There is nothing at all really like the feeling of a coastal breeze on your skin. But the perception of independence and joy that a working day at the beach front can inspire isn’t equally accessible to everyone.

For wheelchair buyers, shorelines can present challenges—from crossing sandy patches to very easily coming into the water—that can quickly switch a fun practical experience into a logistical headache. Fortunately, the variety of available shorelines in the U.S. (and all over the world) is escalating promptly each and every calendar year. Locations like Panama Metropolis Seashore, Florida, and Gulf Shores, Alabama, are paving the way with beach front access mats that allow wheelchair users to get close to the shore. Meanwhile, other spots like Mission Seaside in California, and Hanauma Bay Seashore, Hawaii, have created beach wheelchairs (which have thicker tires precisely intended to roll across the sand or enter the water) commonly offered for free of charge.

Even so, viewing any beach front as a wheelchair user can generally need a dizzying total of upfront analysis and reservations. But with the right products, those people obstructions turn out to be much less of a barrier. 

We spoke with a handful of vacationers who use wheelchairs, from Canadian vacation blogger Tori Hunter to Cory of Suppress Totally free With Cory Lee, about their favored seaside add-ons for a day on the sand. Down below are some items they swear by—so you can take pleasure in the sunlight and sea with simplicity this summer months.

Wheelchair seatbelt

Even if you’re renting or borrowing a seaside wheelchair, you are going to likely nevertheless want to convey a number of personalized equipment alongside to produce a far more comfortable experience. “Many seashore wheelchairs really don’t have seatbelts, so I use a very long velcro strap to wrap close to me and the seashore wheelchair,” says Cory Lee, a self-proclaimed seaside fanatic and wheelchair person who shares his journey ideas on his website, Curb Totally free With Cory Lee. “This retains me securely in the chair when traversing the sand, which can at times be fairly bumpy. In circumstance the beach front wheelchair is way too major for me to sit upright simply, I also provide further towels or pillows to pack beside me in the chair.” Those with restricted higher human body command could possibly want to appear into a padded wheelchair safety belt with an adjustable buckle, which can support protect against slipping or sliding out of your seat when rolling throughout uneven ground.

Wheelchair security seatbelt

Wheelchair cushion

In addition to bringing added pillows and towels, Lee often provides his possess wheelchair seat cushion to sit on. “It makes it possible for me to entirely appreciate my time on the seashore, as I’m just as comfy as I am in my normal wheelchair.” On a scorching warm working day, a breathable gel memory foam wheelchair seat cushion with strategically positioned ventilation holes can assistance promote airflow while also absorbing the shock of rolling over bumps. Pick just one with an anti-slip bottom to make sure your cushion will not slide all over, and a washable protect to make it possible for for effortless cleansing right after a day outside the house.

Gel memory foam wheelchair cushion

Beach front wheelchair

If you are regularly leasing a seaside wheelchair at your neighborhood beach front, you may possibly want to take into consideration acquiring your personal. There are various solutions on the marketplace, ranging from Virginia Beach’s Sand Rider ($2,380), which can be customized in a range of shades (and presents funding) to Box Wheelchairs’ Beach front Bomber Wheelchair ($4,900), which permits handbook wheelchair people to drive them selves independently as a result of the sand. “I personally like the ones that have flotation equipment on the armrests, so you can truly just take them appropriate in the water with you,” suggests Tori Hunter, a wheelchair user who chronicles her travels on her web site. As considerably as amphibious wheelchairs go, the DeBug EZ Roller Submersible Seashore Wheelchair (selling prices get started at $2,700) is one particular of the more complex possibilities thanks to its articulating front wheel, which will make turning much easier, and additional pontoons that enable the wheelchair to float in the surf. The stainless steel body is long lasting enough to withstand salt and sand, and the temperature-resistant outside mesh fabric, swing-absent armrests, umbrella mount, and cup holders are just some of its top quality functions.

Sand Rider beach front wheelchair

Lunch bag

Refreshments like drinking water and snacks are essential for any seashore working day, and for wheelchair end users, it is considerably additional practical to have food items and beverages on hand than to track down a seaside bar. “It’s not uncomplicated to get up and go seize these issues as soon as I am established up in the sand,” says Hunter. Among her will have to-haves is a bag that’s modern but also big enough to carry her treats, sunscreen, and a superior reserve. A multitasking choice, this wheelchair backpack consists of an insulated compartment, a 30-ounce cup holder, and two cardholders among its many pockets.

Beach front umbrella

As an option to a big seaside umbrella, a shade canopy that clamps on to your wheelchair can get rid of the trouble of owning to established up an umbrella in the sand. “My parasol is one particular of my favourite objects to choose to the seaside as it is straightforward to clip on and means I can shift around in my wheelchair but even now have sun safety and retain cool if way too incredibly hot,” suggests Emma Muldoon, a wheelchair user and the founder of Just Emma, an accessibility and journey blog site. The four-way swiveling Versa-Bella delivers UPF 50 in addition defense and folds into a compact carrying circumstance, permitting it to be easily stowed absent when not in use.

Wheelchair conversion package

People hunting for a additional moveable and spending budget-helpful choice to a seashore wheelchair might find that the WheelEEZ conversion kit is an great option. The kit turns just about any common wheelchair into an all-terrain wheelchair and will come with two very low-strain balloon wheels, an axle, brackets, and hardware kit—allowing wheelchair users to change out their regular wheels when they want to traverse the shoreline. For complete-time power wheelchair consumer Muldoon, it has opened up the possibility of checking out a lot more off-the-overwhelmed-path beaches in her have wheelchair with her family members. “It permits us to go to the seashore anywhere and any time we want now, which is daily life-shifting just after being limited for so numerous yrs,” she suggests. “Rolling along and sensation the sea splashing on my legs is amazing. It is simple—yet something several people today acquire for granted.”

Wheelchair conversion kit