As you step out onto your wooden or aluminum boat dock, take a look around. Is your dock a place where you want to spend the day with your family or close friends? Can you envision a day spent splashing in the water, enjoying a cold drink and hopping in and out of the boat while your kids work on their wake surfing skills?
If you just can’t picture it, you might be missing out on a few functional accessories that will really elevate your lakefront experience. Here are a few of our favourite dock accessories.
Swim Ladders
Kids love swimming, so if you have kids, you likely need a swim ladder. Kids especially love jumping off the dock into the water, but they definitely don’t want to swim back to shore just to do it all over again. We recommend choosing a ladder that’s built using high-quality aluminum. Our 7-step swim ladders have treads to prevent skinned knees. They’re also locally made, so you can take pride in supporting local.
A high-quality swim ladder will make sure it lasts for years to come so that maybe even your grandkids can use it one day!
Cleats
If you’re a family of avid boaters, it makes sense to install cleats around the edge of your dock. Instead of loading your boat back onto the lift every time you pop into the house for a quick snack or to grab something you forgot, you can hook up to a cleat. Or let’s say you have friends stopping by for an afternoon visit in their boat. A set of cleats will come in really handy in this scenario. We always recommend the popular flip-up cleat to prevent stubbed toes.
Paddle Board Racks
Who doesn’t love to paddle board? On any given summer day, you’ll be able to see at least one person on the lake enjoying a peaceful paddle. It’s become one of the most popular lake activities in recent years. If you’ve joined in on the fun and picked up a paddleboard or two over the years, you should consider installing a stand-up paddle board rack.
These racks can often be installed in a way that take up very little space while still providing paddlers with an effortless way to grab a board and hit the water. Plus, our locally made paddle board racks are completely custom and designed so they can match the rest of your dock accessories.
Boat Dock Bumpers
We get it – your boat is your baby. We don’t want to see it scratched or dented either. To make sure this doesn’t happen, we recommend installing various bumpers on your dock, like:
- Vertical dock bumper
- Corner bumpers
- Dock edge bumpers
- Corner wheel bumpers
- Pile bumpers
We’re also pleased to announce that we now offer aluminum and Douglas fir bumpers.
Storage Boxes
Those that spend a lot of time on their dock all summer should consider installing a locally manufactured storage box. These handy dock toppers provide easy access to all the summer staples. And if you’re spending a few days away from home, you can lock up your accessories instead of hauling everything back to the storage shed.
Dock Lighting
Keep that dock party going, even after the sun goes down, with custom dock lighting. There are lots of different types available, suitable to accommodate your lighting needs, like:
- Standard electrical dock LED lights
- Navigational solar dock lights
- Security light stands
- Kichler low voltage pathway lights
- Carmanah M550 solar lights
Flip-up Access Ramps
These ramps have gained a lot of popularity in recent years. Mounted on the side of the dock, these ramps actually flip down next to your boat to make climbing into and out of the boat much easier. These ramps are exclusive to Shoreline, as the initial concept was created by Bob Jones, founder of Shoreline. After watching a loved one struggling to climb into the boat, Jones to creates the access ramp, which is manufactured right here in Kelowna. It’s the perfect solution for senior boaters that want to spend as much time in the boat as possible without the risk of injury caused by slipping between the boat and dock.
Want to know more about the people behind these recommendations and designs? Meet the Joneses, the family that started Shoreline Pile Driving. With more than 35 years of experience installing custom-built boat docks, our Kelowna boat dock builders have seen nearly every dock set-up on the lake and can offer insightful tips and suggestions.
