New Tools for Kayakers With Disabilities

Kayaking is a great workout that engages the entire body. Many people find it to be a very meditative experience as well. While it does take practice, it’s fun and rewarding from the first time a person goes out on the water. However, it hasn’t always been the best option for kayakers with disabilities.

Designer Walter Hsiao is a big fan of kayaking and has long been searching for solutions that make it more accessible for people who have disabilities. At the moment he’s working on 3D printing assistive paddling grips for those with disabilities.

The plan is that these grips will give them more control and a better grip. Hsiao has described the grips as a work in progress, though he has several versions at the moment, all of which use one-inch webbing and Velcro ties to secure them. He hopes that the ties will be more easy to tighten and can even be integrated into gloves. He hasn’t perfected it yet, but he continues to experiment.

These grips are not Hsiao’s first attempt at creating assistive devices. Last September he took part in the Bay Area Makeaton, which focused on inventing devices that help folks with disabilities. His team worked on a project that would adapt kayaks and paddles for use by quadriplegics. He’s also worked with Environmental Traveling Companions, which is an organization that creates outdoor sport and travel accessible to both disadvantaged youth and everyone with disabilities.

Despite the fact that Hsiao hasn’t yet perfected these grips, it’s an exciting time to live in when people are making it a priority to ensure kayaking, stand up paddleboarding, and all manner of other outdoor sports are as accessible to everyone as possible. With these latest innovations, we feel confident that Hsiao will find a way to perfect his grips, and that other people will be inspired to get involved and come up with solutions of their own.

Maui Eco Tours is here to provide exceptional kayaking instruction to anyone interested in taking to the waters. In fact, you can take a combination kayaking and snorkeling tour. Choose from a guided group tour or book a private tour with just you and your closest friends and family. Comfortable ocean kayaks are the perfect place to have an ocean adventure – and no experience is necessary.