This visitor pass is valid for 2 rows maximum within a 2 week period. The visitor must coordinate practice times with coaches and needs to row with one of our teams or training groups. If the visitor is planning to row at LPBC longer than two times, they should consider a supporting membership or monthly membership.

Visitors who wish to row or paddle outside of existing team practices may schedule a private lesson with a coach. All Private lesson registration options are available under Programs/Classes on our RegattaCentral registration page.

Coaching

All coaching must be provided by official LPBC coaches, as part of LPBC programming and registered and paid for in advance on Regatta Central.

No cash payments may be made at any time for coaching.

Use of the motorized launch is permitted for authorized coaches of LPBC only.

Individuals found in violation of these rules will have their membership suspended or terminated.

Members must use iCrew to check out shells and log their meters. This is for both private and club-owned equipment.

Rowing shells are categorized by skill level. There are boats for novices, for general use, and for competitive use. Approval by the Head Coach or Assistant Coach is necessary for competitive use shells.

Any off-site use of Club equipment must be cleared in advance with the Head Coach, Rowing Director, or Paddling Director.

LPBC members may not use equipment owned by private individuals, unless they have made previous arrangements with the owners.

After use, all equipment must be wiped down and shells must be checked back into iCrew. Please remember to put oars and slings away as well.

Kayaks and canoes must be dried inside and out before being returned to the racks.

Do not paddle kayaks without a seat, foot brace, or pins.

Most equipment parts are not interchangeable; don’t remove or replace parts without explicit instruction or permission of the Rowing or Paddling Directors, Head Coach, or Assistant Coach

Please report accidents, problems, or equipment damage using the iCrew incident report button.

Please limit your dock time to two minutes or less.

All rowing shells must launch with the bow pointing north. Kayaks, SUPS, and canoes launch with the bow pointing south. Kayaks, SUPs, and canoes may cross over if clear after launch to go north. Rowing equipment goes CLOCKWISE on the water, south on the lake side, north on the Zoo side. Paddling equipment goes COUNTER-CLOCKWISE. Always obey the direction of travel, even if you are the only craft on the water.

All shells should turn around at the far ends of the lagoon to avoid interference with other shells and paddlers. At the north end of the lagoon, boats should turn around north of the Fullerton Avenue Bridge, when the water height allows for safe passage under the Fullerton Avenue Bridge.

All equipment adjustments should be done on land on slings prior to launching.

Shells, sculls, kayaks, and canoes are permitted on the water 30 minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes before sunset only with appropriate bow and stern lights. The bow of every boat should have a red light on the port side, green light on the starboard side, and a white stern light.

It is the responsibility of each rower or paddler to ensure their on-water course is clear; verbal cues from other water users are helpful, but should not be relied on.