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Basic Ladder Information
Basic Ladder Styles
- Transom Ladders
- Permanently mount to your boats transom and are ideal for boats that do not come with a swim platform.
- Hinges allow you to flip or fold the ladder out of the water when not in use.
- Dive Ladders
- Attach to your boats transom via a mounting bracket and deploys at an angle in order to assist in climbing.
- Dive ladders offer extra weight capacity.
- Can be fixed, folding, or telescoping
- Dock Ladders
- Mount to a dock or seawall. Can be permanent or removable
- Hand rails allow better grip when climbing
- Able to be lifted out of the water to help reduce corrosion
- Gunwale Ladders
- Hook over your boats gunwale
- Lightweight and easy to deploy
- Telescoping legs for compact storage
- Standoffs push the ladder away from the hull, protecting it from damage and adding stability to the climb
- Swim Platform Ladders
- Attach to the top or bottom of your swim platform to make re-boarding easy
- Telescoping steps provide compact storage
- Pontoon Ladders
- Designed specifically for pontoons
- Heavy duty and built to last
- Mount at the side gate or under the deck
- Permanent or temporary
- Standoffs rest against the pontoon to provide stability
Aluminum vs Stainless
- Aluminum
- More popular
- Less expensive
- Lightweight and easy to deploy/stow
- Lighter design can flex under heavier weights
- Stainless
- Best in class
- Sturdy and reliable
- Higher corrosion resistance
- Slightly heavier, providing extra heft to prevent flexion
Choosing the right ladder
When you're floating in the water, only your head and shoulders are above the surface. This is an important consideration when using a ladder to re-board your boat. If the ladder doesn't extend deep enough into the water, you may have to bring your leg up to your chest just to get on that first rung. As a result, it is very important to choose a ladder that will extend two or three rungs below the water’s surface (about 2 - 3 feet).
To determine the overall height of the ladder you need, measure the height of the free board on your boat and then add an extra 2 to 3 feet for ladder submersion. For mounted ladders, also take into consideration where the ladder will be mounted on your boat. You’ll need to allow for proper ladder submersion, while also mounting high enough up the free board in order to make re-boarding easy.
Pro Tip: If re-boarding from the side of your boat, choose a ladder with standoffs that rest against the hull. This adds rigidity and stability to the boat ladder. Ladders without standoffs in a side-boarding situation can flex and float underneath the boat, making them difficult to climb.
