Posted on: Mon, Aug 3 2009 6:12 PM
Posted by: TriDog
Posts: 2,799
neenerbeener:
Hello there! I very new here and I have a question.
I am a bilateral below-knee amputee, and my family likes to go boating, waterskiing, tubing etc. I love to go tubing, but I am not strong enough to lift myself out of the water. I can kinda roll from the tube onto the back swim deck and then crawl into the boat. I'm afraid that if I get dumped from the tube I won't be able to get back into the tube or the boat. I do have a pair of water-appropriate legs, but I find them awkward for swimming ( and I don't fully trust them to stay on). I'm wondering about adapting the ladder to accomodate climbing with my knees. Any experiences or advice??
Nena
Hey Nena, Welcomem aboard.
First, I'm assuming that you're wearing a USCG approved floatation device while skiing or tubing. If not, I highly suggest it.
Second. I would hit the gym and build up those muscles. Sooner or later, you may have to lift yourself up onto the deck of a boat. Better safe then sorry.
Third: Adapt away. Make any changes to the boarding ladder the you need. Remember, it's not the athlete that's in the wrong, It's the equipment. Have you thought about a lift? One with a control that hangs over the rail so that you can sit in the sling/seat, press the button and have it lift you out of the water and swing you onto the deck. Very similar to the way a lift brings a lobster trap onto the deck.
Fourth: Try Contacting Northeast Passage in New Hampshire. The offer watersking clinics and may have a few suggestions for you.
Good Luck... Hey show some pics you you ripping up the waves.
"If you can't fly, then run. If you can't run, then walk. If you can't walk, then crawl, but you must keep moving forward." - Martin Luther King Jr
