I will start by saying, this post is just an opinion. Everyone’s illness is different. I am not a doctor, and this is by no means medical advice. All that I am providing is my opinion based on my experience with a disability.
When you have a chronic illness, or some sort of disability, you generally lose the ability to do things you use to love. For me these things included swimming, basketball, going to the gym, hiking etc… Then all of a sudden I wasn’t able to do those things anymore. As people with disabilities we have to re-learn how to love and enjoy life. We find new hobbies, and take on new interests. We want to find ways to prove to ourselves that life is still worth living even though we have it a little tougher than the average human.
So where do the jet skis come in?
Well jet skis probably aren’t the best option for people with a disability, but they are still possible. For me I have sjogrens and MCAS, which leaves me with a lot of joint pain etc. Just cruising on a jet ski is amazing, it’s comfortable, low impact, and it gets me out to enjoy some amazing scenery while getting plenty of vitamin D. The issue is when going fast and hitting waves, it’s harder on the knees, the lower back, neck etc. I still love jet skiing, I make it work in my own way, and when I’m not flaring as bad, I can push it a little harder, but it’s not my first choice.
So why say all of this if I don’t recommend Jet Skis?
I say this because there are other options. Options that suit us people with achy joints even better, while probably having more fun. And who knows, as I try new things, maybe those newer options will be better than these options. So what are the options we have? Jet Karts! I will also say we have kayaks and paddleboards which I also recommend for low impact exercise (but that’s with our other side OrtegaOutdoors.Com). But to stay within our brand, the Jet Karts (EvoJet) is the way to go (You can see pictures of these on our homepage EvolutionJetsports.Com). These are a sit in style jet ski with a racing seat and a steering wheel. Which means you drive it more like a car than a bike. No leaning, no using your knees, you can go as fast or slow as you want. I will say the only downside is they don’t work so well with people taller than 6′ 5″, we found that to be the limit, but overall these have not only been funner in general for me and the general public, but when I’m in a flare, the jet karts are my go-to craft over the jet ski. Then I can just sit and cruise, and enjoy the nice weather.
What other options will we have in the future?
We do know one option that will be very achy joint friendly, and we plan to add soon. That would be the craig cat mini pontoon boats. They are a 2 seater craft with a max speed of 30mph. They come with speakers and are very multi-purpose. Want to fish? Cool they have a cooler on deck and you can easily fish from them. Want to take your date on a cruise through the city? Perfect, these make that a breeze and are way more fun than peddle-boats that are slower than walking. Have achy joints? awesome, these aren’t that fast and you basically sit in a recliner.
Evolution Jetsports strives to give everyone the chance to enjoy themselves, and being someone with a disability myself, I really want to give people the ability to enjoy life to the fullest, even if it feels like life knocks them down sometimes).
Want to hear a little more about myself and my disability, you can also read my story HERE where you can see a very condensed version of my journey through disability and how I ended up with a love for jet skis and jet karts.
