Imagine you’re at the beach, stuck in a life preserver that’s so big and ugly that people can’t help but stare.

Even worse, it only lets your legs get wet; the rest of you bobs like a cork.

That’s the experience for many people with physical disabilities who want to swim.

Sloane Wilson-Chinapoo, Harry Matthie, Pamela Lavery and Cranston Warren think they have a solution to the problem.

SWIM looks like an inflatable life vest but has pieces that can be added or taken away depending on the required support.

“We found out that a lot of people with disabilities don’t really like the experience of going to the beach in Bermuda or even to a pool,” said Ms Wilson-Chinapoo.

“For one young lady we talked to, her legs were in the water, but the rest of her body was held out of it.

“That was no fun. She wanted to paddle and kick. She wanted a full body experience and to be able to move her arms and legs.

“Another person we talked with uses an offshore dive vest normally used for powerboat racing. He still had very limited mobility considering he did not have control over the lower portion of his body.”

Swim Support for Water Immersion and Mobility is already making waves. It took home second prize at last month’s Start-Up Weekend here, organised by the Department of eCommerce.

It also beat seven inventions at Conductive Education Centre of Orlando’s Reverse Pitch Day Competition in January.

Participants were asked to find technology-based solutions to problems faced by young people with cerebral palsy. Some had trouble playing video games or texting; others talked about the challenges of going to the beach.

“We later found out we were the only ones who tackled the swim issue,” said Ms Wilson-Chinapoo, who works for the Department of eCommerce and helped organise the Bermuda competition. “Everyone else seemed to concentrate on texting or gaming. But I thought, Bermuda is surrounded by water, so the swim issue suited us.”

Mr Matthie, a freelance computer programmer, engineered the device and Ms Lavery designed it. Ms Wilson-Chinapoo assisted them both.

“I was looking at how it ergonomically would fit a body,” Ms Lavery said. “I work at HSBC as a business risk control officer, so I don’t do this kind of thing normally at all.”

Mr Warren, a clinical assistant at the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute, focused on the developmental aspects.

The group received technical assistance from Ms Lavery’s HSBC colleague, David Petty, and advice from the National Office for Seniors and the Physically Challenged.

SWIM is for anyone with a mobility issue including people who have suffered brain damage, heart attack or stroke.

The response from people with disabilities here has been “phenomenal”, Ms Wilson-Chinapoo said.

The group warned that the device was not meant to be a life saver.

“It is an active therapy tool to assist you in improving your motor skills” said Ms Lavery.

“It is meant to be used with a therapist or with a trusted caregiver. It looks similar to an inflatable life vest. It has enhanced neck support and detachable implements. The neck support comes off if their neck control improves. It is inflatable and has programming to deflate and inflate depending on the needs of the user.

“One of the devices on the market is this huge yellow square that goes around the user. It is not very attractive. We are still deciding on design, but we think that ours will have a fun design for children, and something else for adults.”

A lot of research went into SWIM’s development, Ms Wilson-Chinapoo said. The team used their own children to test it.

“The goal is to enhance lives,” she said.

“A lot of times able-bodied people write off people with disabilities. It is sad to say, but often they are not seen as valuable active participants in society, and they are. Taking the time to create devices like this helps them to become more active and prominent.”

The group is currently working on the patent application for the device. They do not know when it will be on the market.