Thanks for that - interesting read! What a hot sport haha
That post has gone now, so heres my two-penny's worth...
I'm not a rower but have kayaked a lot when I was younger (without a skirt) - no matter how careful you are, water will splash and run down the paddle/oar and after 20-30min you'll be soaked through - with your clothes wet, you don't want anything that holds a lot of water, or bunches up as it can cause chafing - so yeah I'd also usually go for lycra or a wetsuit depending on the weather.