SeaLegs Canopy Systems For Your Pontoon

So, you bought a pontoon with SeaLegs and you no longer need a boat lift, but you still want to keep your pontoon covered and protected. Pontoon SeaLegs allow you to park your pontoon in very shallow water, and you can park your pontoon anywhere, including right at the shoreline along your dock.  However, at the end of each day or weekend you still need to cover the pontoon to keep it clean and dry and protect the interior from the harmful effects of UV rays, rain, and dust. If you use your standard boat cover to protect your pontoon when not in use, you might find yourself using your pontoon less because it is a pain to cover it, or it may be starting to wear out, or perhaps the fasteners are not working.  If this is the case, It's time to start thinking about a sea leg canopy from Lake Area Docks & Lifts. 

Covering your pontoon can be a chore.

   What Makes A Good SeaLegs Canopy System?

The key to a good sea leg canopy system is strength both in the aluminum structure and in how the system is anchored.  The base of a sea leg canopy must be strong, it must stand up to constant winds without the benefit of the weight of the pontoon to help hold it together.                                                                                                    


A longer base is also important, so you have room for your sea legs. Most SeaLegs Canopy manufacturers use a standard boat lift frame with common dimensions of 10’ wide x 10’ long for the base (the canopy is attached at the top and is longer to cover the entire pontoon. This base is typically too short in length to make lowering your SeaLegs inside the frame very easy. The 10’ length means the pontoon has to be centered perfectly so that the structure of the frame doesn’t interfere with the SeaLegs as they are lowered into the water. 


The Lake Area Docks SeaLegs canopy frame is 10’ wide x 14’ long, so there is plenty of room inside the SeaLegs frame. This means your pontoon needn’t be perfectly centered front to back as you lower your Sealegs into the water, and the 14’ length means there is less of a chance that the frame structure will interfere with lowering your Sealegs inside the Lake Area Docks & Lifts SeaLegs canopy system. ​

What About SeaLegs Canopy Anchoring?

Proper Anchoring plays a critical role in the construction of a SeaLegs canopy system. This is due to the fact that the boat weight is not on the SeaLegs canopy system, and without proper anchoring it can be susceptible to strong winds.  The corners on the base of a sea leg canopy frame should be reinforced because that is where the stress is. The stronger the corner reinforcement, the better. 

​Two types of anchoring systems exist for the Lake Area Docks and Lifts SeaLegs Canopy System, one style features galvanized pipes with augers at the four corners of the canopy system, and the other utilizes landscape augers and chain affixed to the SeaLegs canopy frame.  Experience has shown that the landscape auger with chains might be the stronger, or preferred method of anchoring your SeaLegs canopy system because the landscape augers can typically be drilled further into the lake bottom, and the chains allow you to spread the augers out and away from the SeaLegs canopy frame structure for additional stability (similar to the anchoring of a large canopy / tent).  ​

Dock Mount SeaLegs Canopy System Uses a Chain and Auger Anchor System (With Upright attached to dock side rail)

Freestanding SeaLegs Canopy System Uses a Pipe and Auger Anchor System

What Is The Right SeaLegs Canopy System For My Pontoon, and Lakeshore?

Lake Area Docks & Lifts offers two types of sea leg canopies, a free standing SeaLegs Canopy System, and a dock mounted SeaLegs Canopy System.  The dock mounted sea leg canopy might be considered the best option because the uprights of the canopy frame are attached directly to a dock system. However, a dock mounted SeaLegs Canopy System requires a strong dock, and a slip for the canopy to be mounted on. If you don’t currently have a dock system configured in a slip with a dock along both sides and the front of the pontoon, the dock mount SeaLegs Canopy will not work at your location. A dock mounted SeaLegs Canopy system can be considered stronger than a free-standing SeaLegs Canopy because the dock system itself provides additional structure and weight for the canopy system which creates a stronger base. In addition, the dock mount SeaLegs Canopy system does not require a frame at its base because the uprights are attached to the dock frame. This provides more clearance in shallow water as there is no base to get in the way of the sea legs during operation.  In cost they will range from $6000 to $8000.  One thing to consider though, if you choose a dock mounted SeaLegs Canopy System is that you may also have to purchase additional dock sections to complete a slip. ​

If your dock system is not currently configured in a slip style layout, and the additional cost of extra sections of dock to create a slip are an issue, or just not in your budget, you can consider the freestanding SeaLegs Canopy system as the next best choice – especially if your waterfront location is in an area that is relatively protected from strong winds. Costs are very similar to the dock mount SeaLegs Canopy System, however there is no need to purchase additional dock sections to create a slip style dock configuration. ​

A SeaLegs Canopy system will allow you to enjoy your pontoon more, and protect it from sun, wind, rain, and dust without the hassle of snapping a traditional cover on your pontoon at the end of every day on the water. You will truly find yourself using your SeaLegs fitted pontoon much more often when you can simply park it underneath the LA Dock SeaLegs Canopy system. Summer is short, we want to help you make the most of it! ​