Rollin’ into the waves, Hawaiian style

Over the last few years there has been an improvement in disability equipment especially when it comes to water sports. This is where my interest and curiosity in going in the ocean sparked from.

I was in Hawaii and it had been 26 years since I had been in the ocean and the opportunity arose for me to hire a beach wheelchair and take a dip in the ocean on Waikiki beach, Hawaii. What an experience it was! The saying “everything happens for a reason” this is very true at this point. I had sparked up a conversation, waiting at the lifts in my hotel a few days earlier with a couple of Scottish guys who were from Melbourne, Australia. Who would have thought that a few days later they would help me, along with my friend, transfer into the beach wheelchair and take the plunge!

It was a huge effort getting the beach wheelchair across the sand and into the water, but teamwork was everything. It was the best feeling being smashed by the waves as they rolled into Waikiki beach and to finally feel the salt water on my skin. It was such a wonderful afternoon and a great learning curve for both guys who helped me and their families who watched on from the beach. We all enjoyed a few cocktails and beers at the end of the day as we watched the sunset over the beach.

The wheelchair I hired was from Hawaiian Island Medical and was delivered to my hotel which made it super easy for me. Water sport equipment comes in all shapes and sizes. The beach wheelchair that I hired had belts that came over my shoulders and one that harnessed my legs into place. This helped me stay in position, especially when the waves were hitting the chair. The chair had floatation devices attached to the side of it, luckily, as I would have been shark bait otherwise.

Overall, it was an awesome experience getting back into the ocean after all those years, and what better place to do it then Hawaii.