Many beginning oarspersons try to pull a drift boat like a rowboat and it doesn't work. Water in a moving river is going all over the place and the oar tips are about 20 feet apart. Thus, pulling equally on both oars will cause the boat to slew all over the place because the oars are usually in water of different speed. Try to teach them to put the radiator cap in the slot and pull each oar so that the boat goes straight. Mostly, I just give up and row all day.