Gangways / Ramps

You can easily travel from your dock to your home or sidewalk with ramps and gangways from EZ Docks. Our reliable polyethylene and aluminum gangways are designed to give you the stability and accessibility needed to navigate your waterfront property seamlessly.

What Is a Gangway?

A gangway provides easier access to your waterfront configuration by connecting your dock to your property’s shoreline. By securing one of the ends to a surface and allowing the other end to slide up and down another surface, a gangway provides access to a dock, while adjusting with the tides.

Gangway Uses:

Residential gangways offer many useful capabilities, including:

  • Facilitating entry: Gangways enable entry access for a floating or fixed dock.
  • Connecting docks: Dock gangways are often used for joining a floating dock to a fixed/wood dock or pier.
  • Bridging gaps: Gangways help to eliminate gaps between the dock and the boat, preventing individuals from having to jump or stretch across the opening. The use of a gangway, coupled with a floating dock promotes for safer loading and unloading from boats and watercrafts, no matter the fluctuation in the tides.
  • Improving safety: In areas with extreme tide fluctuations, longer gangways should be used to avoid a steep incline during low or hide tides. Gangways can also be created for American Disabilities Act (ADA) Compliance with the appropriate width, rails, transition plates, and more.

Gangways are available in various sizes and be customized to fit your needs. They are available in aluminum, wood* or polyethylene. ADA compliant gangways are also available.

Options Available – Ramps vs. Gangways

Though gangways and ramps have similar purposes, these structures have numerous differences to keep in mind:

  • Length: Ramps are generally shorter than gangways due to their sloped design.
  • Railings: Most gangways are built with handrails to increase safety across long distances, while ramps do not typically feature railings.
  • Adaptability: Gangways can adapt to various water conditions ranging from calm to rough, making them less likely to become flooded during storms. Because ramps are stationary structures, they are not suitable for fluctuating water levels.
  • Stability: Ramps aren’t as stable as gangways, which offer a straight and study construction compared to sloped ramp designs.
  • Terrain: Because ramps are sloped, they are better suited for creating walking surfaces over steep terrain and drop-offs, while gangways are not.

Polyethylene vs. Aluminum Gangways

We offer aluminum and polyethylene gangways, each with different benefits.

Polyethylene Gangways

Features of polyethylene gangways from EZ Docks include:

  • Durable build: Polyethylene is a robust plastic material that can endure decades of use on the water.
  • Nonslip surface: Our polyethylene gangways are slip-resistant, improving user safety.
  • Minimal maintenance: These strong plastic gangways are virtually maintenance-free.

Aluminum Gangways

Our aluminum gangways provide several benefits:

  • Easy installation: Aluminum is a durable yet lightweight material, making these gangways easy to move and install.
  • Corrosion-resistance: Our aluminum gangways resist corrosion, reducing the likelihood of rust.
  • Low maintenance needs: Aluminum gangways do not need stain or paint, and they’re easy to clean. 

Both gangways can be customized to fit most needs.

Purchase Residential Gangways From EZ Docks Today

For durable dock gangways with reliable ADA-style railings, choose EZ Docks. We carry robust, long-lasting floating docks complete with sun protection factor (SPF) and offer exceptional customer service.

Contact us for a quote on our gangways today!

*Wood gangways available in New Jersey only