My 15 yr old son is into Crew. Considering that his 8 man boat just
won the regional 1500 meter sprint, I'd call him advanced.

They row a well known crew boat brand which escapes me right now.

They practice on "Erging" machines every day.

They might use a new device if it provided an edge in training or
competition.

Ease of use and portability are major issues for most smaller teams

Cost is an issue for smaller teams and I'd have to say that $1000 is an
upper limit depending on how well it worked.