Look at this video and make your own conclusions.

This videos was taken during a training session at the 2004 Olympic Games. We can see this boat training on these conditions because they don’t know if they will need to race like that.

It is very hard to row on these conditions. Rowing boats are made for flat water.
Also it is very different to row on a crosswind, tailwind or a headwind. Each one of them requires of different skills and strengths.

How do you learn to row on these conditions.

Under my opinion to be able to row the best you can on those conditions you need to:

1. Row on flat water really well and be coordinated with the boat and your movements. Be perfect on good conditions. This way you can learn to relax and feel the boat and the water.
2. Row on bad water and try to relax and adapt to it the best you can. It is hard.
3. Do pieces simulating the race day on bad water on all the directions.
4. Study the winds on the race course you are going to race and train as much as you can on those conditions.
5. Do the warm up pieces on the same direction as the race course. Do this for racing and pieces warm up.
6. Train on bad water and hard conditions to be strong mentally on race day. You are good at what you have trained at.

-Carlos Dinares

Source: www.carlosdinares.com