Adaptive wheelchair options for snow, sand and water

Friday, April 10th, 2009 | Equipment, Wheelchair

Wow, this week got away from me!! I realize it’s Friday and I’m a day late for my post! Sometimes it’s simply astounding how busy we are. This week we were busy in a good way, so no complaints.

I’ve been looking around at wheelchairs that work in snow and sand and have found some interesting options. My husband found one doing his own equipment research and the other is a chair that a friend of mine has used for her disabled son. It’s always amazing the wealth of information those of us raising disabled children have. Whenever I reach out to my network I always get great answers to my questions.

My friend , who also lives in Alaska, has used the chair found at Landeez.com. She says it works very well and they have been happy with it. Recently she was in Hawaii with her son and said they rented a Beach Chair and it wasn’t useful at all. The biggest complaint was that it far too heavy to push through the sand. She said the Landeez is much lighter and easier to maneuver.

My husband found a unique chair called the Hippocampe at Spokes n’ Motion. This is a really cool piece of equipment. It can be used in snow, sand or even water. It’s designed to get wet and float! How cool is that? I would love to try this with Quincy. The only thing we will have to work on is the seat. It appears to be designed for people with normal trunk control and strength. We will probably have to have someone fabricate a bucket-type seat, similar to the one on her bi-ski, with a harness and headrest to fully and safely support her. Otherwise, it looks really functional.

Thanks to all who shared their valuable input on this topic. If anyone comes across anything similar to these two products that they have tested or used, I’d love to hear about it. And, when we finally do get something for Quincy I’ll be sure to share that with you.

Tags: Adaptive Equipment, adaptive wheelchair, bi-ski, Hippocampe, Landeez, Spokes n' Motion

9 Comments to Adaptive wheelchair options for snow, sand and water

Mom
April 11, 2009

A fabulous man who is a quadriplegic and lives in Palmer, Alaska, named Jesse Owens has designed and built a number of wonderful adaptations for wheelchairs. He is someone you really need to talk with, he may have some adaptations that you can use on your existing equipment.

Mom
April 11, 2009

Sorry, I was wrong I think he is a paraplegic.

Daphne
April 14, 2009

Hey Tawny, I was reading this and it reminded me of when we lived in Hawaii — I jogged on the beach in Kailua everyday with Alyssa. We had a Baby Jogger with 20 inch quick release wheels - they were like bicycle tires on a stroller. It made it so easy to jog in the sand. I don’t know how well it would work in the snow. But, the key was the large wheels - not wide and bulky but just large in circumference.

Tawny
April 14, 2009

I didn’t realize Jesse Owens lives in Palmer, but have been known of his Kili-Kart for a while…it’s kind of legendary in the adaptive sports world. He definitely is a guy worth meeting!

Daphne, we have a adult version of the same kind of stroller and it’s definitely the best thing we’ve come across so far!! Still bogs down in snow that is soft, but is a definite improvement over small wheelchair tires!!

This is great input!! THANKS SO MUCH!!

Chris Yorke
April 15, 2009

Hi Tawny,

I have a five year old with hypotonia and severe developmental delay. We tried him out in a Hippocampe last summer. It worked better than the Dreamer Design Axiom in the sand. He usually needs a good bit of lateral support, but he did well in the Hippocampe. I can send you pics if you want of him in the chair, as well as take a couple of pics of him not in the chair so you can get an idea of the seating system. It was a little big on him, as it was an adult medium chair, but you can get the idea.
I’ve been lurking on this site a couple of months….since I started taking Phillip skiing. I’ve been learning to tether the Bi-Unique this winter, and finally got the whole family on the mountain two weeks ago. What a great experience. Anyway, your blog is a great resource for me I wanted to thank you for all the help you provide.
Chris

Tawny
April 16, 2009

Chris…thanks so much for the info on the Hippocampe. I would LOVE to see pictures because I am really curious about the lateral and head support!!

Congrats on the skiing! It is the most liberating, independent thing we do as a family!

Anyway, if you want to send pictures I would love to see them. My email is tawnyb@gci.net.

Thanks for the support and keep on skiing!!!

Tawny

dave
October 10, 2009

I just saw a piece on the news about a man who collects old wheelchairs and modifies them for this purpose. He just received Christopher Reeves wheelchair and used the parts to fix others. you can read the whole story at: http://www.boston.com/yourlife/articles/2006/05/27/reeves_wheelchair_helps_effort_to_change_lives/

Karen Deming
November 11, 2009

Hi, My husband and I manufacture beach wheelchairs, and we specalize in custom seating. Deming Designs is the exclusive manufacturer of the Stainless-Steel, De-Bug All Terrain, Beach Wheelchairs, Beach Walkers and Beach Baby Joggers

We have been in business for over eleven years, and are the exclusive beach wheelchair providers to Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL, Disney and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, as well as the Florida State Park Systems. We also provide our chairs to many resorts, such as the Ritz Carlton in Sarasota, St Thomas, Puerto Rico and Jamaica, The Lowes in Miami, FL and the Sandestin Gulf Beach Resort in Sandestin, FL to name a few. References are available upon request.

You’re also welcome to check out our Internet site at http://www.beachwheelchair.com and additional photos and video at

http://s274.photobucket.com/albums/jj256/beachwheelchair/

Finally, I’d like to invite you to be a fan of our facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/business/dashboard/?ref=sb#/pages/DeBug-Beach-Wheelchair/129537096855,

Let me know what you think, and if there is anything I can do to assist you.

Sincerely,
Karen Deming
850- 478 5765

Tawny
November 11, 2009

Thanks for the information, Karen. How well do you think your products will work in the snow? How easily are they transported? I will definitely check out your website and appreciate the link to your website.

Tawny