Do it Yourself Jet Ski Dock

With your new dock, getting on and off will be a cinch.

Building your own Jet Ski dock will allow you to easily get on and off your watercraft without the worry of loosing your balance and falling into the water. If you own a Jet Ski, you have probably already experienced the headaches involved with docking. Building your own custom dock that you can drive your Jet Ski right into will make your life much easier. This dock will also keep your investment safer during wavy weather and from passing boats wakes.

Things You'll Need

• 5 pressure treated planks, 4-by-4, 8-feet long
• 2-by-4 pressure-treated planks
• Hammer and nails
• Plastic foam
• Utility knife

Instructions

1. Measure the length and width of your Jet Ski at the maximum points. For the purposes of these instructions, this is a Jet Ski that measures 8 feet long and 4 feet wide.

2. Cut one 4-by-4 plank to 88 inches, two to 72 inches, two to 20 inches, and one to 48 inches.

3. Lay down two 8-foot-long 4-by-4s on the ground, parallel to each other, with the 88-inch-long length between them at the ends closest to you.

4. Place two 20-inch lengths at the other end of the 8-foot planks pointing inward toward each other. Place the two remaining 72-inch lengths on the ground, parallel to each other, with the ends touching the ends of the two 20-inch lengths of planks. Place the remaining 48-inch plank between the other ends of the two 6-foot planks. What you have before you should resemble a large U shape.

5. Cut your 2-by-4s to make 38 24-inch pieces, and leave five 8-foot long planks uncut.

6. Nail down the ends of the 8-foot-long 2-by-4s into the 8-foot-long 4-by-4s, perpendicular to them, side by side. Nail down the ends of the 24-inch long 2-by-4 sections to the 96- and 72-inch 4-by-4s. You now have a fully covered deck surface of your U shape.

7. Flip the deck over and cover the inside cavity of the dock with a layer of plastic foam. Cut it with your utility knife and cover the entire underside of the dock flush to the edges of the 4-by-4s. Tack a few nails through the insulation and into the 2-by-4s to hold it in place.

8. Carry and place your dock, 2-by-4 side facing up, into the water. The foam keeps it buoyant enough to stand on, while remaining buoyant above the surface of the water. The U shape allows you to pull your Jet Ski into the dock to allow for easy access to get on and off the Jet Ski.

Tips & Warnings

• Add a sturdy O-ring to the inside of the U shape to allow you to tie off the Jet Ski's bow line to prevent your watercraft from drifting away.

References

• Dow: Styrofoam Buoyancy Billets
• Dock Builders: Plans for Build-It-Yourself Floating Docks, Ramps and Boatwells