Swim Platforms DIY

Hey,am thinking of building my own swim platform after getting a $1500 quote on one.
What material would you recommend?
I was thinking wood, was going to use ash or maple and make it 1 1/4" thick any thoughts?

If you use ash or maple you better put about 10 coats of spar varnish on it! Teak is prefered, but african mohogany is usually cheaper and looks almost as nice. I teach woodshop so I know what I am talking about. I just went over the top of mine with trex for about $70 and ZERO MAINTENCE!!! I can take a pic and email you if you like. I would make one out of marine plywood and fiberglass it then cover it with that padding(sorry can't remember the name) that someone on here sells (aqua deck???, i don't think it was hydro turf or gator grip, i think some people redid wakeskate tops with it too???). Teak looks great but sucks to maintain, most new boat manufacturers use glass covered with a pad.

You could also have it coated in Line X which they can do almost any color. Just make it out of marine ply and have it coated.

what about cedar?
I also thought about using one of those building panels with aluminum exterior an foam core..... just a thought.

Do you want wood look? If not, I built mine out of 3 layers of marine plywood, had it glassed and covered it with Gator Grip from Wakejunky.com It has worked great and added a little weight to back end. No maintenence. Color under glass any way you want it.

I would avoid cedar as well. Beech would be a cheaper alternative to teak.

http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=676080

how thick should the plywood be 2 - 1/2" sheets?
or 1 - 3/4"?
looked at the line -x might be the way to go once it's shaped and holes and stuff is drilled. And if it's coated does it need to be marine grade?

Originally Posted by bendow

http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=676080

thanks for the link good ideas. funny when I searched swim platforms it didn't come up.

Linex it & then get a deck pad of some kind, ie; Gator Grip, Hydroturf or Seadek. Mine is 2 yrs old & still looks the same.

how thick is that 1 1/2"?

I used 2 sheets of 7/8 and added another 7/8 piece underneath for the mounts to thicken it up for big fat screws. Had it glassed and when we put mounts on we used sealant in the holes so when ya put in screws it seals up so no water, rotting issues. You can use treated plywood as well,doesn't have to be marine plywood.

What happened to your original platform?

just a small one, wanted to make one to go across the entire back.

Originally Posted by silverlude

I used 2 sheets of 7/8 and added another 7/8 piece underneath for the mounts to thicken it up for big fat screws. Had it glassed and when we put mounts on we used sealant in the holes so when ya put in screws it seals up so no water, rotting issues. You can use treated plywood as well,doesn't have to be marine plywood.

thanks, am thinking of using regular plywood for the bottom layer and sanded for the top. Was thinking instead of glassing it, was going to shape it then have it coated with that line x. Top to bottom, then mount it sealing bolts when assembling.

Any thoughts?

before you make your new platform... do you surf?? If so this is your chance to redesign the platform to help out your surf wave. I would think two layers of 3/4'' ply would be enough. You want to make sure the bottom is smooth if you want to improve the surf wave. I really need to do this on my boat but keep putting it off.

http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showt...=swim+platform

i was going to do this but never got to it... but I will at some point

No Not for surfing. It's a bayliner not a master craft.
just need more room to put my board on and get into the water. right now I've been putting my bindings on in the water. no as easy with the closed toe bindings I now have. That's why I want to build a platform.