Lake Norman has many times been referred to as an “Inland Sea” which is easily understood when a nasty summer storm unleashes its wrath upon our beautiful waters. As peaceful and beautiful as Lake Norman truly is, it can also be equally as dangerous during bad weather. It’s that same bad weather that tortures your boat and you dock!
Our dock repair services include measures to protect your dock and the boats that use it, boat bumpers are a must for adequate protection. Boat bumpers come in many sizes, shapes and applications, not to mention quality level, which dictates the amount of impact it can withstand along with the expected life span of the boat bumper.
I categorize boat bumpers as such:
Fixed boat bumpers are attached to the sides of the dock, these typically have two flat edges for securing to the dock and a raised, hollow center for accepting the impact of the boat. Fixed boat bumpers come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes, along with quality levels. I rarely recommend the ultra-expensive boat bumpers for Lake Norman docks, as they are designed more for the high seas found at the coast. I like the fixed boat bumpers because they come in a variety of sizes, so my custom docks can have accentuating boat bumpers.
Portable boat bumpers are exactly that…portable! These are great to have in your boat, as well as hanging on your dock, typically in elongated, bulb shaped tube with a rope for securing it. I recommend these to all my Lake Norman dock repair customers because they add an additional level of protection for older docks that are just not quite ready for replacement.
Rolling boat bumpers are similar to fixed, except they have an axle and will rotate and roll on impact. Rolling is good when boat contact will be down the side of the dock or inside the boat slip. Fixed bumpers deliver more impact back to the boat than the glancing blow of a rolling boat bumper.
Homemade boat bumpers have their place, just not on my docks! There are still a lot of old tires being used as boat bumpers, but they are usually attached to a dock that badly needs repairing.
