Getting from the beach parking lot to the water's edge generally requires two strong legs and good balance. The sand is usually soft and deep, and some of the beaches are very wide, which makes for a long walk.

Anyone who is unable to walk through the sand to the beach needs special assistance to help them get down to the water. Beach wheelchairs can provide that assistance. These wheelchairs have oversized, inflatable wheels that make the journey over the sand possible, with a little help from a friend who can push the chair.

Many beaches in Florida provide these special wheelchairs for free. Usually, the lifeguards are in charge of the wheelchairs and there are often signs in the beach parking lot or near the concession with a phone number you can call to let the lifeguards know you need a beach wheelchair.

Recently when I was at Pass-A-Grille Beach with the VISIT FLORIDA video crew shooting our sunrise to sunset video, we spoke with Jim Myers. Jim is in charge of the sunset bell ringing ceremony, but wanted to get the word out that Pass-A-Grille beach now has a beach wheelchair, which was generously donated. He was very happy to say that over 250 people had used it in the short time since they received it.

Jim reminded me how important it is to provide this type of assistance, so I thought I'd blog about it.

If you need a beach wheelchair to help you get to the water's edge, you can call the Parks & Recreation department of the city you are visiting. They'll be able to put you in touch with the beach facilities or lifeguards to find out if a chair is available for you to use.

All Florida beaches do not yet offer beach wheelchairs, but we're making progress.

David McRee
Florida Beaches Expert