The Right Wheelchair to Enjoy the Beach

This column originally ran in the Summer 2024 Mirror Moms pages.

In less than a month, we’ll all kiss Spring’s fluctuating temperatures farewell and soak up some vitamin D in 80 plus degree weather. The thought of summer and sun makes me as giddy as Olaf from Frozen. Once again, I’ll be a happy human, covered in SPF 50 sunblock. (Yes, my ancestors were Vikings.)

For most of the last decade, my family and I have descended on Rehoboth Beach for a week’s vacation each summer. And since my everyday wheelchair doesn’t maneuver well in sand—like, practically sinking up to my wheel hubs at different places—we rent one that does.

In general, these amazing chairs have a PVC plastic tube frame, large puffy gray wheels, and quick-drying material for its seat. Most do not corner well and tend to sink in wet sand if not re-positioned frequently, but for transporting someone who wouldn’t be able to experience the beach with their family otherwise, they are miraculous.

I tend to play in the shallows with mine, letting the ocean water wash over my feet and occasionally splash into my lap. If I want to get doused, a toy bucket full of chilled saltwater works perfectly. I’ve learned never to go too far into the waves and always have at least two people with me. As nice as these beach wheelchairs are, they’re no match for the sea’s sometimes violent currents. In Rehoboth, these can happen without warning.

Years ago, my husband and I were farther out from shore than normal, due to a low tide. He had his hands on my beach wheelchair’s arms, and we were enjoying the day. A small wave crashed behind us, engulfing my wheels and pulling them left. A split second later, a larger wave crashed, yanking my wheels the other way. With a snap I felt in my seat, the chair’s front axle sheared in half, tossing me forward into my husband’s arms. For the first time in 22 years, I felt the soft sandy bottom of the ocean floor on my feet as other members of my family, and helpful strangers, frantically waded around us, grabbing bobbing wheels and plastic parts. My now two-wheeled chair became a litter lifted out of the water by four people. They transported me back to our umbrellas to wait for a replacement.

On the flip side, I used a beach wheelchair in Naples, Florida, and the bathtub calm of the gulf’s water meant I could wheel into that ocean, right up to my waist. My husband and I were one with the local pelicans for an hour, watching them float on the swells and swoop down from the air for fish.

Knowing the ocean’s personality, as well as the tips for keeping cool and not letting your wheels sink into swampy wet sand, can lead to a successful, fun, and inclusive beach visit for every wheelchair user.

Where to rent:

Rehoboth Beach, DE—https://www.227rent.com/product/beach-wheelchair/

If you aren’t going to a Delaware beach, Google will have the information you need under ‘beach wheelchair rental’ and the city.