When you spend a lot of time on the water, you often hear the terms "boat dock", "boat slip", or depending on what lake you live on you often hear "marina" too. Many lake homes that have a boat dock will usually have one or more boat slips.
The differences between the two isn’t huge. While they both give you a place to store your boat, they have their own differences.
Basic Differences
A boat dock is an actual structure of wood or metal where you park your boat. Parking your boat at a boat dock is like securing it parallel to the dock and leaving three parts open to the water. Sometimes, a boat dock may have a boat slip. You will be able to tell if it is a boat slip if it has one opening to the water in the back and is shaped like a F, T, L, or possibly even a U shape. A boat slip is more of like a single parking space for your boat. They don't have much room as a boat dock, but make parking a boat easy.
Which One is Better?
Slips are typically the preferred choice for marinas and people with boats. The reason is because they protect your boat much better as the waves cannot hit more than one side of your boat.
If you have a limited budget or space, an aluminum boat dock may be the perfect option for you. A dock is also a great choice if you live in a secluded area with just one boat. If you park your boat at a nearby marina or do not have a boat, you may not need a boat slip at all. Even without a boat slip and boat, a dock is the perfect place to sit back, relax, and have fun!
Aluminum Boat Docks
ShoreMaster's aluminum boat docks are lightweight, durable, and have the greatest number of customization possibilities in the industry. You can have your dock simple and then decide to upgrade it later on to make it bigger or even add a slip later on!
