When it comes to building your dream dock, northern Ontario shoppers have many options available. However, few can match the quality and user-friendliness of Candock systems.
Candock is a Canadian-based company that has been producing modular floating docks for over 20 years. Their docks are known for their durability, ease of use, and customization.
Alex Stevenson, owner of Candock Sudbury, says being a lifelong Sudbury resident gives his team a unique perspective on lakefront living, and the importance of maximizing every possible moment on the water.
“We’re people that live on the water and understand how hard dock setup and maintenance can be,” Stevenson said.
That’s where Candock’s ease of installation comes in. The modular system can be easily assembled every spring and disassembled in the fall, making it a great option for those who remove their dock for the harsh winter months.
“We understand that if you’re not worrying about your dock, then you can just get home, relax, go on your dock, go for a swim, and spend more time with your family,” Stevenson says.
He estimates that with the proper configuration, a 20-foot Candock system could take just a short bit of time to install.
“It's something that you can do alone or with the help of a friend or family member in 15-20 minutes,” he says. “It wouldn't take very long at all.”
The benefits of Candock docks - durability, ease of use, and customization
Candock docks are made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and are designed to withstand extreme weather conditions. They are also resistant to UV rays, chemicals, and mold.
In addition to their durability, Candock docks are also incredibly easy to use.
“You can break Candock down into manageable sections,” Stevenson said. “If you're at your camp by yourself, you can break it into a section that's small enough to pull out one piece at a time.”
“Break it into six cubes by three cubes, small enough for one person to grab it, and for the time it takes to just take the pins out, it's nothing.”
The systems can also be easily adjusted to accommodate changing water levels, ensuring that your dock remains stable and secure at all times.
“We're very meticulous on how we anchor our systems,” Stevenson says. “We take the weights and we usually bring them out at a 45 degree angle from the corners of the edge of the dock, and then we'll put some in the middle.”
And for the many lakes around Sudbury, North Bay, and Sault Ste Marie, which are often the summer playground for residents and their surf boats, anchoring plays an important role when large waves go crashing through. It is important to consider your exposures such as water fluctuation, size of boats being moored, size of boat wakes, lake bottom type and worst storms.
“I can't put enough emphasis on how important it is to properly anchor your dock and the location of the weights,” Stevenson said. “We don’t make weights under 600 pounds. The cost of the weights is cheap compared to the cost of not having a properly anchored system.”
Another benefit of Candock docks is their easy customization. They can be configured in a variety of shapes and sizes to meet the specific needs of the user.
“There’s endless configurations,” Stevenson says. “It’s basically like playing with Legos.”
“Some of our customers, they'll change the size, change the shape every summer,” Stevenson says.
“Sometimes they want to make an ‘U’ shaped dock to park their boat in the middle. Or they want to make an ‘I’-shaped dock, it's all doable.”
Candock’s ability to be customized makes it so that as your growing family’s needs change, so can your dock. As a father of a young girl, that’s something Stevenson is keenly aware of.
He is planning on making a little pool area, squared off against the waves, for his own child.
“Candock basically grows with your family,” he says. “You don't have to spend a crazy amount of money at the start, you can slowly add on to it if you need to.”
Candock docks vs. traditional wooden docks
While traditional wooden docks may have a certain charm, Stevenson says, they are often more trouble than they are worth. Wooden docks require constant maintenance, are prone to rotting and warping, are extremely heavy, and can be difficult to assemble and disassemble.
Candock systems, on the other hand, are designed to be low-maintenance and user-friendly, saving hours of labour. They are also more eco-friendly than traditional wooden docks, as they are made from recyclable materials and are designed to minimize their impact on the environment.
“There's no maintenance,” Stevenson says. “You don't sand it, you don't have to change boards, you don't have to worry about splinters.”
Where a wooden dock would show some wear-and-tear after a few seasons, Candock systems typically make it through each summer looking as clean and new as the day they were purchased.
“Five, ten years from now, It's going to look the same as it did when you bought it,” Stevenson says.
“The top is super easy to clean,” he says. “You grab a mop, give it a quick wash and you're done.”
“Time is such a scarce commodity these days,” Stevenson says. “At Candock Sudbury we value every minute that can be spent enjoying life on the lake.”
Candock Sudbury services North Bay and Sault Ste Marie as well. To learn more about Candock systems, contact Alex Stevenson at Candock Sudbury.