I'm not sure that "normal" winters exist in Misery. I've seen winters where there was little to no ice, and I've seen them where the ponds froze in late December and didn't open back up until late in February.
Last winter we had a lot of ice for a long time. I was lucky that it didn't do any noticeable damage to my dock, but I can't imagine that it did it any good.
If the single diffuser can't keep the entire dock free I've got another one that I can hang on the opposite side of the gangway.
