I have read through a bunch of dock threads and have not gotten a clear answer. What are the pros and cons to a floating vs fixed dock?? Maybe I missed something. I went through the archives and looked at people considering the options and saw a bunch of people say they went with this or that but never saw why.

So what are the disadvantages/advantages of each?

I see a bunch of y'all pull your floating docks out before ice over. I guess the ice will just destroy them? That seems like a major disadvantage! What if you have a large floating dock?

Thanks in advance for your input!

a few things to consider:

Floating dock
In most cases easier to install
Ability to fluctuate with water levels.
Can easily add more or less sections.
Move-able once installed.
In many cases costs less.

Fixed Dock:
Stability...I really like stability.
Personally I think they tend to look better.
Construction after lake exists more problematic/costly.

I have gone back and forth, but pretty much decided
to have a fixed dock built this summer...
since I have a pretty constant water table.

One Con for the floating dock. If left hooked to your on land posts for the winter you can have a winter that the ice will want to pull it off the posts. This winter was really hard on the floating dock. I think next year I will un hook from the posts and pull back on to shore to let the dock move more free then having one end fixed.

Cheers Don.

Check out The Dock Manual:

http://www.amazon.com/Dock-Manual-Design...s=dock+building

Plenty of info therein about floating and stationary docks.

I am lucky to have two piers, one at the lake and one @ the pond. The fixed is real nice and is fairly large but the one @ the pond is 12x16 and I use it as a working barge with a trolling motor for such things as dropping large structure items, like 15x6' cedar tree brush piles or 9 foot tall pvc trees, or to float to the middle of the pond for a swimming or bathing pier. To increase stability I have added 5 gal buckets of concrete on each corner and anchored to the bottom and can be unattached when needed. I think u cam make the landing for the pier as nice as u want, using a deck and chairs etc for the place to step onto the floating pier.

Tracy

Gotcha. Thanks for the info. If you do a floating dock, is it MANDATORY to pull it out before ice over? Is there a way to leave it in the water to where the ice won't hurt it? I'd like to build a large one and dragging it out seems like it would be quite a job.

Hey Tracey - great tips on using the dock as a barge...dang, I never considered that before. I've got to try that this Summer.

I have never had issues with ice damaging my floating dock. My dock was built by the Herman Bros and is incredibly stable - I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

I've seen some people convert large pontoon boats into a floating dock
and I guess that could make it easier to pull out of the lake?