Normal wheelchairs cannot easily pass over certain surfaces, making access impossible in some natural parks, trails, and beaches. Snow, gravel, mud, and sand can cause the wheels of a wheelchair to sink and become stuck. Beach wheelchairs make it possible to travel over almost any kind of uneven or difficult terrain.

Wheelchairs can be fitted with wheels specially designed to make travel possible over difficult surfaces. Thick, puncture-resistant rubber is used to make extremely wide, air-filled tires which do not get stuck or sink in mud, sand, or snow. Some pneumatic tires can be attached to a wheelchair's wheels which can move over sand, but balloon tires are the best option for traveling anywhere.

Plastic wheelchairs are available for use in pools or on the beach. The hard plastic frame is usually designed to be disassembled and transported easily. Some plastic wheelchairs have reclining backs, allowing you to lay by the pool and tan without having to leave the chair.

Popular tourist beaches often have wheelchair rental services. Most of the time, wheelchairs modified for the beach have no method included to push yourself without help. They tend to be designed with four identical balloon tires, which means you'll need someone else to push you along, like in a transport wheelchair. It is harder to push yourself over an uneven surface, even with beach modifications to your wheelchair.

If you can pay for it, a wheelchair designed for use on the beach which is either manual or electric can be purchased. A one-time trip to the beach may not be worth the investment, but if you frequently visit the beach, live on the coast, or travel often on difficult ground, it is a worthwhile purchase. If you will not use it on a regular basis, you may want to use a more economic option.

Portable beach platforms are available allowing you to ride in your existing electric or manual wheelchair on top of a wheelchair dolly. This is an economic option, but you will have limited access to certain areas and it may be a bumpy ride.

Prefabricated kits can be used to turn a manual wheelchair into a beach mobility device. These kits generally don't use wheels that will allow you to push yourself, but it is the cheapest option. You also may want to make sure your wheelchair will not suffer any corrosion or rusting if it is exposed to sea water.

There are other products available for people who have limited mobility and wish to visit the beach, including floating wheelchairs, walkers with balloon tires, and disks for crutches and canes which evenly distribute weight on sand.

In addition to going on a trip to the ocean, beach wheelchairs can also offer you access to any natural area with rough ground or snow, and all the places your usual wheelchair can't take you.