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Ah, there is nothing like a relaxing day at The Beach. Well, that is if you can walk without difficultly. For wheelchair users, going to The Beach is a completely different experience. It starts by recognizing that there is no “The Beach”. Every beach is different in terms of sand type, sand depth, beach slope, wind, tidal effects, dunes, boardwalks, stairs, crowds, and other obstacles. Going to a beach is more like going hiking. Your hiking experience varies greatly depending on the terrain and what you want your hiking experience to be like.
Driving a car to the top of a mountain is not the same as hiking to the top. Driving a motorized mobility device on the beach is not the same as self-propelling. Staying dry on the sand is not the same as going into the water. Some people go to the beach alone. Others go with family and friends. The wheelchair user beach experience is widely variable. What works for one person will not necessarily work or be desirable by another. What works in one beach location many not function well in another.
What all beaches have in common is sand and (salt) water that is corrosive to wheelchairs. Even if the beach has an accessible rolling mat, you are likely to expose your wheelchair to the sand. Therefore, I think it makes universal sense to use an alternative wheelchair (if available) whenever possible.
Depending upon the specifics of the beach terrain, your physical ability and your desires, you can either manually self-propel or get physical propelling assistance or drive a motorized vehicle on a beach. This is the same for a hiking nature trail where you have the same basic options.
My overriding point is that wheelchair users and beaches are not monolithic. They are different. Just like hikers and nature trails are different. You cannot make universal beach assumptions other than that sand, salt, and water are bad for your everyday wheelchair.
When I go to the beach, ideally, I would like to self-propel. Unless I am going to the beach for some other primary reason (such as a surfing or family event), I will choose a beach that has reasonably hard packed sand. If I am with my family on vacation and the sand is soft, I will minimize my time on the beach. This is because I want to be mobile on the beach, and want to be able to go in and out of the water with minimal assistance (if I choose too).
In order for me to accomplish my “beach desires”, I need a wheelchair that I can mostly self-propel and that I can get sandy, salty and wet and not worry about it. If someone else has similar beach desires as me, they will want the same. If someone else has different beach desires, they will want an alternative solution.
There are number of ways I can accomplish my goal.
I can buy a manual beach wheelchair for $4,000-$5,000.
I can buy wheelchair FAT tires ($400-$800) and a trike wheel attachment ($500-$700) and put them on an old wheelchair frame (assuming one is available).
I could put DIY FAT tires and a DIY Trike wheel ($70ish) on an old wheelchair frame.
I can make my own beach wheelchair frame ($75ish) with DIY FAT tires ($30ish) using old 507mm wheelchair rims and used MTB tires, and a plate caster wheel ($22).
All of the above options will yield the same general result for me and for people who are “like me”. They will yield different results for people who are not “like me”.
The bottom line is that there is no one-size-fits-all beach solution for wheelchair users. Just as there is no “The Beach”.
RESOURCES
Self-Propelling Beach Wheelchairs
Trike Wheels
FAT Tires
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