Is he still in touch with the Vancouver paddlers? What are they paddling and what insight into the selection process can they add?

: Do any of you know a paraplegic paddler ? I have a friend who was very
: much into adventure sports (caving, climbing, mountaineering, ski touring
: and so on) before becoming paralysed from the waist down. Since his
: accident, he has not given up cave diving, and he learned to fly light
: aircraft. He has now met some disabled paddlers who paddled Vancouver
: to Juneau this summer and is interested in taking up sea kayaking. He
: lives in Edinburgh, so his local area is the west coast of Scotland,
: with all that implies in terms of tides, weather and exposure to Atlantic
: swell.

: What sort of boat is likely to be best for this sort of paddler ? And
: what sort of outfitting is going to work for someone with no ability to
: do knee bracing and hip flicks ? Obviously the cop-out solution is to
: put him in a double with another paddler, but somehow I can't see Mike
: wanting to be in that position for very long - he is both determined and
: independant in everything to takes up.

: Ideas ?

: Andy