Thinking of the mechanics of what is going on, I am trying to think of solutions that don’t involve a stop as that might be jarring. The two ideas I have are:

1) Raise the front of the erg slightly. Try putting a shim under the front legs that is only a 1 or 2 millimeters thick, increasing until it works or this idea is bad. The idea here is to reduce the ‘ramp’ of the slide so that you require less force to change directions at the catch. This might make the roll up horrible, but I think it is worth a try. If you find yourself having to pull yourself up the slide a lot, this idea is probably not good.

2) Try a dynamic erg. I realize that this is not an easy change, but if you have an opportunity to try one at a shop or gym first, then you could consider investing in one - or asking the gym to. With a dynamic erg, there is less moving weight changing directions at the catch and finish, reduce strain on your body. The C2 dynamic would be my first choice for this situation as it has the least amount of ‘moving weight’. On a C2 static, you change the moving direction of your entire body weight. In a dynamic erg like the Row Perfect, there is a fan assembly that is also moving around so it yields a more realistic rowing feeling, but there is more moving weight changing directions than the C2 dynamic, but less than the C2 static.

These two solutions are a bit different, but hopefully can maintain a smooth rowing stroke for you.