PWC LIFTS

 

We know of a customer that had four Personal Water Craft (PWC’s) tied alongside his dock. After a season of bumping against the dock they required $1600 to repair hull damage. A wave can easily pick up a PWC, shove it under the dock, then lift it into the frame, breaking the fiberglass and/or controls.

 

BENEFITS

  • Adjustable hinge simply bolts to the frame of dock- can be hauled on PWC trailer and self-installed saving $500

  • Simple operation with three rollers- drive on, push off

  • Standard tie-down cleat

  • Walk around all sides

  • Dry dock on water- safe, clean, easy

  • Drainage holes remove water from hull of PWC

TECHNICAL

With the cost of PWC’s these days, we recommend a lift to store your PWC out of the water to maintain performance and protect your unit.

We used to sell electric lifts similar to our boat lifts, but we learned people don’t want to wait for the lift to come up so the next rider can use the PWC. Inevitably, the PWC gets damaged if the next rider fights to get the PWC off the lift prematurely.

We originally used a skid on lift, which worked fairly well until the huge three seater PWC’s came out. You cannot push one of these big PWC lifts off the skid-type lift.

We switched to a lift with four rollers in the bay. This lift worked very well, but our customers objected to the price.

The lift we use today has three clear, non-marring polyurethane rollers. This is the fastest and easiest lift to use - you simply drive on and roll off. To land, just coast into the lift and when the hull touches the first roller at the waterline, you accelerate slightly to lift the front of the PWC and roll if forward into the bay where it comes to rest on two more rollers. To launch, you simply lift the bow slightly as you push it off the lift. This lift bolts to the dock with an adjustable hinge plate that accommodates dock frames of different heights.

PWC lift installation is so easy that many customers choose to install it themselves and save the $500 installation cost. Many of our customers just pick up the lift(s) in a truck, PWC trailer, boat trailer, etc. and take it to the shore next to the dock, where they launch and float it to the dock for installation. These units are light enough for two people to handle.

The two interior bay rollers are easily adjusted for a precise fit to your hull. The lift comes standard with a cleat tie-down at the front and drainage holes to keep the hull dry. These lifts are 138” long, 58” wide, weigh 260 pounds and have a flotation capacity of 1150 lbs.

We only recommend these lifts be installed in a slip or at a right angle to the dock.

The Army Corps counts these lifts in your maximum dock width and square footage, which for one of our area lakes, Hartwell, is 40’ of width and 1120 square feet.