Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Adventure Dock

Hey Fellas. I recently bought a home in the Catskills of upstate NY with a nice swimming pond. I’ve had a lot of questions and all my google searches have pointed me to this forum. It’s been incredibly helpful with with what to do about algae and aeration. But I’ve got a query that I haven’t been able to find in the archives. Maybe y’all can help.

So I have this vision. I want to build a big Adventure Dock with diving platforms of various sizes from 3ft to 25ft with a rope swing, a slide, and a waterfall. I grew up going to swimming holes in the mountains of North Carolina and have always wanted my own. Now in my mid-30s, I’ve got the means and the property. I just have to figure out how to build it. I’ve had an architect friend do some drawings but she’s not too familiar with the support structure in a pond. An engineer friend suggested doing it with helical piers and fabricating a steel frame for the platforms. However, I don’t think I can drain my pond. There’s no where to put the water and it’s constantly flowing with small creeks and runoff from the surrounding woods.

My pond is about 1/3 acre and about 13ft deep in the center. I’d ideally like to build this dock just before the center so jumpers will have ample depth. And maybe have a long floating gangway to the fixed structure.

Any ideas on how to drive pilings or piers 30+ feet from shore? What would be the best supports? Helical piers or some kind of telephone pole-sized pier? I’ve got about $25k to throw at this and can do the decking myself with help from a friend.

If you guys have any ideas or just think I’m off my rocker, please let me know. Thanks!

You might try contacting Nate Herman (Herman Brothers Lake & Land). If nothing else, just to bounce ideas off him. This sounds like something right up his alley. He visits the forum occasionally too.

Thanks, Luke. I’ll reach out to Nate. I appreciate the advice.

DrLuke is right on.

Welcome to Pond Boss!!