I built my dock over existing water in a wet area. I built the framework out of steel and floated it out on barrels. I then used pipes with auger feet to anchor it to the bottom. I put synthetic decking on it after it was over the water. The only equipment I needed was a big pipe wrench to drill into the bottom and a few wrenches. The ice has never moved it an inch and it will hold up a small car. The decking has a 20 year warranty. The only disadvantages to the synthetic decking are the cost and it is hot to the bare feet on sunny days. The bonus is that it is actually less slippery when it's wet so it is good for swimming and diving.