sliding off seat

Question
Hi Al,  Can I ask a stupid question?  In the 500m sprint today, I partly slid off the seat on the recovery phase.  I wondered whether I had developed a technique fault, that is, lifting the weight off my butt on the return which would suggest that I was transferring weight too soon to my feet/legs?
Although I was wearing cycling shorts with padding which are rather slippery, however, all modern snug fit shorts are made from smooth synthetic material.
Perhaps SuperGlue is the answer?

Answer
Hello Graham: That must have been a scary experience for you. I remember doing that in a big regatta. I swear, only my tailbone was on the seat going up to the catch.  On the catch, I had to raise my butt and time where I thought the seat would be.  Fortunately for me, it was a bullseye.

In your case, many factors could have caused you to jump the slide.  Could be a technical flaw like you mention (Upward motion on the leg drive is a big flaw in that it lessens your force applied to moving the oar.  Shooting the tail, where your rear end drives before you actually pull back on the oar could cause it too.  It could have been an equipment issue.  The seat could have been sticking.  The clothing could have been a cause, but that seat is pretty wide.

You just have to conclude that it was a 1-time event or else you will always be rowing with fear that you will jump your slide.  At worst case, you'll lose a few seconds if you fall off your seat (In an on-water race, it is catastrophic).  Just make sure you are not lifting your rear out of your seat when you initiate your drive.

Regards/AP