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It turns out you don’t need a lake house to host a party this summer. All you need is this portable inflatable patio dock that attaches to a boat.
Leave it to Amazon to grant us access to one of the coolest warm-weather products on the market — the Island Hopper Patio Dock. Made for roughly 10 people and designed to complement a large watercraft, the 15-foot-long, 6-foot-wide dock consists of a soft, non-slip foam surface that looks like stained wood yet is more comfortable underfoot.
The dock for all ages weighs 68 pounds and can handle over 2,000 pounds. Attach it to your pontoon boat and use it as a floating dock to launch wakeboards and tubes or simply sunbathe on it. You can even hand your party-goers paddles and treat it as an oversized paddleboard.
Made with what the manufacturer calls “extremely rigid and buoyant commercial drop stitch construction,” all seams are heat-welded rather than glued for added protection from seam ripping. The company is so confident the seams will stay bonded that it comes with a five-year “no seam blow-out” limited warranty.
Currently on sale for $1,399.99 at $100 off the list price, the Island Hopper Patio Dock is considerably cheaper than installing a permanent dock, which can cost up to $21,000.
It gets even better. You can extend the party space by connecting multiple units. It features 11 side-welded stainless D-rings and 24 top- and bottom-welded web loops to help you secure anchoring and holding accessories.
Plus, you’ll hardly need to lift a finger to inflate this portable dock. Included in the price are a PSI hand pump and an electric 15 PSI auto-set portable power inflator, which conveniently plugs into a cigarette lighter outlet. There is also a PSI hand pump, stow straps and repair patches too. It takes about 15 minutes to inflate.
We like how easy it is to stow away and clean. After use, just wipe it down with a sponge and hose it off. It deflates in roughly 15 minutes to 3.5 by 2 feet, small enough to fit in the trunk of your car. Another option is to turn it on its side and tie it to your boat to tote around to your next lounge spot.
Although there aren’t many reviews yet, this product has an average rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars. People ranked it highly for being easy to inflate, sturdy and durable.
Reviewer Lacy gave it five stars and called it a “great product.” She found it easy to air up and liked how firm and sturdy it was to lounge on.
“Truly put this thing to the test with a bunch of people on it. The whole group had a good time. Looking forward to many years of use,” she said.
While most people who left reviews raved about how durable and well-made the Island Hopper Dock was, there were a few complaints that it bubbled in extreme heat. Some people did say that the company replaced their warped item at no additional cost.
Of course, Island Hopper offers other options, like a 6-by-8-foot inflatable platform with similar features called the Island Buddy, which you can get from third-party sellers right now for about $749. Or try a cheaper option from another company; there’s a well-rated 10-by-6.5-foot Driftsun Mesa Dock float that can hold 800 pounds and costs $499.99.
Does this Island Hopper Patio Dock make you want to scream, “Party down at the dock this weekend!” If so, we’ll be the first ones to show up!
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