Las July I had a stroke that lwft my left side damaged Does anyone know of a company that makes aids for handicappped padddlers to get in and out of boats? really aaapreciate the help I don’t view myself as handicappped but rather dffferently abled tTHANKS dAVEt
Not right off, but seems asked last year
Maybe there is something in the archives Dave.
There was a handycapped paddler that went with the Ozark group a couple of times. Think she was a friend of WildernessWeb and OzarkGal.
Will keep an eye out for such info.
In the mean time; Did you ask the assessory makers?
Try contacing Spring Creek through http://www.canoegear.com/html/. They may well know of some sources.
Kevin at CVCA makes his yokes and things. He might be willing to work with you. Do you have an idea of what you might need? http://www.gear4portaging.com/pages/180334/index.htm
There are a lot more.
Good Luck Dave!
:^)
Mick
new boat?
It may be easier to switch boats than find an aid. Is it just a stability problem getting in and out, or is there something else you need?
Try a wide canoe or kayak with outrigger
Dave,
a wide canoe like the Old Town Disco 133 might be just the ticket to get you back on the water. Another choice is the Spring creek out riggers. They really can stabilize a canoe of a kayak. The nice thing is you can set their out riggers high as your balance improves so they are not dragging in the water, but they are just a set number of inches above the water giving you terrific ultimate stability.
If you get out to the Delaware River
down here in NY, PA, I’ll spend the day with you.
Seem to remember . . .
– Last Updated: Apr-29-06 7:25 PM EST –
I think that the American Canoe Association (ACA) has an adaptive paddling committee/group that probably has some information that you would find helpful. You can contact them through their website http://www.acanet.org/
You may have heard of this if your
rehab people are with-it… There is a rehab technique called “forced use.” During substantial parts of the day, the good limb, usually the good arm, is strapped down or otherwise immobilized, and the person must get everything done, by hook or by crook, using the “bad” arm. Surprisingly, this approach works pretty well. It has been thoroughly researched. Of course, your results may vary, but if you have some use of your affected arm, you can probably increase it through forced use.
For entering and exiting boats, the affected arm could be useful by providing at least partial support during the transfer maneuver. This means you must work on getting the affected arm not to draw up against your side, but instead to extend downward to push the hand against a support surface.
Can’t say what would be useful for your leg to aid entry and exit, but one thing which worked well for a physical therapy student who worked with me was to put a hemiparetic stroke patient on an exercise bicycle, and then to use EMG biofeedback to help the patient match the muscle pattern of the affected leg to the muscle pattern of the good leg. The reason the exercise bike was helpful was that there is a natural tendency for the muscle patterns to return to normal on such a reciprocal activity.
I would think that for getting in and out of boats, it would be helpful for you to work on raising the affected leg off the ground and moving it to one side or the other of a low barrier, as if you were taking it into and out of a canoe.
Hope this is helpful. If you are still working with a PT or OT, they may be able to suggest strategies to aid your entry and exit.
Looked at this for ideas?
Probably too narrow for your canoe, but the concept may be what you are looking for: http://www.paddling.net/buyersguide/accessories/showProduct.html?prodID=788&manfID=138 Yak-A-Launcher by Paddle Pamlico http://www.paddlepamlico.com/
Dave! DaveT!!! Wondered where you had gone too. So very sorry to hear of your stroke! I was buzzing along answering the question when decided to look where this person was, if close enough to get personally involved in helping. Then is when I realized it was you! Sorry not close enough to physically help you either go paddling or assist you in building your aid.
If there is any way I might help please do not hesitate to ask!!!
Paddle on!
:^)
Mick