[redryder49]

I volunteer on occasion at a local camp that a friend of mine runs for ppl with disabilities. They have a pond where the participants who have varying disabilities including quad's can go kayaking and canoeing. If your going to go kayaking and are considering buying one, do some research. There are kayak's that have a wider base on them to make them more stable, i don't know the brand off hand. Good luck with your adventures.

[chickadee]

I've been doing some research regarding some places in Minnesota (primarily Arrowhead region and Central Lakes), and there are a couple of outfitters in the entry of the Boundary Waters area, along with a couple of places in the Twin Cities that offer adaptive rentals. Also, Wilderness Inquiry seems to do a great job with getting people in the water, canoeing or kayaking, and offer trips and so forth. There's a great kayaking group out of Courage Center I've had the pleasure of meeting earlier this month (it's getting a bit late in the season to do any real outdoors stuff - but I'm looking forward to learning). I figure I'd share this research for maybe a couple of folks interested in planning a summer 2010 trip out this way. I'm already excited to paddle the Chain of Lakes (here in Minneapolis) in the spring!

Courage Center Details: http://www.couragecenter.org/ContentPages/...x?FromNavPK=429
Creating Ability (Makers of Adaptive Kayaking Equipment): http://creatingability.com/
Wilderness Inquiry Destinations: http://www.wildernes...ons/regions.php
(personally, I've been to the following locations - BWCA, Itasca, Mississippi River (central lakes and river bluffs regions), St Croix, Lake Superior North and South shores, Apostle Islands, and the Namekogen - all incredible, beautiful, peaceful areas perfect for a trip. Let me know if you'd like some ideas - I love being an unofficial MN tourism worker!)
Outfitter Listings: http://www.kayakonli.../minnesota.html

Note: Unless you're doing some simple paddling (Chain of Lakes in the TC area, for instance), expect to paddle closed deck style up here.

An idea for learning might be to find a kayak outfitter who has a training pool, and see if you can set some time aside to see how comfortable you are with manoeuvrings. I'm really, really looking forward to getting back into the water, one way or another. If someone is from the MN area and has some other ideas, I'd be more than willing to hear them!

This post has been edited by chickadee: 29 September 2009 - 08:40 AM

[pirategirl]

I'm a T10 incomplete...and I use an Ocean Kayak sit-on-top here in Florida...my hubby brings me to the launch, helps me in, hands me the paddle and off I go! The kayak is really easy to maneuver, very stable and has definitely helped strengthen my upper body. I love it!

I ran over a manatee the other day. It was like a big gray speedbump. It gave me a dirty look afterward...

[ajl338]

I kayak and canoe (see attachment, picture taken last weekend.
I have been canoeing for 3 years, only just taken up kayaking 4 weeks ago.





I havent yet learnt to roll a kayak but i can nearly roll my canadian canoe. The way you are taught to edge boats and roll them is to push down or lift up with your legs, that doesnt work for a para so instead the way to simulate pushing a hip down is to move your head / weight over that hip and it pushes down for you, there is a limit to what can be done which is why its not the way people are taught but it works of Grade 3 rivers.

What i have found out for paddling is that when you are a beginner you are put in a big boat and you rattle around from fear of being trapped in the boat, this makes it very difficult for someone who cant brace themselves with the foot rests. I need to be snuggly fitted into the boat which means i pack foam in so i dont shift sidewards. I have a piece of foam camping mat under the front edge of my seat to make is slope back like a bucket seat. Its also important to have a solid footrest like you get in river boats (solid foam bulkhead) so you cant get your feet caught behind foot pegs.

The biggest issue you have paddling with a non mobile person is how to get them back in if they come out, i have found for me that if i come out on a lake i need to float and we stick my legs back into my upsidedown boat (held on its side, as if getting into a sleeping bag) and then someone to pull on other side and roll me back up (in my boat), we then use a sea kayaking pump to get rid of the water. On a river i end up in the eddy like everyone else, someone eventually gets my boat and it gets brought back to me and i get helped back in. The biggest issue is steep banks and what happens is i get put in the boat and lowered down on a rope slowly. I guess the biggest issue is what happen if we have to escape the river and go overland or we have to portage. I rely on my mates to inspect rapids.

Incedentally when i started open canoeing i used to sit on a seat, the way to make this easy is to lower the seat so you are not so high up / hence wobbly. There are some very expensive bits of kit available ie the aquaback chair, there is a N.American company called crazy creek why make all kinds of chairs, they make a canoe chair and a high back version that secure round seats and offer back support, they also make really comfortable seats for sit on tops. What actually works for me better was kneeling on a kit bag using it like a saddle, when i got my last boat i had a saddle and thigh straps fitted, again it offers me know way of wiggleing about about transfers all my energy into forward power. When i first started paddling i had poor trunk rotation and could hardly move, over time this has got a lot better, i now turn better than most my mates.

Attached thumbnail(s)

• 

[guido]

Lots of info already here in this thread. This site is worth a look and I recommend her book

http://www.karendarke.com/