Watching a single rower, sculls suspended above the water, the thin boat barely leaving a wake in its path, is like watching a feather skit across the water. On a morning when clouds have cleared a thin window of daylight, the image leaves an impression.

It is reason enough to be drawn to the world of rowing, a sport that developer Frank Levy picked up more than 30 years ago when he was a student at Yale University.

For a fitness buff, rowing is great exercise. And did we mention that this is an activity that — to some minds, anyway — defines grace on the water? Even a fevered Olympic competition provides a glimpse of elegance in sport.

Levy is a member of the Des Moines Rowing Club, which has its headquarters at Birdland Marina. It is an organization that was founded in 1983 and sponsored its first competition before it had formal members or skilled rowers.

The late businessman David Hurd was a member and patron. The red scull that Levy maneuvered across Gray’s Lake on a recent morning was donated by Hurd and now carries his name. It is a racing boat for one person with two long oars, or sculls. It requires some skill to stay balanced on the water.

Occasionally, Levy allows the flat side of the paddles to rest on the water, a technique called feathering that calls to mind the image of a swan. To Levy, it means his technique is a little sloppy.

Hurd, on the other hand, “was a good sculler,” Levy says. Apparently, he kept the oars out of the water between strokes.

These days, the Des Moines Rowing Club has about 200 members. Levy’s wife, Kerty, is vice president. Frank Levy has a two-person boat on order so that he can row with Kerty and his daughter.

Levy typically rows on the Des Moines River, unless the river is running high and fast. Gray’s Lake is a good alternative. He tries to be on the water two or three times a week.

In college, Levy was a sweep rower. That is a team sport, with each rower controlling one oar. Typically, eight people and a coxswain are in the boat. Sculls can accommodate one, two or four rowers, each controlling two paddles.

Rowing is about more than competition, fitness and health — there are a multitude of exercise opportunities in Greater Des Moines, Levy points out, and he takes advantage of many of them.

“You really do get a beautiful view of nature,” he said before gliding across the still waters of Gray’s Lake for a quick workout at the start of his day.