Another device that aids those with disabilities are pontoons which are floats that can be attached to the riggers in order to help rowers who don’t have control of their lower bodies to keep the balance of the boat.
The transfer board is another device that accommodates adaptive rowers though it isn’t a part of the boat. It’s used to help rowers without control of their legs to get from their wheelchairs to the boat without any assistance. (To see how a tranfer board is used, see video here: http://www.frontrower.com/adaptiverowing.htm)
For possible project ideas, I’m interested in helping make the process of set up for the rowers easier. Specifically, I’d like to address the following problems: rowers need help bringing all their equipment to the docks and setting up and the current process that some rowers use (transfer boards) to get into their boats poses several problems. For the first, more than a physical device I think coming up with a standardized procedure like leaving the equipment already at the dock during the day would be apt. I realize that this in itself causes other problems but it’s a starting point. As cool as the transfer board is, it can give the rower splinters and abrasions. One way to address this problem is by making the board out of more touch-friendly material but still keep the sturdiness of wood. A third problem I’d like to address doesn’t fall under the same umbrella as the first two but is still related. I’d like work on creating grips specifically made for adaptive rowers so they don’t have use ones made for weight lifters.
Some questions I have for rowers include: What is the most annoying thing you have to deal with while rowing? Do you feel like there are any steps that you have to do to prepare to row that seem unnecessary? My questions for the coaches include, if you have coached non-adaptive rowing before coaching adaptive rowing what is the hardest thing that you had to accommodate to? What’s your favorite part of coaching rowing? For the staff, do you think it’s possible to make the set up process more independent of helpers and more dependent on the rowers themselves?
