RISE Kayaking is for members of all ages. This activity is every Thursday at White Rock Lake in Dallas. For more info about the specific dates and times, please visit the RISE Programs Calendar. For more information or to sign up contact Joel Hendrix, 469.762.5075 or jhendrix@riseadventures.org. Please allow us one week in advance to reserve you a kayak.

Join us for a unique water adventure!!

RISE Adventures is holding weekly Kayaking activities at White Rock Lake in Dallas, Texas. The group meets at 6pm each Thursday, from springtime through fall.

After skilled volunteers give you brief safety and fundamental lessons on operating a kayak or canoe you will be ready to venture out onto the water. If this activity is something you enjoy and want to continue on a regular basis, then you can sign up to learn the art of kayaking to the level of expertise you desire and join fellow kayakers for adventures on numerous lakes and rivers throughout the state. RISE offers an array of adapted equipment options so you will have the ability to find the right boat for your needs.

RISE will also be holding clinics to gauge your interest in our adapted equipment and see others with similar disabilities perform this exciting recreational adventure.

Kayaks and related equipment now are available with various modifications, depending on individual need. No specific guidelines exist for boating with a disability because everyone is unique. However, one great way to familiarize yourself with a sport is to go on an outing. Special equipment is available so you can try before deciding whether to buy your own.

It is best to consult with a recreational therapist or physical therapist who can assess your ability to maneuver a kayak and determine how you can compensate for any disability. Certified Red Cross instructors also provide training.

RISE consults with manufacturers of adaptive equipment and their sales staffs to determine what specific equipment you need. Here are some sample adaptations:

For persons with lower extremity weakness, a kayak can be adapted with a custom-made seat, using ensolite, if necessary, to protect the buttocks.

Floats or foam inserts can be tucked into pant legs to provide buoyancy to dangling legs and prevent snagging on submerged objects.

Recommended are a wet-suit to protect against hypothermia and a helmet to avoid head injury, particularly injury from banging against rocks.

Safety note to all kayakers and canoers: helmets are extremely important on white water rivers because of huge boulders around which the current flows at great speed, making it easy to bang one's head. Be safe. Rivers move very quickly!

It's also necessary to wear a floatation device, particularly a life vest in case you capsize.

For those with poor balance, seat belts in kayaks are occasionally recommended, but the kayaker must first extensively practice escape procedures in a swimming pool.

In order to avoid entrapment in a kayak, lower-body amputees should not wear a regular prosthesis; a water-sports prosthesis is recommended and can be strapped to the outside of the boat for easy access.

Upper-body amputees can use one-handed paddles, and/or practice paddling using heavy tape or rubber rings to secure their grip on the paddle. (Conventional terminal devices are not designed to hold paddles.)

Rowing prosthetics also are available for amputees using other types of water crafts.

Some quadriplegic kayakers or others with limited range of motion will opt to use a two-man kayak if managing a one-man kayak proves to be too difficult.

RISE has received written permission to attach the following link Kayaking with Physical Challenges. Please access this link to learn more about disabled kayaking.