Boat Dock Bumper Guard Pads (Flat/Flat)

What is a boat dock bumper?

A boat dock bumper guard is a type of padding designed to protect watercraft as well as a marine structure from damage while docking, mooring, loading, or unloading a vessel. Unlike boat fenders which are easily pushed out of position by wind and waves, boat dock bumper guards are permanently mounted directly to the dock in the ideal position for absorbing contact. Wind, waves, and current often make pulling a boat alongside a pier or entering a boat slip difficult. Adding dock bumpers will prevent thousands of dollars in damage.

Who uses boat dock bumper padding?

Marina: The marinas, boatyards, and yacht basins we work with are experiencing excellent returns on investment. Damage is dramatically reduced, slip renters are eagerly paying extra to have padding added, and boaters are buying them direct from the convenance store.




Fuel Dock: Fuel docks take more abuse than any other type of dock. Legislation will likely be passed soon making padding a requirement at fuel docks. Primarily for spill protection to prevent fuel hoses from getting pinched between the structure and vessel. These low-cost boat bumper pads will help prevent spills that could cost millions to clean up.



Restaurants & Bars: Waterfront restaurants and lakeside bars rely on dock fenders guards to protect their investment and the boaters who frequent them.

State Park Boat Ramp and Public Boat Launch are constantly getting battered by inexperienced boaters. Adding 6” round boat dock bumper pads to these docks and piers might not be a popular decision with the YouTuber’s who spend their day filming the action, but it will help prevent the damage that captivates their millions of viewers.



Campground: Waterfront access and campgrounds frequently go hand in hand. Income from boat slip rentals can be improved with bumper padding.

Private boat dock owners represent a large percentage of our customers who want to protect their personal boat while docking.

What is Sav-A-Dock?

Sav-A-Dock is a universal dock and watercraft protection system. It is a bumper and marine fender system that acts as a continuous cushion to eliminate direct contact between a boat (or personal watercraft) and a dock or piling. The Sav-A-Dock brand name was born on Lake Martin in the beautiful State of Alabama by a team of inventors with a background in aerospace. Sav-A-Dock is the only boat dock bumper guard system to be awarded a full utility patent by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Where can Sav-A-Dock be used?

Sav-A-Dock boat dock bumper guards can be used on fixed docks, floating docks, piers, marinas, boat slips / berth, boat pilings / posts, finger walkways, and in some cases a wharf or jetty. Basically, any structure used to tie up boats will benefit from Sav-A-Dock’s patented protection system.

Why 6 inch?

The United States Coast Guard recommends using 1 inch of fender diameter per 4-5 feet of boat length making our six-inch size is ideal for watercraft up to 30’ in length. For flat sided boats smaller sizes might provide sufficient protection but on rounded shapes like pontoons and especially on boats with a V-shaped hull the extra diameter of a 6” fender is required to prevent damage.




In addition many docks features brackets to support boat lifts and other features that protrude out beyond 4” so most other brands will not defend against them.

Round Foam vs Rectangular Foam

If the goal is rigid strength angles are best way to achieve this but once those angles reach their load limit the shape will crush creating a collapsing effect with little to no absorption.




If you have ever pressed down on a bouncy ball you will notice that pressure is redistributed outward, absorbed by the round shape, and quickly rebounds. This cushioning effect is exactly what you are looking for when purchasing boat dock bumper fenders.

If you are wondering why other companies use foam with angled corners the answer is extremely simple. Cost! Most foam starts life as a huge car sized block known as a bun. From there an oversize band saw with a conveyor belt is used to quickly chop it up into hundreds of the small pieces needed. This process is ten times more cost effective when compared to cylinder shaped foam which is molded individually.

Why is it hollow?

Our proprietary foam formula features a substantially higher density rating than our competitors for maximum crush protection.

During impact the hollow core enhances the cushioning effect of its cylinder construction providing improved rebound.

What lengths do you offer?

We offer free UPS Ground shipping on sizes 12” to 46” long. We can build any size but shipping sizes over 46-inch costs an extra $30 per box. Our product was specifically engineered with interlocking shapes to provide the coverage needed without any oversized shipping fees.

When does it ship?

Our boat dock bumper padding is made to order and will ship within one week of purchase. We can only fit four pads in each box so for larger orders expect several boxes. Delivery will take an additional 1 to 5 business days depending on how close you are from Cullman, Alabama.

Do you offer installation?

Sav-A-Dock offers local installation on Lake Martin and will travel to other parts of Alabama and Georgia for larger order. Our team services marinas throughout the Southeast as well as the Gulf Coast.

Do you offer wholesale pricing?

Sav-A-Dock is actively seeking dealers and installers throughout the United States. Our dealer package includes 400’ of padding which is enough to complete four to five docks. Typically, these pads sell for $75 per foot installed which puts $30,000 in your pocket. Once installed the likelihood of a neighboring dock contacting you is north of 75% with zero dollars spent on advertising!

How does Sav-A-Dock compare to other popular brands of boat dock bumper guard padding?

Test 1 is cushioning. The United States Coast guards recommends a minimum of 1” fender diameter for every 4-5 foot of boat length. Taylor Made’s dock padding is automatically disqualified for anything longer than a Sea-Doo. At 4” thick Hull Huller is sufficient for a dingy or a jon boat. 6” is the recommended dock fender size for vessels 16’ to 30’.

Test 2 is fabric thickness. Taylor Made’s woven polyester fabric is not waterproof or marine-grade. Hull Hugger’s 2-ply mounting flange measures in at 1.00 thick. Sav-A-Dock’s 3-Ply mounting flange measures in at 1.74 thick.

Taylor Made and Hull Hugger’s products both retail at an attractive cost of $20 per running foot. Taylor Made’s product is made in the USA out of quality materials but the thin size eliminates it from being a viable dock padding solution. Hull Hugger is imported, features an inferior shape, has insufficient cushion, and was constructed from paper thin fabric using assembly techniques intended for inflatables. Sav-A-Dock retails at $50 per running foot which is less than stacking three Taylor Made’s to get the size needed or replacing three Hull Huggers to get the durability needed. As is usually true you get what you pay for!

What shapes are available?

Sav-A-Dock is the world’s only complete boat dock bumper guard system. Our dock pads are available in six shapes that together can fully protect your dock or pier. Clicking on the photos below will take you directly to the page for this shape.

The flat/flat style is our most popular dock bumper shape and should be used for the majority of any project. The double flat is also our go-to for vertically mounted padding.



Two of the in/out style pads can be used to create exterior corners or the same two can be flipped over to create an interior corner. The in/out style can also be used to eliminate seam gaps between pads for long horizontal spans.



Two of the flat/out style pads will be used to create exterior corners on dock fingers that are wider that 34” across. The flat / out style is also used to convert corners back to flat for longer horizontal spans.



The flat/in style is used to convert interior corners back to flat for horizontal spans plus it is often used when an interior corner and vertically mounted pad intersect each other. The flat/in style is commonly used for vertically mounted applications with the inward angle facing down. The angled top sheds water better and also helps to prevent damaged associated with waterfowl roosting on the pad.



The double in is our least used padding option but its most common application is for the center of the forward wall of boat slips. When using the in / out style to span both sides of the a boat slip plus for two interior corners you will end up with outward facing angles that need to be converted