Tag Archives: prone paddle boarding

Prone paddle boarding – learning and adapting with a disability

I started prone paddle boarding about four months ago. As a disabled person, being out on the water is a time of freedom from my handicap. I’ve only been out on the board seven times so far but I think i’m hooked. It’s challenging enough to keep me interested without the frustration of limitations.

first paddle

My first time on a prone paddle board.

My disability, multiple sclerosis, affects my body primarily through my legs and thinking ability. I can walk short distances with a walker but my legs are weak. Temperature changes and over-exertion effect me sometimes hours or days after the occurrence. Therefore I tend to be cautious about long workouts. Since I’m not fighting to make my legs work, paddle boarding allows me to increase the duration of my workouts.

The biggest logistical problem is finding help to get me in the water. Walking on sand may seem nice to some people but for be it’s quicksand and my feet feel like they weigh 50 lbs. They make water wheelchairs and those can be useful if you have a big truck and help to get you in and out  of it but for me the easiest way if I only have one helper is to walk in holding on to the arms of a friend that is walking backwards in front of me.

Getting out is another story. I tend to just scoot backwards on my butt until it’s shallow enough for someone to pull me up to standing. Then if my walker is parked close by I can slowly inch my way through the sand. The walker doesn’t roll in the sand so I have to pick it up and move it forward before I take a step. This technique can cause accumulation of sand in your clothes and shoes so I’ve started wearing bicycle type shorts and closed water shoes. That keeps the sand collection to a minimum.

Each time I’ve gone out on a board, I’ve learned something new. I’ve discovered the imbalances in my muscles so now I am focusing on how to correct that and improve all aspects of my life. My fear and ignorance of the ocean is decreasing. I’m learning new ways to get in the water and on the board.

I’ve also been motivated to get stronger so I can paddle better. I’ve been working on my swimming skills, balance and arm strength. Sure, I could have done those things without paddle boarding but I needed the boost of wanting to participate in the sport.

Right now I’m borrowing a board that was modified for someone else and while it’s great to practice on, eventually I will get a customized board of my own. I had to use the wrong board a few times to figure out what I need. My hope is that with the right board, I’ll be able to go farther and longer than I can right now.

board on car

My borrowed custom Bark board.

As you can see from the photo, handles have been added to the sides which allows me to load onto the board from the back and pull myself forward. This board also has a chest pad and chin block. I’ve played around with these and haven’t really found them to be that helpful for my particular disability.

Every person’s disability is different and it’s great to learn from other’s discoveries and mistakes but ultimately for things to work as smoothly as possible, you just have to get out and experiment for yourself.

Having fun with AccesSurf.

I’ve been having fun this summer exploring handicap possible water activities. There’s a lot to explore here in Hawaii and with a little or sometimes much help, I’ve found new sports to try.

It started back in March with AccesSurf. This is a great organization that brings a wide range of people with various physical challenges out into the ocean to swim, surf, paddle board and kayak. They have two gatherings a month, one for all challenged athletes and one for Wounded Warriors. http://www.accessurf.org

My first day with the group, they escorted my out into the water on a big-wheeled chair and guided me in swimming. It was my first time in the ocean in probably fifteen years. The volunteers were great, very responsive to any special needs. I didn’t actually do much of anything. They suspended me in the water and let me float. Truthfully, it was pretty uncomfortable since the life vest forced my neck into an awkward position.

After the swim came the part I was really looking forward to, SURFING! Okay, I won’t be standing up on a board anytime soon, but riding tandem on my belly out into the waves was exhilarating.  We caught three 3-4 foot waves before I had to let someone else have their turn. So much fun! I’ve wanted to surf since I was a little girl. Dream come true.

I now try to make it out every month. Last month they changed it up and had kayaking, canoeing and prone paddle boarding.

What is prone paddle boarding? It’s also known as traditional paddle boarding, which is what the Hawaiians originally did before stand-up paddle boarding (SUP). The board is more like a surf board but you lie on it and paddle with your arms. It’s a sport that I can do solo once I’m in the water, so for that reason, I really like it.

AccessSurf prone paddleboarding

AccessSurf prone paddleboarding

The guy that taught me, Mark Matheson, is a paraplegic who competes in long distance races with his team. His boards are customized with handles and an extra large wedge of foam to lean on and prop the neck up. We both went out and it felt so good to be doing something all on my own in the water.

Since then, Mark has offered to let me use his extra board to see if this is really the sport for me. He introduced me to a friend that he paddle with and the friend asked how my swimming skills were. Whoops. Not great.

So, last weekend I tried ocean swimming for the first time in probably twenty years. It took a lot of assistance to get me into and out of the water, but in the water wasn’t so bad. I wouldn’t want to be in the water without either a floatation device or life vest but I didn’t feel completely out of control. I did take my life vest off and let go of the boogie board for a minute or two. Swimming definitely uses body parts I haven’t been using for a while. It’s something I’ll have to do though if I do take up prone paddle boarding.

My life has been quite busy with beach activities, farmer’s markets and local events this summer. The thing is, this is Hawaii. I can to do these things year round.