Water treatment tablets to keep algae away are something every WaterRower owner needs, and if you want to track your performance, a monitor. Everything else depends on what you want from your rowing. Here's the honest order, from must-have to nice-to-have.
Must-have: water treatment
The water stays in the tank for years. Without treatment it turns cloudy, and sooner or later algae start to grow. WaterRower's chlorine tablets (Puritabs) or similar tablets keep the water clear, and one tablet every few months is enough. If you bought your machine second-hand and the water is already green: empty the tank, rinse it, refill it, add a tablet.
If you want to track your performance: monitor and apps
The WaterRower monitor shows the key numbers such as time, distance and stroke rate. If you want to send your workouts to an app, the ComModule, a small Bluetooth module, does the job on the S4 monitor. For more accurate power measurement you can retrofit SmartRow. On the Performance Ergometer, this measurement is already built in with the PowerPulley. These add-ons are worth it if you train in a structured way and want to compare your progress. If you row to balance out your day, you can save your money.
Practical: a phone mount
For rowing along to a video or with an app. A phone mount for a car windshield does the job, and that's what I row with almost every time.
Can help: a seat pad
There are two reasons for one. Some people simply find the seat a little too hard. I never find the WaterRower too hard, the Concept2 more so, and it isn't quite as ergonomic either. On that one, a seat pad isn't a bad idea. The second reason is the slightly raised seating position: it makes it easier to sit taller at the front of the stroke and not slump so much into a rounded back.
A matter of taste: rowing gloves
I never use them, but some people wouldn't row without them. Gloves protect your hands and you get fewer blisters, but you have a little less direct feel in your hands.
The one that changes the rowing itself: a balance board
Everything so far makes rowing more comfortable or more measurable. The movement itself stays the same: back and forth on a fixed rail.
On the water there's also a sideways movement, a second dimension: the boat tips slightly to the side with every stroke, and you keep it balanced with your core.
The FlowRow Board brings this sideways movement to the WaterRower: two wooden boards that go under the machine's feet, with no modifications. On them, the WaterRower sways from side to side like a boat. Your core works with every stroke, and rowing feels closer to being on the water. Six balance levels, from Moderate to Ultra, can be changed with conversion kits.
The board fits all WaterRowers with the classic wooden frame: the Original in all wood versions, Performance, Lite, S1 and Ergatta, as well as older machines such as Natural, Classic or Oxbridge. It also works under machines with the HiRise adapter, in which case you choose one or two levels lower. You can get it directly from FlowRow or, under license, from WaterRower | NOHrD. A1 and M1 LoRise have their own FlowRow Boards; there isn't one for the M1 HiRise.
→ FlowRow Board for the WaterRower
What you don't need
A mat under the machine, special rowing shoes (sneakers are fine) and extra weights on the handle (your technique suffers and they do very little).
