Ways to Customize a Boat Dock for Comfort, Fun and Safety

Whether you use your dock for your own boat or jet ski or as a private boat slip rental, there are all sorts of ways to customize it for comfort, convenience, safety and aesthetics. Then there’s the entertainment factor. Who wouldn’t want to sit out on the dock (of the bay, lake or canal) and enjoy the sunset with friends and family?

Today, we’re going to take a look at some things you can do to customize your boat dock to make it all your own.

Safety First

Photo: Decks and Docks Lumber Company (Facebook)

Railings around the dock are one of the best things you can add to increase safety on the dock. This is a terrific way to keep kids and older folks safe.

Solar lights are pretty easy to install and add to the safety factor when boating and docking after dark.

Invest in a dock box to keep life vests and first aid kits on hand and easy to access. You can also store anchors, water toys and what-not so that they’re not strewn all over the dock. The dock box can double as extra seating. Not much room on the dock? A corner dock box is another option.

Install a gate at the end of the dock to keep young kids or pets from falling or jumping into the water at their leisure. Adding a ladder or stairs leading into the water is another feature for both safety and convenience. If you’ve ever tried to get off a boat at low tide (or even onto one), you’ll appreciate the use of a ladder up onto the dock.

Corner bumpers keep the boat and the heads of swimmers safe.

Security

Photo: Pixabay

To prevent boat theft and keep the boat safe from weather damage such as wind, high tides and hurricanes, you can install cleats, tie rope to pilings and add bumpers. Other handy features for a boat dock include boat lifts, whips and jet ski lifts.

Boat lifts along a canal

Convenience

Photo: KillerDock (Facebook)

Make post-boating washdown, cleaning and maintenance easier with a dock-side hose. This will eliminate dragging a garden hose to the dock every time you need to rinse it off. An outdoor shower is a nice way to rinse yourself off.

A fish-cleaning station makes scaling, cleaning and filleting the catch of the day an easier (and less cumbersome) task than hauling it all into the kitchen.

Dock Décor

Photo: Pixabay

Add some tropical touches like potted plants, trailing vines and flowers. Umbrellas, curtains and canvas panels make great ideas for shade as well as décor. The 4th of July just wouldn’t be the same without a flagpole. 

Water Sports Fun

Photo: The Docksider (Facebook)

What’s more fun than sliding down into a refreshing splash of lake water on a sizzling summer day? Nothing! Adding a slide to your boat dock for rent is a fun option for the kids and the adults. Jumping boards can also be a fun feature, but you need to be extra cautious about water depth and cautioning kids to jump rather than dive.

Kayak, canoe, SUP and fishing rod holders can be easily added to a dock. This makes it easy to access them when you’re ready to get on the water, and it keeps them off the dock where someone could trip over them.

Dock and Dine

Photo: Unsplash

Whether you have a sailboat, a trawler, a runabout or a luxury yacht, it’s nice to have some creature comforts on the boat dock rental. A couple of Adirondack chairs will certainly do the trick, but why not make it party-ready with a table, chairs, benches and other outdoor furniture. Throw in a small bar area so that you don’t have to run back into the house very time you need a drink refreshed.

An outdoor rug makes life easy on bare feet when the dock gets hot. I’ve even seen Astro turf on a dock, but really, let’s stick with carpet.

Fun Features

Photo: DeepGlow Underwater Lighting (Facebook)

Adding accent lighting on the railing and underwater lighting is a simple thing you can do to add that wow factor to your private boat dock for rent. The kids will have fun looking for fish after dark. Plus, it’s just plain fun.

Hang a hammock for relaxation after a day of waterskiing, deep-sea fishing or cleaning the boat.

We hope this has helped you come up with a bunch of cool dock décor ideas. Let us know how you decorate your dock!