Pool chair for wheeling straight into pool?

[Curt Leatherbee]

Anybody use this method for getting into a swimming pool. The pool where I live here in Florida was recently opened and on one end of the pool it has a gentle slope into it. I'm thinking if I had waterproof chair I could ride right into it. I've done a little research, what is out there seems real expensive, I just might build my own out of pvc piping. Heres a picture of the pool. Anybody get into a pool using this method?

[nmireles]

Curt, I have yet to roll into a pool, I usally go up to the double grab bars that people exit from and lower myself. There are however somewhat affordable pool wheelchairs. They run around $390 , check out the link below, that's the most popular pool wheelchair out there. If you can't purchase direct from them, hit me up. I have a small dme store and I can help you good luck. If you do decide to build a pvc pool wheelchair. please send me a pick good luck. Nick http://www.healthlinemedical.com/product_info.php?products_id=152

[Oddity]

Hippocampe was designed for rolling in and out of water. They had a 'light' version at the Expo that I thought might work well for pools. It was long enough to navigate 3-5 underwater steps without too much trouble.

[Curt Leatherbee]

Curt, I have yet to roll into a pool, I usally go up to the double grab bars that people exit from and lower myself. There are however somewhat affordable pool wheelchairs. They run around $390 , check out the link below, that's the most popular pool wheelchair out there. If you can't purchase direct from them, hit me up. I have a small dme store and I can help you good luck. If you do decide to build a pvc pool wheelchair. please send me a pick good luck. Nick http://www.healthlinemedical.com/product_info.php?products_id=152

Thanks, I had come across that chair, not crazy about the armrests, look like they'd get in the way for sure with transfers, don't like the seat either. The price is cheap enough though, though I'd seen it listed somewhere at 650 though not 390. If I build something I'd do it with no armrests and a flat seat that is easy to slide on and off.

[Curt Leatherbee]

Hippocampe was designed for rolling in and out of water. They had a 'light' version at the Expo that I thought might work well for pools. It was long enough to navigate 3-5 underwater steps without too much trouble.

Thanks Dale, I had come across that chair, it is huge money at $2800.00. There are actually no steps to navigate as it is sloped all the way down. It's strange too with that chair your talking about there are no push rims, it looks like it was mainly meant to be pushed by someone, I want to be able to do this independently.

[iburkhart13]

I just use a cheap transport chair to get in and out and then have someone pull it out for me so it's not sitting in the water the whole time.

[Oddity]

Thanks Dale, I had come across that chair, it is huge money at $2800.00. There are actually no steps to navigate as it is sloped all the way down. It's strange too with that chair your talking about there are no push rims, it looks like it was mainly meant to be pushed by someone, I want to be able to do this independently.

$2800?!?!?!? Holy crap, that's way too much for just getting in and out of a pool!

I tried 2 out at Expo and it was pushable from the rear tires, but really does seem to be geared toward parents of younger disabled kids that want to 'take them with them' off road and to the beach, etc.

Here is a PVC chair the folks at the beach around here will give out. I bet you could make this for pretty reasonable $.

[Curt Leatherbee]

I just use a cheap transport chair to get in and out and then have someone pull it out for me so it's not sitting in the water the whole time.

I've thought about that, could get something like that for around 150 bucks and it probabley would be good to get it out of the water so other people are not running into it. Knowing my luck I'd get sued if somebody stubbed their toe on the chair in the water, lol.

[Liz321]

I'd find an old clunker someone is getting rid of and use it.

[sjean423]

I used something like this when I was doing aquatic therapy. I thought at the time it would be pretty easy to make w/ pipes. The arms pulled up, or away, but it took a few weeks of tricky transfers before we figured out the trick.

http://www.sportaid.com/anthros-medi...heelchair.html

[sherocksandsherolls]

hey Curt..there are two on ebay for around $500

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=....c0.m270.l1313

[Curt Leatherbee]

I used something like this when I was doing aquatic therapy. I thought at the time it would be pretty easy to make w/ pipes. The arms pulled up, or away, but it took a few weeks of tricky transfers before we figured out the trick.

http://www.sportaid.com/anthros-medi...heelchair.html

Thanks, thats a thought, those darn armrests though. I'm also thinking maybe just a el cheapo chair something like this http://www.spinlife.com/Drive-Medica...roductID=90057 One thing I am nervous about though is that the pool is a saltwater pool and things like bearings might start to corrode fairly quickly. I guess maybe if I just give them a shot of wd40 every now and then and spin them that might help. It's going to be so cool just wheeling right into the pool and then just sliding right back into the chair in the water, no more low transfers to the ground and that sort of thing. I'm glad they built the pool like this, hopefully it will work out ok, I'd think it should. Heres another pic of the pool.

[gjnl]

One thing I am nervous about though is that the pool is a saltwater pool and things like bearings might start to corrode fairly quickly. I guess maybe if I just give them a shot of wd40 every now and then and spin them that might help.

Years ago, I was at Seaworld sitting in front of the walrus habitat. It was great fun watching the babies and their mothers "spitting" at each other. They would gulp water then expel it from their mouths with the force of a garden hose turned full on. It was cute until I became the target of a misaimed water spout. I was soaked from the knees down. My right wheel was soaked. When I got home, NL washed the wheel with the hose and we planned to deal with it in the morning. Next morning, the wheel wasn't rolling very well. She repacked the bearings and the wheel worked like new, but from then on, I had rust at at every spoke attachment point. Good Luck!

All the best,
GJ

[Curt Leatherbee]

Years ago, I was at Seaworld sitting in front of the walrus habitat. It was great fun watching the babies and their mothers "spitting" at each other. They would gulp water then expel it from their mouths with the force of a garden hose turned full on. It was cute until I became the target of a misaimed water spout. I was soaked from the knees down. My right wheel was soaked. When I got home, NL washed the wheel with the hose and we planned to deal with it in the morning. Next morning, the wheel wasn't rolling very well. She repacked the bearings and the wheel worked like new, but from then on, I had rust at at every spoke attachment point. Good Luck!

All the best,
GJ

I'm really thinking about maybe just going with the chair I posted, the blue one. I think If I put some RTV over the bearings that might keep the water out and the wheels are plastic so that would not be a issue there. I'm not really sure what the frame is made out of steel or aluminum, probably steel, but it is painted so I'd think that would keep that from rusting. I think the arm rests are removable too.

[zillazangel]

Chad's manual is just fabric, metal and plastic, and we bump him in and out of the pool (we have stairs) in his manual chair - we take his cushion out first.