I row a single on my own. What safety steps does USRowing expect, and what if I flip?

USRowing's Safety Guidelines say:

Before you row

• Pass your club's swim test: at minimum, float and/or tread water for 10 minutes and put on a life jacket while floating. If you can't swim, wear a PFD in the shell at all times.
• Be able to pass a flip test: take the single off the rack, launch, turn, capsize, climb back in, return to the dock and rack the boat.
• Sign out in the club logbook (date, launch time, boat, your name, expected return) and sign back in afterward.
• Check that heel ties are attached and 3 inches long, rigging nuts are tight, and the bowball is secure.
• Carry a PFD in the boat whenever you row without a coach, and a phone in a waterproof case.
• Use the buddy system if no coach is out.

If you flip

• Stay with the boat. Shells float even when full of water. Don't swim away, even if you're a strong swimmer.
• Re-enter if you can, using a buddy's boat or a launch to steady the shell.
• If you can't get back in, lie on the stern and paddle the shell to shore, or lie on the stern deck of a buddy's boat. Cold water can take away muscle control very quickly.
• Body heat is lost about 25 times faster in water, so get out of the water as soon as you can.

Report capsizes, injuries and collisions to USRowing through its Rowing Safety Incident form.