KEY POINTS:
Only a surfer, the saying goes, knows the feeling.
"For me, there's nothing quite like the thrill of the ride, the speed and being on the wave - it's second to none," said Curtis Palmer.
But Mr Palmer is no ordinary surfer. For the past 16 years he
has been confined to a wheelchair, left a low-level quadriplegic after a rugby league accident.
Last year, Mr Palmer, a Paralympic gold medal-winning Wheel Black, went to a Disabled Surfers Association (DSA) event in Australia where volunteers help people take to the surf.
Once again, he was able to experience the thrill of the rides he enjoyed before his accident.
Now he is keen to share that feeling with other disabled New Zealanders.
Australian organisers of the 22-year-old association will be in Auckland next week to discuss establishing a New Zealand branch.
Mark Shanks, another New Zealander behind the move, hoped the meeting would attract groups and people interested in setting up and running the voluntary organisation.
"I work in the disabled sector myself and I know there's a lot of frustration when things are said they are going to be done and it doesn't happen," said Mr Shanks.
"We want to make sure this does happen and it lasts and that is the great thing about having the Australians involved."
Like Mr Palmer, Mr Shanks has been to Australia to see a DSA event.
"There were about 75 people with disabilities there and 300 volunteers and what really struck me was how much the disabled people were part of the beach culture," said Mr Shanks.
The association's honorary national secretary, Jim Bradley, said the most important outcome was the self-esteem and fun it gave people.
"Our sole aim is to put smiles on dials - safely," said Mr Bradley.
A minimum of six helpers join the surfer in the waist-deep water, depending on the level of disability. Kelly McCann, a quadriplegic who needs assistance breathing and has a tracheotomy hole open to the water, has 30 volunteers help her ride the waves.
"It sounds impossible to get her out in the water, but she does and she has inspired others," said Mr Bradley.
The cost of establishing the association in New Zealand would be about $15,000.
The DSA uses donated second-hand wetsuits, which sometimes have to be adapted. It has also developed a "surf sock" - a sleeping bag-like wetsuit with handles on the back.
Mr Bradley hoped the first event would be in late summer, probably at an east coast beach with easy access for wheelchairs.
A public meeting about the possible establishment of a Disabled Surfers branch will be held at 7pm on Wednesday at the Warehouse Conference Centre, North Shore.
