accessible adaptive ADA compliant aluminum kayak launchAdaptive kayaks, canoes, and boat launches, offer safe and accessible ways for adaptive paddlers, those in wheelchairs, and those with disabilities, to more easily enter and exit a boat. The launches are designed with the input of adaptive athletes, using the best practices in dock and marina engineering. The highest-quality products are used in the fabrication of each launch, and many ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) features abound in the structure. Below are some highlights of the adaptive kayak launch.

Adaptive paddlers share their input on BoardSafe’s prototype Boarding Bench with Pullout Seat
  • ADA-inspired features include a 1:12-slope aluminum gangway that is adjacent to the composite-decking boat slide. This design allows for individuals to ease their kayak down the slide while they travel along the gangway.
  • The floating dock and gangway have a 36″ continuous handrail along the perimeter, consistent with ADA requirements.
  • Aluminum floating docks with boat access are engineered for maximum flotation stabilization considering the size, number, and placement of plastic-encapsulated floats. The marine conditions and water movement (tidal waters, rivers, lake ice, etc.) are also considered.
  • On the floating dock, there is a loading bench that is 16″ high. Our group of adaptive kayakers determined this to be the ideal height to allow them to transfer over from a wheelchair. On the loading bench, there are four levels with four-inch rises. The athlete can use the handrail that runs the length of the bench to guide himself or herself along the bench to the boat. On the last transition, there is a pullout seat that extends out and across the top of the boat. The users can simply slide across the pullout seat, locate themselves directly across the kayak seat, and guide themselves into the boat.
  • Surrounding the kayak is the roll cage. It is a frame of handrails and hand straps offering the individual numerous gripping options for lowering into the boat.
  • Supporting the boat in the water is a partially-submerged bracket system to stabilize the kayak.

 

NEW! Grants  Are Available for ADA Accessible and Adaptive ADA Kayak Launches! Click here for more details and a list of potential grantors.

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For a brief history of how the input of adaptive paddlers influenced the first BoardSafe adaptive kayak launch, click here.

Ken Ryno, Adaptive Product Specialist

If you are considering an adaptive product for your lake, river, or other marine area, you will want to talk to Ken.

Ken has been a driving force in the community, advocating for accessibility issues and encouraging other adaptive athletes. He was a founding member of Team River Runner, Lehigh Valley Chapter, and is also an avid outdoorsman. Ken was a valuable part of the design team that helped develop the accessible kayak launch, and as an adaptive athlete, he has been an outspoken champion for BoardSafe products.

Ken assists clients with identifying the needs and right products for their projects. He also helps navigate clients through fundraising strategies to raise money to pay for their adaptive projects. Contact us to discuss your adaptive or accessible project with Ken.

Ken Ryno was featured on WFMZ, a local Allentown, PA, TV station, at the dedication of the kayak launch at Lake Minsi in PA. Read more here.

See some of our products and projects below.

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….

ADA Accessible Kayak Boat Launch Installed at 5 Rivers State Park in Alabama

Few places in the world have the confluence of five separate rivers coming together. A state park in Alabama has that coveted…

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…

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