All-Terrain Wheelchair Floating in Water: Lakes, Rivers & Beach Safety Guide

Built for the Rockies, happy in the water

The Extreme Motus all-terrain wheelchair is often mistaken for a beach wheelchair. We get the confusion — we use the same Wheeleez polyurethane tires you’ll find on most beach chairs. But the Motus was designed in the Rocky Mountains as a hiking chair, built to handle rocks, gravel, grass, mud, snow, and sand. Floating across a calm lake on a hot day just happens to be one of its favorite party tricks.

Plenty of our customers buy the Motus specifically as a beach wheelchair, and that’s a perfectly good reason. We just want everyone to know it can do so much more than that. One chair, all the adventures.

Sam’s first time in the water

Normally when Sam visits a beach, lake, or reservoir, he gets carried like Cleopatra across the sand to a beach towel — both because his everyday wheelchair can’t handle the soft surface and because we want to protect its bearings from grit. Then he sits there, baking under a tent like a tomato, while everyone else splashes around in the water. Close enough to hear the fun, too far away to be part of it. One more activity he’s left out of because of his cerebral palsy.

One more activity he doesn’t have to be left out of anymore, thanks to the Extreme Motus All-Terrain Wheelchair.

The video above was the first time Sam and I rolled the Motus straight into a Utah reservoir. Reservoirs out here exist because of melting snow from the mountains — meaning the water is somewhere between “refreshing” and “is this how I die?” depending on the time of year.

So is Sam screaming with joy in the video, or screaming because cold mountain runoff is filling the seat? Honestly, probably a little of both. His older brother Nick is the one pushing him, and getting to mess around in the water with Nick is exactly the kind of regular-brother moment that’s hard to engineer when one of you uses a wheelchair. The Motus made it effortless.

When I first discovered this chair I thought, “Wow, this is perfect for my friend Sam.” After a few adventures with it, I realized how life-changing it was — not just for Sam, but for his entire circle of friends and family. Trips don’t get planned around what is or isn’t wheelchair accessible anymore. He just goes.

That kind of pure joy stood out in the early days of TikTok, back when everyone else was copying the same dance moves. The clip ended up with over 1,000,000 views.

Why the Motus floats (and what to expect)

The magic is in the tires. Wheeleez polyurethane balloon tires are essentially three big air-filled buoys. They displace enough water that the chair stays light and stable in shallows up to about seat height. The aluminum frame doesn’t rust, and there are no bearings or sealed hubs to ruin if you splash through fresh or salt water — just rinse it off when you’re done.

What you should expect: the seat will get wet (yes, the rider will too — that’s the point). Steering gets a little floaty as the tires lose grip on the bottom. With one caretaker holding the push handle, the chair is easy to control. With two people, one on each side, you can take it deeper and play around with confidence.

Water safety tips for all-terrain wheelchairs

Can the Extreme Motus go in the water? Yes. Is it an ocean-going vessel? No. A few rules keep things fun:

• A responsible caretaker must always be holding the chair. Without someone holding it, the chair will tip — the tires want to float, and the rider’s weight is high.
• The rider wears a life jacket — not the seatbelt. If anything goes sideways, you want the rider free of the chair and floating.
• Stay in shallow, calm water. Lake coves, slow river bends, and protected shorelines are perfect. Skip surf, current, and deep water.
• Watch the bottom. Hidden rocks, drop-offs, and slippery clay can surprise you. Walk the area first when you can.
• Rinse with fresh water afterward, especially after salt water or muddy reservoirs. The frame is fine; the rider’s skin will thank you.

For more general water safety guidance, the Red Cross has a great overview.

Frequently asked questions

Will the Extreme Motus float on its own?
The tires float, but the chair is not a self-stable raft — the rider’s weight makes it top-heavy. Always keep a caretaker holding the push handle.

Is it safe in salt water?
Yes. The aluminum frame and stainless hardware handle salt water without issue. Rinse the chair with fresh water when you’re done to keep everything looking new.

How deep can it go?
We recommend staying at or below seat height — roughly knee-to-thigh deep on the caretaker. That’s the sweet spot for fun without losing control.

Do the tires need to be deflated for the water?
No. Run them at the same low pressure you use for sand and soft trails (around 2–4 PSI). They’re already designed to flex and float.

Can I rent one to try at the lake or beach?
Yes — we have a growing rental and loaner network. Check our interactive location map for the closest park, beach, or program with a Motus available to try.

What about pool use?
Pools are fine for a quick splash, but chlorinated water is hard on fabric over time. We recommend a quick fresh-water rinse and air-drying the seat after pool sessions.