Obsidian Surge Smart Water Rowing Machine

Do not purchase this item... Much like a couple of other review my water tank is indeed cracked and leaks water when stored upright. so this thing is sitting out taking up unnecessary room... Again cracked tank issue with this device.. Buyer beware...So after a support call I received a new fully functional unit. I changed my rating and expect some good use out of this rower. Quick run this afternoon and no leaks all is working as expected. Thx Sunny for the quick response.

Great quality, very sturdy and the thin profile tucks nicely in a corner. It was easy to assemble and I love the swoosh of the water in the drum, making it sound your actually rowing out on the water. (It’s not very loud though) Still needing to figure out how exactly the display buttons work, I might actually have to read the manual that came with it :) it shows total time, total strokes and I think a split time. There is a great comparison video on YouTube reviewing several rowing machines and this was by far the best bang for the buck!

Running sucks. I think we can all agree on that. Rowing doesn't. Especially if you go online and find videos to keep each workout enjoyable. Please do that. I'm willing to bet that most people that give up just sit down and pull the handle towards them.One thing of note for those of you that are "of the larger variety". I believe the max weight for this is 300 pounds. I'm one of you. I did have an issue where I started to hear a rhythmic sound as I rowed. A "duh... duh .... duh sound with each pull. It was the components under the seat. It was a very easy fix. I sent a video to the manufacturer and they sent me out the replacement parts immediately. Since then, no problems.Soooooo much more fun than running. Give it a try.

I'm tall and just under 200lb. This machine requires very little space and definitely does the job. I've lost 5 COVID Lbs in just 2 weeks by rowing for only 15 min a day. I'm very satisfied so far!

After much research, bought this Sunny Phantom SF-RW5910. Very pleased. Definitely would recommend this machine. I believe it is very good value for the price.Pros:Solid. No worrying about my 250 lbs being too much for it.Extremely quiet. I measured with decibel meter 3 feet from the unit. It never gets over 65 db. About as loud as a conversation held across a room. Slightly louder when starting up or stopping rowing because turbulence in water is greater then. Much much quieter than I expected. I can watch videos with Bluetooth headphones at a very comfortable volume. One can easily hold a conversation while rowing.Big enough. I’m 6’4”. There is about 1” to 1 1/2” of travel left to the rubber stop when I am fully extended and toes pointed. The Sunny data says the bar accommodates a 40.5” inseam. If you are taller than me, use inseam measurements carefully: The Sunny info online says you have to measure inseam differently than you would measuring for pants. Measure standing from floor to your hip bone on the side where your leg pivots. Mine is 38”.Tablet holder: A small thing, but very useful. I put my tablet on and put Bluetooth headphones in and watch videos while rowing. Time flies.Smooth: Very smooth action with natural feel. Nylon strap pull.Assembly easy. Comes mostly assembled with tank, handle and pully mechanism already installed. Just put the seat on slider bar (remove and replace 2 screws), mount the feet for the slider bar (4 screws). Put the slider bar on (hand knob, 1 bolt and one pin). Then mount holder for the meter (4 screws). Then mount meter (6 small screws). They provide all tools (allen wrench and screwdriver). Instructions are not intuitive, but assembly is. Took me ~½ hr. Including picture of pieces.Cons:Foot rests/straps: I was a little surprised that the footrests are welded at an angle and don’t pivot. If you don’t like the angle, tough. The heel cups in the foot rests are a bit small for my size 12 cross-trainer shoes and I have to wiggle my feet to get out. Not a great design, but workable. Smaller shoes would be fine.Handle: Not great. Hard plastic. Comfortable enough to hold on to, but wouldn’t be too tough to make this a bit better.Seat: Seat is a bit uncomfortable. Half an hour is fine. Long rows, not so much.Resistance: Resistance is adjusted only through adding or subtracting water. I am coming from home-built rowing machine which had lots of resistance. This is an aerobic machine. Don’t buy it if you are intending to use it to bulk up. I find it fine and very good for an aerobic workout, and I’m plenty worked out after ½ hour of rowing at a natural pace. But the top end is still a little light to my preference at my natural rowing speed. If I row harder and faster, the resistance increases due to properties of viscosity of water, so I can really wear myself into a sweaty mess quickly, but you can’t have large resistance and row slowly. I’m thinking of adding some glycerine to increase the viscosity of the fluid.Meter lighting: Stinks. No backlight. I mounted a small reading light to shine on the screen so I can see it.Meter beeper: Absolutely a joke. Tiny tiny beep that you simply can’t hear.Wheels on seat. I’m not too big a fan. A little cheaply built. They’re fine for now and quietly and smoothly roll, but I expect them to be the first thing that wears out.Neither pro nor con:Meter: Pretty simple, but workable. Alternates every 5 seconds or so between two views:First View: Elapsed time, Strokes, Strokes per minute, Calories, Distance, Pulse (if you have a 5.3 khz strap not included)Second View: Average time per 500m, Total Strokes, Strokes per minute, Watts, Distance, PulseYou can set a parameter (either: time, distance, strokes, or calories) and it will count down until finished. It beeps pathetically when finished.I think too much is made of meters as selling point for rowers. It’s good to watch, but really you row for time, distance or calories, while keeping at a standard pace/wattage. This meter is fine for that.A couple last comments:Several reviews comment about a cracked tank. Mine was not cracked. Inspect first for cracks before removing from packaging.I’m not sure why the word description in Amazon says “black”. The unit is brown/gray as in the Amazon pictures.

I only have a few weeks of use, if any of my opinions change over the long-term I'll update this review.Very good first impression. The rower seems to be well made, solid welds, sturdy frame, and is very stable while I'm using it. I'm about 5'11” tall, and 200 lbs. The computer is functional – I'm not sure how accurate it is, but it gives you the most valuable statistics and you can track your progress from there. This is an important feature as many budget rowers don't provide proper metrics.The seat is pretty good. No complaints. There are much worse seats out there. The pull handle is study and textured for grip. The foot straps seem to be the cheapest element. The plate is welded securely, the actual foot pedals are adjustable and they work – but I see this being the weakest link. The length of the straps are also cut unnecessarily long, giving a small point of contact for the hook-and-loop. Easy fix if one is so inclined.I'm really enjoying the water tank – this is first water rower I've used, and I really like the "whooshing" sound. It's not loud at all and becomes meditative after a while. My house uses well water, not city treated tap water, so I used distilled water to fill the tank. It takes about 3.75 gallons to reach the "max fill" line. I recommend everyone fill it to the max level as resistance is dependent on the amount of force you use when you pull the handle, i.e. don't pull as hard if you want less resistance. I highly doubt anyone will be filling / un-filling to change resistance. Also, deliberately look over the tank for any signs of cracks before completely assembling. It takes about an hour to unbox and put everything together, it’d be a major hassle if your tank had a leak.Who is this rower for? I've used the Concept 2 off and on over the years, that's mainly what I'm comparing this rower to. I recommend this rower for individuals who seek exercise, not necessarily as an indoor trainer for people who actually row out on the water in the real world. The reason I don't recommend this for "real" rowers is because the Concept 2 is the industry standard and any subtleties or computer comparisons you make will be inaccurate. The act of rowing properly is quite technical, so to keep consistent with a team or coach, you should use whatever equipment they’re using. If you’re a lone wolf, I don’t see this machine limiting your stroke.With that said, this rower is perfect for the home gym with individuals looking for low-impact exercise. The build quality is actually pretty decent, it may hold up well at smaller communal fitness clubs. Again, it is completely sufficient for any home gym scenario with individuals working toward fitness goals. Cheap bearings might be a long-term concern with very heavy use, but frame construction is not.So, if you hate running or the wear and tear it does to your joints, this little machine could be a great addition to your home gym. So far, I'm really enjoying it – I jump between this rower and a bike trainer hooked up to Zwift throughout the week.

Good machine

Nice machine for the price.

Could use more tension, but overall nice rower

I like the machine a lot but the screen is a bit disappointing

Great rower without any modern bells and whistles but the seat is very uncomfortable after 10 minutes of rowing.

Easy to assemble if you don't mislead by the instructions.The weakness is the computer. Not so much programs build in, a fitness program in a tablet is what you need to have.

Gives a good workout similar to gym machine. Look at trading tall videos for help establishing criteria for your purchase. Helpful to me.

Family like the machine

Good quality, easy assembly, confusing display monitor, foot straps not great but the main thing is resistance, this machine is good for a light workout for beginners.

Everything was just as advertised with this rowing machine and it works great no issues. With the water in it though it does make a lot of noise when in use. Didn’t expect that. No issues otherwise.

This thing was easy to assemble and took about an hour to put together. It glides smoothly and seems to work pretty good. I wasn’t impressed with the amount of resistance even at the Max fill level so I siphoned out the water and filled it with motor oil and it’s much better now.

I think the single track is not very stable, but this may be a common problem of all single track rowing machines.

This machine is great! I am month in and it works great. The only thing I would change is the accuracy of the calories burned while using. I use my Apple Watch for calories instead. For the person saying that the resistance is not enough, must be a knucklehead, because I can barely do 5 minutes on highest strength.

It rows very smooth , only issue is the display is a bit finicky to select your workout options and can't be set up for intervals training

This is a nice machine. The most difficult part was unpacking it from the box & all the wrappings! It was easy to put together, and it works great. The only cons I have are it is too low to the floor and the digital monitor is difficult to read because there is no light. I recommend this item.

I've had this rower 2 weeks and I love it. Not difficult to assemble. Took almost as long to unpack. It is very sturdy. I'm 6 feet tall, 220 pounds. No issues at all. I would give it 5 stars but there is no way to turn the monitor off and it EATS batteries. I've already had to change them out. You'd be hard pressed to find a better one under $600.

I assembled and added this to my basement gym. Now I have to find an LED light to stick to top of it.They really need to add backlight to the screen, maybe turn on and off manually and seperate battery, but it needs it bad.

Once size fits all makes it a bit of a challenge for shorter people like me but all in all a great purchase at good value.

Easy to put together and store. Works fantastic, but the straps holding my feet down were made cheaply and already broke.