Wave Armor Floating Dock vs Inflatable Docks Compared

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Early morning on the lake, the water still glassy. One neighbor rolls a jet ski off a grey plastic port and is gone in a puff of spray; another is still pumping up a white inflatable deck for the kids’ swim later. Both are floating docks, and if you’re shopping for a Wave Armor floating dock, you’ve probably wondered whether an inflatable could do the job for less. We checked what Wave Armor actually sells on its own site, with its published prices, and set it next to the inflatable docks on the market.

In short: Wave Armor makes rigid, rotationally molded polyethylene docks with foam-filled floats, plus drive-on ports for jet skis and boats. Its dock sections list from $250 for a small corner to $2,950 for an 80 x 120 in section, and its PWC ports from $1,725 to $5,199 (October 2026). Inflatable docks are lighter, portable and cheaper per deck, but they are seasonal swim and boarding decks; only purpose-built inflatable jet ski docks are sold for parking a jet ski.

What Wave Armor sells

Wave Armor’s website groups its range like this: floating docks (dock sections, bumpers, accessories, ramps, walkways and gangways, H-beam connections and mooring kits), PWC ports (Pro, Pro Maxx, Pro Inline, SLX and Sport), boat ports (PRO 170 and 220, PRO 8, Extreme X24), pontoon lifts, canopies, a power launch assist, and extras such as a kayak launch and a swim raft. None of it is inflatable.

The dock sections are a two-piece design: a molded top deck with a flagstone texture on a closed, foam-filled bottom float. Wave Armor says the floats have suction pockets that help the section sit steady on the water, and that because the float is foam-filled, a puncture should not cause a leak or a sinking section. Its 60 x 120 in section, for example, is listed at 60 in wide, 120 in long and 17 in high (16 in elsewhere on the same page), weighs 380 lb, and needs a forklift for delivery. Wave Armor’s site mentions a standard ten-year warranty for its floating dock systems.

Wave Armor floating dock prices

Unlike some rigid dock makers, Wave Armor publishes list prices. These are from its site in October 2026, for one section or port, before connectors, anchoring, freight and installation.

Wave Armor item	Size	Price listed
Dock section	30 x 60 in	$950
Dock section	60 x 60 in	$1,350
Dock section	40 x 120 in	$1,795
Dock section	60 x 120 in	$2,295
Dock section	80 x 120 in	$2,950
Corners, wedges, half-rounds	30 to 60 in	$250 to $1,275
Sport PWC port	59 in wide, 11 ft long; 700 lb weight capacity	$1,725
SLX5 / SLX6 PWC ports	–	$2,100 / $2,199
Pro and Pro Maxx PWC ports	–	$2,299 to $2,699
Pro Inline Port	–	$5,199
Kayak launch with 2 rails	–	$2,100
Otter Island Swim Raft	10 x 8 ft; 3,000 lb capacity	Quote

Wave Armor’s online section listings don’t show a load rating for each dock section, so ask a dealer for the figure on the sections you buy. A dash means the size or rating was not shown on the listing page.

Planning a Wave Armor dock

A rigid dock is a small construction job, even when it comes in sections. Wave Armor’s rectangular panels run 2.5 to 5 ft wide and 5 or 10 ft long, with wedge, half-round and corner pieces, joined by H-beam connectors in 24, 31 and 50 in lengths. Its site has an online Dock Builder for sketching a layout, and the shop sells mooring kits, ramps, gangways and bumpers separately. Before you order, measure the water depth along the planned dock, note the bottom type and how much the level changes through the season, and ask the dealer which mooring kit suits it. Delivery is by freight; the 60 x 120 in section page says a forklift is required. If you want a shape, our floating dock designs and layouts guide explains straight, L, T and U layouts.

Inflatable docks: what you get for the money

An inflatable dock is a drop-stitch PVC deck pumped to the maker’s pressure. It weighs a fraction of a rigid section (RAVE’s 10 x 10 ft Aqua Dock is listed at 68 to 69 lb; Island Hopper’s 10 x 6 ft Yacht Dock at 53 lb), so two people can carry it and it ships by parcel. Prices are published and lower per square foot of deck: RAVE lists its Aqua Dock at $799.99 for 100 sq ft, rated by RAVE for 1,800 lb or 10 adults, and Island Hopper lists its Yacht Dock at $749, rated for 1,500 lb.

Prices change often. The prices here are what we saw at the maker or a major retailer in October 2026; check the current price before you buy.

Wave Armor vs inflatable docks, side by side

	Wave Armor (rigid)	Inflatable dock
Build	Rotomolded UV-protected polyethylene, foam-filled float	Drop-stitch PVC, often with an EVA foam top
Weight	380 lb for a 60 x 120 in section; forklift delivery	About 30 to 85 lb for consumer docks
Height	16 to 17 in tall section	6 to 8 in thick deck
If punctured	Foam-filled; maker says it should not sink	Loses air; patch it (see inflatable dock repair)
Jet ski	Drive-on PWC ports	Only purpose-built inflatable jet ski docks
Layouts	Straight, L, T, U with corners, wedges and H-beam connectors	Mostly a single deck
Season	Installed for the season	Pumped up when needed; stored dry in winter
Price	Published per section and port	Published per dock

Which is right for you?

Choose a Wave Armor floating dock if you own the waterfront, keep a jet ski or small boat at home all summer and want it out of the water on a drive-on port, or want a dock you can extend into an L, T or U over time. Plan for anchoring, delivery by truck and forklift, and a winter plan if your lake ices up.

Choose an inflatable dock if you mostly want a swim and lounge deck, a step beside the boat at anchor, or something you can take to a rental or a second lake. It is also the easy choice on small ponds (see floating docks for ponds and lakes). Budget for anchors, an electric pump and a ladder; our dock ladders and accessories guide covers them.

Many families end up with both: a rigid dock and port at the shore, and an inflatable deck anchored a little way out for swimming. If you do mix them, follow each maker’s own instructions. RAVE’s manual, for example, warns that tying its dock to docks, piers or other hard objects raises the risk of injury and tells owners not to connect it directly to them.

Inflatable jet ski docks, for comparison

If the jet ski is the reason you’re looking at Wave Armor, know that inflatable jet ski docks exist, mostly for yachts: Jobe’s U-shaped Infinity PWC Dock, Henshaw’s single and twin docks, NautiBuoy’s double-bay drive-in dock and FunAir’s Toy Island. Most are quote-only. Here is what’s in our catalog:

Read more in jet ski docks and floating dock for a jet ski. Comparing rigid brands? See EZ Dock vs inflatable docks and the general inflatable vs rigid floating docks guide, or browse every style on the dock types hub.

Wave Armor floating dock questions

Is a Wave Armor dock inflatable?

No. Wave Armor docks and ports are rotationally molded, UV-protected polyethylene. The dock sections pair a top deck with a foam-filled bottom float; nothing is pumped up.

How much does a Wave Armor floating dock cost?

Wave Armor listed sections from $950 (30 x 60 in) to $2,950 (80 x 120 in) on its site in October 2026, with corners and wedges from $250. A full dock adds connectors, mooring kits, freight and installation, so ask a dealer for a complete quote.

How much weight does a Wave Armor PWC port hold?

Wave Armor lists its Sport port, made for smaller, lightweight PWCs, with a 700 lb weight capacity. Check the stated capacity of the exact port against your jet ski’s weight from its owner’s manual.

What warranty does Wave Armor offer?

Wave Armor’s site refers to a standard ten-year warranty for its floating dock systems but doesn’t spell out the terms on the pages we checked, and some retailers list a different term for PWC ports. Ask the dealer for the written warranty for your items.

Can I add an inflatable dock to a Wave Armor dock?

Neither maker documents a connection between the two. Keep an inflatable deck anchored on its own, following its maker’s manual; RAVE, for one, says not to connect its dock directly to docks or piers.