Inflatable Kayak Blog

Eric Mueller has been a kayaker for over 20 years, but one day, a few years ago, he had an inspiration. He got to thinking about how someone with a disability could enjoy paddling a kayak the same as he could. He had an image of how a challenged individual could get back into a kayak, from the water, without a struggle.

This inspiration turned into an invention called the Freedom Kayak. The main difference of the Freedom Kayak is it’s retractable sponsons that can be employed to stabilize the kayak in the water making it very easy for the kayaker to slide back into the kayak. It essentially mimics the process of getting back into a wheel chair.

Getting back into a kayak while in the water is difficult enough for a person who has normal use of their arms and legs, much less someone who’s challenged. The great thing about Eric’s Freedom Kayak is that it’s designed for a challenged individual, but not limited to it. Anyone can use it.

This video tells Eric’s story and includes comments from adaptive kayakers. “Adaptive” is a term that’s used for a variety of sports that can be ‘adapted’ for individuals with disabilities.

We have also heard stories about adaptive kayakers using inflatable kayaks. Click here to read “My Friend, His Disability and An Inflatable Kayak“, a blog post from September of 2010.