Coach Michelle's Take: Why Lake Jesup Is a Hidden Gem for Rowers
- Coach Michelle Hill
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
It's probably the question I get asked more than any other.
"You row on Lake Jesup? Aren't there alligators?"
The short answer is yes. There are alligators in Lake Jesup. This is Florida after all.
The longer answer is that after rowing and coaching all over the world, Lake Jesup is still one of my favorite places to put a boat in the water.
I've rowed in South Africa, coached in Great Britain, worked with athletes in Virginia, Texas, and Florida, and spent thousands of hours on countless waterways. I've seen beautiful rivers, busy lakes, and world-class rowing venues.
And yet, some afternoons on Lake Jesup leave me speechless.
If you've never seen it at sunset, it's hard to explain. The sky turns shades of orange, pink, and purple. The wind settles down. The water becomes a mirror. And the lake can look less like water and more like a sheet of polished glass stretching to the horizon.
For rowing, that's a dream.
The best rowing happens when the water is flat. Every stroke is reflected in the surface. Every technical adjustment can be felt. Athletes learn balance, rhythm, and boat speed in conditions that many rowing programs around the country would envy.
I've coached on waterways where motorboat traffic creates constant wakes. I've seen rivers with strong currents and venues where wind turns every practice into a battle. While Lake Jesup certainly has its windy days, there are mornings when the conditions are simply perfect.
Those are the mornings that remind me why I love this sport.
And yes, let's talk about the alligators.
The reality is that alligators have shared Florida waterways with rowers, paddlers, fishermen, and boaters for decades. At SCAR, safety is always our highest priority. Our coaches know the lake, understand local wildlife, and follow established safety procedures every day.
Truth be told, our rowers have gotten so used to hearing questions about gators that we eventually leaned into it. We even made the alligator our mascot. To us, it represents strength, resilience, and respect for the environment we call home. When you spend enough time on Lake Jesup, spotting a gator becomes just another part of the scenery—right alongside the birds, the glass-flat water, and the occasional manatee surfacing nearby. It's become a symbol of what makes SCAR unique. Not every rowing team can say they train on one of Florida's most iconic lakes and proudly wear a gator on their gear.
What most people don't realize is that from a rowing shell, we're simply passing through their environment. They generally want nothing to do with us. In fact, most of the time our athletes are far more excited about spotting one than the gator is about spotting them.
The wildlife is part of the Lake Jesup experience. It's a reminder that we get to train in a truly unique environment. Not many rowing clubs can say they share a lake with bald eagles, ospreys, herons, turtles, playful manatees, and yes, a few alligators.
Then there are the sunsets. Some evenings, practice ends with the sky painted in colors that don't seem real. The boats glide across water so smooth it reflects every cloud and every stroke.
After rowing and coaching around the world, I can honestly say that some of the most beautiful rowing conditions I've ever seen have been right here on Lake Jesup.
Our rowers learn to respect nature, not fear it.
What I love most about Lake Jesup isn't the wildlife, though. It's watching young athletes experience something special.
It's seeing a novice rower catch their first perfect stroke as the boat glides silently across glass-flat water.
It's watching a crew move together so smoothly that their oars seem to disappear into the reflection.
It's seeing the confidence that comes from mastering a sport in one of the most beautiful settings Central Florida has to offer.
So the next time someone asks, "You row on Lake Jesup? Aren't there alligators?" my answer is simple.
Yes.
But what they should really be asking is:
"Have you ever seen a Lake Jesup sunset from a rowing shell?"
Because once you have, you'll understand why our athletes keep coming back.
