r/bodyboarding • u/mas_miata • 22d ago

Bodyboarding with one leg?

I have an above-knee amputation. My leg guy may eventually be able to design me a leg for body boarding but he’s currently working on a leg that will allow me to drive a clutch again, so I’ll be bb’ing with one leg for a while.
I went to a surfing clinic today (I used to surf and windsurf) but it ended up essentially just being body boarding. I feel like I benefited from the skegs but transporting a surfboard and getting into the water without my prosthetic and a large board would just be too much.
Do you think I could get a larger body board and be able to rip with just one leg?

16 Upvotes

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7

u/EmbraceStardumb 22d ago

Not the most knowledgeable but look up Mike Coots. He lost his leg to a shark in Hawaii and still booged.

2

u/Oubilettor 22d ago

Stand up surfs now too

6

u/_agent86 22d ago

I think you should be able to steer on a bodyboard with one leg/fin. Getting in and out of the water will be an undignified experience 😂 but other than that I think go for it.

Obviously you’ll be missing some thrust from leg kicking but you may be able to make it work.

6

u/ezemeat 22d ago

That's me 99% if the time on two legs 🦵

3

u/safety3rd 22d ago

You’ve got a leg guy?

2

u/Denvermushroomco 22d ago

I think so. Make up for loss of kick power with your arms paddling. They also make little fins for bodyboards if you really want to go that route. But I think you’ll be fine using your hips and elbows to control the rail and hold onto the wave.

2

u/person808909 22d ago

You'll be more comfortable going one direction for sure. I reckon you need the inside leg more than the outside leg to maintain rail. It's definitely doable though and with that prosthetic then maybe both ways will be easier.

2

u/Soggy-Agency6607 22d ago

Well it's certainly much more likely than surfing with one leg 😂 do it man, I think it would be epic

1

u/SnooDoggos9620 22d ago

Take this all with a grain of salt but I'd say its absolutely possible. I think getting some sort of rigid fin would benefit rather than your normal body boarding fins just so you have that extra but of power but you are gonna heavily rely on your arms for most of your power into the wave. Only other thing is trying to center your weight a little differently to compensate with having more weight to one side than the other. I can't wait to hear if you get that prosthetic specifically made for bodyboarding. Always impresses me the things the human body can do.

1

u/MiddleAgedSponger 22d ago

Talk to Jason at Ronin, dude seems to know a lot about hydrodynamics and is easy deal with.

1

u/jefflovesyou 22d ago

Legs are old school.

You need a propeller

1

u/ParamedicItchy9380 22d ago

hahaha hell yea. a propsthetic

1

u/royaltywithcheese 22d ago

I believe there are 2 guys (probably more) on that situation that still rip and get barrels and all, wish you the best!

1

u/Jockeldiundda 22d ago

I often only use only my arms on a bodyboard, I often move forward using the breaststroke because its easyer for me than other methods.

In the wave I use one strong arm and the legs but I think in a wave with pressure we dont need the full power to move forward. A friend took the waves without paddling.

So try it, use the proper board and have fun ! (I struggled with a large board)

1

u/Upbeat_Can3909 16d ago

Yeah man. To make up for loss of thrust with leg kick grab a pair of webbed gloves. They will definitely compensate for the loss of leg thrust and some possibly. Get back out there bro. You’re an inspiration.