They are called many names: adaptive kayak launches, accessible kayak launches, and even ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) boat launches, but many communities all desire the same thing — a safe and accessible way for adaptive paddlers to get out on the water. Many towns, parks, and other waterfronts desire to offer greater accessibility and inclusivity to those in wheelchairs, those living with disabilities or have mobility challenges, to more easily enter and exit a boat. For over ten years, BoardSafe Docks has been the trusted expert and manufacturer of accessible and adaptive kayak launches, and we pride ourselves not only in the high-quality materials and design and engineering but also in the feature-rich adaptive kayak launches that empower the greater number of abilities. The launches are designed with the input of adaptive athletes, using the best practices in dock and marina engineering. Simply put, we build adaptive kayak launches that go beyond checking the ADA box for your location, our accessibility products transform communities!
More Features = More Users
BoardSafe is proud to serve the most diverse abilities!
- Aluminum gangway 1:12 ADA slopeÂ
- Gangway top handrail and 36” handrailÂ
- Parallel boat slideÂ
- Tiered BenchÂ
- Bench rail
- Overhead bars
- Overhead Straps
- Slideout Seat
- Support saddles for vessels
- Pull bars
- Informational signage with QR Code
- Styrofoam encapsulated flotation for stability
- Self-Performed Installation Services
- Debris Diversion Control
- SUP compatibility
- Extruded aluminum for added strength
- Non-roller kayak chute for stability
Resource Links
- Site Evaluation Questionnaire
- BoardSafe Understands the Difference Between Adaptive and Accessible
- Instructions for using the BoardSafe Adaptive Kayak Launch
- List of Grants for Adaptive and Accessibility Projects to Fund Kayak Launches
- Best practices for fundraising for an adaptive kayak launchÂ
- Download our adaptive kayak launch e-brochure
Designed in Cooperation with Adaptive Paddlers
In 2013, BoardSafe worked with an environmental engineer, physical therapists, an accessibility coordinator at a local nonprofit for independent living, and a group of avid adaptive paddlers to fashion the best possible accessible kayak launch on the market. The result evolved into BoardSafe’s best-in-class adaptive kayak launch. The product continues to evolve with input from stakeholders in the accessibility movement.
Since then, BoardSafe continues to champion adaptive accessibility for waterfronts across the USA. This commitment to education and advocacy has made BoardSafe a leading voice in aquatic recreation accessibility, as well as the manufacturing source for the best-performing and highest-quality launch systems available. BoardSafe experts Scott Tihansky, Tom Warchol, and Ken Ryno are frequent speakers at conventions and events for building adaptive and accessible communities. Click on their profiles to learn more and request them to speak.
Watch our Kayak Launch in action.
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ADA Accessible Kayak Boat Launch Installed at 5 Rivers State Park in Alabama
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Lake Loramie State Park, OH, Installs Accessible Kayak Boat Launch
In September 2018, Lake Loramie installed an adaptive kayak launch at its 913-acre lake. The adaptive kayak launch is located between the campgrounds…
Accessible Kayak Launch Installed at Hanna Park in Florida
Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park is a 1.5-mile public beach and city park in Jacksonville, Florida. In April 2019, the City of Jacksonville…
Lake Nockamixon, PA, Accessible Kayak Launch and Adaptive Park Opens
On June 30, 2018, the Friends of Nockamixon State Park unveiled its new BoardSafe adaptive kayak launch, accessible kayak racks, and accessible…
ADA Kayak Dock Launch for Adaptive Paddlers Unveiled in Beltzville, PA, State Park Lake
ADA adaptive kayak launch manufacturer BoardSafe unveils a new ADA adaptive kayak launch. The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation hosted an official…
Beltzville Lake, PA, Adaptive Kayak Launch Featured in the Times News
The Times News, a daily newspaper serving Carbon County, based in Lehighton, PA, featured the ADA adaptive kayak launch used by adaptive…
New Aluminum Fishing Pier and ADA Boat Launch for Lake Friendswood Park, TX
Friendswood, TX, is a growing suburban community located between Houston and Galveston. The population is almost 40,000, and with the influx of…
Syracuse Inner Harbor Welcomes BoardSafe Adaptive Kayak Launch
Syracuse Inner Harbor is the recipient of a newly-installed BoardSafe Adaptive Kayak Launch, bringing accessible and adaptive kayaking, canoeing, and stand-up paddle boarding to the residents and visitors of Syracuse, NY.
ADA-Accessible Kayak Launch Offers Weeks Bay Adaptive Features
The Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Fairhope, Alabama, recently introduced its inclusive, ADA-compliant kayak launch to its kayakers and canoers…
Minsi Lake’s Adaptive Kayak Launch and Fishing Piers 1 Year Later
Minsi Lake is a 117-acre reservoir owned by the Commonwealth of PA and leased to Northampton County Parks and Recreation. It’s been…
New Accessible Adaptive ADA Floating Dock and Launch Access at Wright’s Landing Marina in Oswego, NY
In September 2022, the City of Oswego, NY, installed a new adaptive kayak launch, floating dock, and gangway at Wright’s Landing Marina….
Accessible Boat Launch Helps Disabled Get on the Water in Canton, NY
Kayaking on the open water can be freeing, but for those with disabilities, it can be limited and frustrating. The Grasse River…
Ames, Iowa, Increases Accessible Amenities at Ada Hayden Heritage Park with a BoardSafe Adaptive Kayak Launch
The Ada Hayden Heritage Park, located at 5205 Grand Avenue in Ames, Iowa, just announced the addition of another accessible amenity to…
MetroParks of Butler County, OH, Opens ADA-Compliant Kayak Launch
MetroParks of Butler County, Ohio, and BoardSafe Docks, completed construction of an ADA-compliant adaptive kayak launch at the VOA Lake at Voice…
Flotilla at Beaver Creek, TN, Enjoys 2 BoardSafe Adaptive Kayak Launches
What an amazing day of paddling the Beaver Creek Kayak Club created for their local community on Saturday, May 14, 2022, at…
Adaptive Kayak Launch Installed at Rotary Park, Coldwater, MI
A new BoardSafe Docks adaptive kayak launch was just installed at Rotary Park in Coldwater, Michigan, sponsored by the Coldwater Township Sunrise…
We Empower All Abilities. This Spring Will Be More Fun for Paddlers at the New Beaver Creek Launch in Powell, TN
Two new adaptive kayak launches have been installed on Beaver Creek! You will find them at Powell High Landing (Brickyard Road) and…
Cleveland Metroparks Adds Kayak Launch and Gangway
Established in 1917, Cleveland Metroparks spans more than 24,000 acres across Northeast Ohio including 18 reservations, more than 300 miles of trails,…
Mandarin Park Florida Adaptive Kayak Launch
The City of Jacksonville, Florida, recently installed its fourth BoardSafe Adaptive Kayak Launch at their Mandarin Park location in December 2021. The…
New Truly Adaptive Launch at Medina on the Erie Canal
The Village of Medina installed a customized BoardSafe Adaptive Kayak Launch, Floating Docks, Gangway, and Landing, completed in September 2021. The first…
Fairport on the Erie Canal Welcomes Adaptive Paddlers
The Village of Fairport is proudly equipped with a custom BoardSafe Adaptive Kayak Launch, part of a complete waterfront redesign at its…
Brockport’s Paddling on the Erie Canal Is Truly Inclusive
The Village of Brockport installed its BoardSafe Adaptive Kayak Launch in June 2021 to accommodate truly inclusive paddling. The adaptive system is located…
BoardSafe Docks Improves Accessibility for Adaptive Paddling Along the Erie Canal
Hospitality and heritage bring hundreds of thousands of tourists to the Erie Canal each summer. They come from near and they come…
BoardSafe’s Kayak Launch for Paddleboards Serves Idaho
Below are images of the installation of a BoardSafe aluminum kayak launch in Sandpoint, Idaho, followed by a brief video demonstration. This…
BoardSafe Adds Unique Adaptive Launch on Ohio River, Manchester
The Village of Manchester, Ohio, on the Ohio River, has an existing floating wood dock that rises and falls with the river level….
Minsi Lake Wilderness Area, PA, Proud of Their New ADA-Accessible Kayak Launch
Minsi Lake Wilderness Area is a 311-acre park, with hiking trails, picnic areas, woodlands, wetlands, and a 117-acre lake for public fishing…
ADA-Accessible Kayak Launch for Shawnee, OK, Kayak Club
BoardSafe supplied the Pott County Kayak Club of Shawnee, Oklahoma, with an ADA-accessible kayak launch at Shawnee Twin Lakes. BoardSafe worked alongside…
Gulfport MS Blueway Gets 2 ADA-Compliant Launches
In partnership with Moran Hauling of Biloxi, MS, BoardSafe was selected by the City of Gulfport to provide two new ADA-compliant kayak…
Adaptive Kayak Launch Brings Joy to Team River Runner
Following is a testimonial to the quality and superiority of the BoardSafe adaptive kayak launch that provides access for the disabled. As…
City of Coeur d’Alene Atlas Waterfront Project
The City of Coeur d’Alene has officially purchased nearly 47 acres of Spokane River waterfront property that was the former Atlas Mill…
BoardSafe Kayak Launch Survives Hurricane Sally
Recently, BoardSafe installed one of our adaptive kayak launches in Milton, Santa Rosa County, Florida. The project was completed 6 days before…
Jacksonville, Florida, Receives Another Adaptive Kayak Launch
Another of BoardSafe’s Made-in-America adaptive kayak launches has brought pleasure and renewed enthusiasm to watersport lovers in Jacksonville, Florida’s, Bethesda Park. Share…
Rehab Experts and Jacksonville, FL, Partner to Bring Accessibility to Residents
The City of Jacksonville and Brooks Rehabilitation have teamed up with BoardSafe’s adaptive kayak launch to provide accessibility to residents with disabilities in…
Cape Coral, FL, ADA-Accessible Kayak Launch Installed
Sirenia Vista State Park in Cape Coral, Florida, is an 8-acre environmental park, known as a great place to enjoy viewing manatees….
Lions Club Raises Money, Completes Adaptive Kayak Launch Installation
When Kempton Lions Club member Tom Kerr was seeking a project for the year, he leveraged his other civic involvement to identify…
Accessible Kayak and Boat Launch at Leaser Lake
As parks, marinas, rowing centers, and other outdoor facilities, add greater accessibility, Leaser Lake, in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, stands out as one…
BoardSafe’s First Adaptive Kayak Launch Is Dedicated 9-11-2015
On September 11, 2015, after installing the first BoardSafe Adaptive Kayak Launch, at Leaser Lake, Dan Smalley and Jason Strozyk from BoardSafe Docks…