Tips for putting in a wooden dock without getting wet?

[LIforrelaxin]

Originally Posted by RyanDe

This is only our second year. Last year, well, it didn't go well. As we all know the water is very cold still so even with a wetsuit it's not very comfortable and still limits the time you can be in the water. last year we tried waders but they ripped which made them useless and because the end of our dock is over 3' we still can't easily get out there to secure the poles. We did end up using various "techniques" (see photo) which worked okay but it feels less than ideal and there are probably tips and tricks out there from people who have done this before.

So, does anyone have a better way to do this, ideally without getting wet (besides paying someone).

Variations of your idea get the job done... you have to create enough buoyancy to support your weight and get the dock level so you can put in the legs...

Have you tried using a wetsuit? If you have not I think you will be surprised, and how comfortable it make the process. I did it for almost 30 years, before I turned the process over to my son, who uses the same wetsuit to do the job. While the cost of a wet suit may seem expensive, over time it is not. The other piece to this equation, is to have heat on, and a hot shower available...

With all that said, if you are entering the water to do this, the single biggest thing you can do for yourself, is to make sure you are prepared, to work efficiently once your in the water. What this mean in my case is the following:

- I have both a primary and secondary set of wrenches, it always seems one gets dropped. With a second set, you can wait until your ready to get out before getting totally wet to get the wrench or wrenches you have dropped.

- My legs are at a fixed height, I found in the early years, I don't need to adjust much year to year, and the little bit I do can be done later in the season. so I leave legs attached when the dock comes out... yes this adds some weight but makes installation go quicker.

- practice makes perfect. The more you do this the better you will get.... it does take some time.

- last make sure you have seasoned help, the more they do it with you the better they get...