How to choose your floating dock
Fixed or floating?
A good way to help you make the right choice of system is to look at those of your neighbors.
If their docks have been installed for a few years and maintain their good condition, a similar configuration choice might be good for you. If not, note the following characteristics to choose the best option for your body of water.
Fixed dock
- This is the ideal option for shallow waters. You can install a fixed dock in up to 4′ of water.
- A fixed dock is recommended if bad weather results in waves of up to 3′. If this is the case, you will need to moor the boat away from the dock.
- A stationary dock (or leg dock) is not recommended in a body of water that often fluctuates by more than 2′ in a short time. A floating dock would be more appropriate in this case, otherwise you might have to adjust the height a few times during the season.
- The fixed dock is usually without anchorage and you can’t rely on it to hold your boat during a storm or protect it from the big waves created by other boats.
Semi-floating dock
- A semi-floating dock is required in a floating dock configuration. It features floats at the end to allow for a transition that adjusts the height smoothly between the mainland or a fixed dock and the floating dock.
- In an area where water fluctuations are high, you can use fixed docks near the shore and make the transition to a floating dock in deeper waters. However, before the floating dock, you need a semi-floating dock section for the dock to adapt to these fluctuations.
- If the bottom of a lake or river drops rapidly, instead of installing fixed docks on the shore, you can start your configuration with a semi-floating dock length that will absorb the movements of the floating dock.
Floating dock
- A floating dock is ideal in bodies of water with a depth of more than 4′.
- A floating dock is ideal for lakes and rivers where the water level fluctuates periodically. As the dock floats, it will always be at the same level above the water.
- A floating dock is not recommended in a body of water producing waves of more than 3′, as it could be damaged or break and at the same time damage the boat that would be moored there.
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