Guide
HDPE, concrete or aluminium — which dock material is right?
For private berths up to around 30 square metres, HDPE is the right choice in almost every case: the cubes need no upkeep, go in without a crane and can be rebuilt at any time. Concrete only pays off for permanent, large installations carrying heavy equipment. Aluminium is a jetty structure, not a float.
Why HDPE suits most berths
A float made of high-molecular polyethylene weighs so little that two people can carry it. That is the practical difference: you assemble your dock on the bank, push it into the water, and can lay it out differently next year if your boat changes.
The material itself needs no care. It absorbs no water, is UV-stable and saltwater-resistant, never needs painting or sealing. Our floats are CE-compliant, made to ISO 9001, SGS-tested, with a five-year warranty.
The price is open to the cent: a cube of 500 × 500 × 400 mm costs €47.50 net, four of them make a square metre. With coupling pins, bolts and spacer rings you land at around €230 net per square metre, fully connected.
When concrete is the better choice
Concrete pontoons show their strength where an installation stays permanently in one place and carries heavy loads — hospitality on the water, harbour jetties with utilities, landing stages for passenger vessels. The mass keeps them steady in a swell, and they last a long time.
The price is immobility. A concrete pontoon arrives by low-loader and crane, cannot be rebuilt and cannot be pulled ashore for the winter. For a private jetski berth that is the wrong kind of effort.
Why aluminium is not a rival
Aluminium often turns up in comparisons but belongs in a different category: it is a material for the jetty structure, not for buoyancy. An aluminium construction needs floats underneath — frequently HDPE ones. So the question is rarely „aluminium or plastic“ but „do I need a superstructure at all“.
For installations with a solid deck surface, railings over longer spans or level compensation, it can be worth it. For a modular berth you assemble yourself, it is extra engineering without extra benefit.
The three materials side by side
| HDPE cubes | Concrete | Aluminium jetty | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assembly | pinned, two people | crane and low-loader | bolted, specialist firm |
| Changing it later | any time, move the cubes | practically not | limited |
| Upkeep | none | low | watch corrosion protection |
| Ashore for winter | yes, in sections | no | laborious |
| Own buoyancy | yes | yes | no, needs floats |
| Typical use | private berths, swim platforms | harbour, hospitality, year-round | jetties with solid decking |
What this means for your berth
If you want a jetski or boat out of the water, want to build the berth yourself and might extend it in a few years, HDPE is the construction that fits. Plan the area in the configurator — it works out the parts list and price straight away.