Bikinis, Buffed Bodies, and Beach Wheelchairs -Mark E. Smith

Summer 2004 is here, punctuated by babes in bikinis, buffed bodies, and beaches.  And, while many of us who use wheelchairs see ourselves as babes in bikinis or buffed bodies, it's the beach part - the wheel-sinking sand - that slows our summer sunning.   Fortunately, there's an entire genre of balloon-tired, beach-combing wheelchairs, designed to get you to the sun, sand, and surf.

Hotshot Products At $695, the Beach Econo Kit by Hotshot Products is among the most affordable options for beach going.  The kit contains four wheels and axle mounts that convert almost any lightweight wheelchair into a beach wheelchair.  Beyond the price, a key benefit to the kit is that it allows you to use the seating that best suits you - that is, the seating of your own wheelchair.  Even better yet, if you have a second wheelchair, you can set it up with the kit and leave it, creating a dedicated beach wheelchair for around a fourth of the cost of most other beach chairs. Hotshot Products also manufacturers the Cruzzr powerchair, designed to take you at 6mph over the sandiest of beaches.

Tiralo The Tiralo is an amphibious beach wheelchair, designed for both land and water.  While the balloon wheels provide easy rolling over sand, they also provide floatation when combined with the Tiralo's floatation armrersts.  Roll the Tiralo down the beach and into the ocean or lake, and its buoyancy provides you with a floating lounge.  The Tiralo sells for $2,350, has a 300lb. weight capacity, and disassembles for transport.

Landeez Landeez is the oldest name in beach wheelchairs, and is based on a conventional caster design, with large rear wheels and 360-degree pivoting front forks.  For greater environmental flexibility, the Landeez is available with optional oversized dune-buster wheels, or scaled-down wheels for ramped swimming pool use.  The Landeez retails for $2,650, and is adaptable toward a wide range of seating needs. One aspect to note is that most beach wheelchairs aren't designed for self-propulsion, and require a fairly strong assistant.  Nevertheless, with a stout pusher on the rear, a cooler on the front, and your tanned, toned body in the middle, a beach wheelchair may make your summer hotter than Georgia asphalt, allowing access to the sun, sand, and surf as never before.