RESPONSES: surfing feet

RESPONSES: surfing feet

zach harvey

4/9/2007

Thanks to all who responded...This is a great start to getting this guy back up and surfing...
   
  Original Post:
   
  Dear list,

I'm looking for ideas on making surf legs for a bilateral TT...These
might also second for scuba diving but could be set up separately (with
ferrier couplers)...What type of feet work best for this activity, and
what height generally works best?

Thanks,

Zach Harvey, CPO


[1] The Jaipur foot = it has great dorsiflexion/plantarflexion ROM,

barefoot

designed, and is water proof. There is a trick to attachment to

American

connection modules.

[2] a custom made foot made of Devcon

 -jan stokosa, c.p.

    michigan
   

I recently made a surfing leg for a TF amp using a Ferrier Trowbridge

peg

foot with a proximal Ferrier coupler to connect to her socket. The

surfer

needs to squat or crouch to lower his / her center of mass so the foot

needs

to either be able to plantar flex alot or just be a peg foot. As far as

the

height goes, I made it user adjustable just like a bicycle seatpost.

The

proximal tube is a 30cm long piece of 34mm OttoBock tubing and the

inner/

distal tubing is regular prosthetic 30mm pylon. The pylon was lightly

hand

sanded which made it fit snug but was easy to slide in and out with a

bit of

grease. The end of the 34mm tube has a 20mm long cut along the axis of

the

tube. This cut is surrounded by the appropriate sized seat post quick

release from the bike shop and with this the surfer can lower the leg

to

crouch down for surfing and when she needs to head back up the beach

she can

extend the leg to a better walking length. You just need to be sure to

mark

the MAXIMUM tube extension on the inner tube to prevent misuse and

failure.

I have pictures available upon request.

Markus Saufferer, C.P.(c)

 

 

Good Day Zach!

   Surfing? Scuba? Sounds like a day at the beach me...well, not a

Florida

beach, our waves aren't big enough. I would keep him/her at a normal

height. The reasoning is changing center of gravity. With stubbies or

even

slightly short, you can not maneuver your center of gravity to stay

balanced, or perhaps to say correctly, stay erect. The height also

allows a

change of weight over the board to change the board's position on a

wave and

to control the board. The lower your center of gravity, the further

you

have to move yourself to change the board's center of gravity, and the

shorter your legs the harder to shift weight dramatically. If you have

to

learn to maneuver, might as well learn the most efficient way the first

time

even if it is a greater learning curve. As far as feet for surfing,

hard to

beat a College Park Venture. Good proprioception, good flex but not out

of

control. Stable. Energy storing. The fact it has a single toe plate

gives a

control with edging the foot on a board or a dime size rock.

  Good luck and hard work, can't beat it.

  Ascend,

    Von Ruder

 

Zach,

 

Try the Campbell Childs foot from 4-C. It is great with water and has a

flexible keel.
   

Zach

 

The Active Ankle with our KC10T Wayfarer Steplite works well for

surfing.

 

The best for walking on sand is a litefoot, but they wear out very

quickly, and the

toe is probably too soft, especially with a bilateral.

 

You probably also will want to add crepe of some sort to help with

adhesion

to the board, as the foot alone will slip on the wax.

 

You know there is that shower leg kit from Endolite that has a foot

with

small suction cups all over the bottom. BK style use. Not removable

like

standard feet. Seattle light feet are water proof.

RS Marchisio RTP