We have beach wheelchairs available to be used and checked out during the summer from our Lifeguards at the Circle beach access on a first-come, first-serve basis daily at no cost. In the off-season, the beach wheelchairs are available on a first-come, first-serve basis daily at no cost at the Fire Department.
For more information, feel free to contact our Fire Department which manages the lifeguard program and the beach wheelchairs at 252 726-7361. If you do not receive an answer, please be patient and call them later as they may be on an emergency response call.
NOTE: NC CAMA (Coastal Area Management Act) guidelines currently only allow limited development up to six feet seaward of the primary or frontal dune, so they would not permit building anything that would extend to the water. Therefore, permanently installed wheelchair mats or ramps from the dune line to the water are not permissible. We have tried portable beach mats in the past to increase accessibility, and while we agree it is a great concept, the constant maintenance during the day to sweep or blow the sand off was limiting our lifeguards’ ability to monitor the swimmers in the water. These mats are a perfect design for a beach that doesn’t have the wind blowing from the south, where the sand blows southwest up from the water and toward the seawall, covering everything in its path throughout the day. We are continually seeking cost-effective alternative options that would allow the sand to filter through the mat, maintain structure for wheelchair use, be easily transportable, and light enough to allow daily placement on the beach strand.
