What boat fenders do you use?
 

I'm inclined to buy the Hull Hugger style fenders due to less bulk in the storage spaces in my boat.

But I'm also inclined to think the traditional round fenders can stand up to more abuse against a dock.

Your thoughts and experiences?

I'm not on a really busy lake, but we will get rollers like anyone and the boats can really get rocking against the docks from time to time...

is it your own dock?

No. I have a lift.

Just a few hours at a friends place, lashed up with other boats, or stopping at our gas dock filling up and grabbing some drinks....

buy a bunch of exile round, bouncy balls. they come in black and won't make a scratch no matter what. Plus you can make them huge or small. Fill them and they never break. I use mine all year long. best 20 bucks i have ever spent. The kids bouncy balls are the same, but you cant find black. truly the best option

that's a tough one then, I wouldn't use the hull fit ones. We use the bigger ones. Especially if your out in the middle of the lake and its a little wave you never know who you might rub against. On our dock, which I guess you can do to your friends. We added the fire hose all around it to protect the boat from the dock, then we fixed fenders on it for good, that way we didn't have to carry the fenders. I mean its not our dock but its the dock we use.

It seems to me the exile balls would roll around too much. They could even roll up above the rub rail leaving exposed boat...

Has this not been the case for you?

I'll potentially be leaving my boat unattended for a few hours. If I were staying on the boat I'd be more comfortable with those.

they hang and never roll up. they can be made so big its like the size of a cabin cruiser bumper and they are soft, not a scratch I use them all year long, boat in the water at the dock and when we tie up. they empty in seconds and I can store 8 of them in a shoe box size bag. then just pump them up with a tube pump. simple. i may have pics. i only use 2 on a fs44 thats against the dock. so the wake is coming into the boat, pushing the boat into the dock all day long, not a single scratch. they are amazing.

all the harder material bumpers destroy the gel coat, they things truly rock. I have had many boats over the last 10 years, and will never use a different bumper over these.

i hang them when out on the water, if you don't want to pull the air plug

I religiously use the Exile Buoy Ball Fender(s). Don't get much better than those!

exile balls for sure or go to toys are us and buy the bounce balls, i have a set of red ones , cheap and the best protection

Although I love my Exile balls, they can break. My daughter decided to throw one over the side for me (while the wife was backing off the trailer & the ball got caught between the guide pole and the boat. Popped the handle off. Haha

But they are great, don't take long at all to blow one up. Probably just as long if you brought out a pump and plugged it in.

#bumpyourtunesnotmyboat [emoji1305]

Hydrofender skull heads!

my neighbor sold me one of these that I keep it at the dock works great, especially for new people who ride the jetskis. he keeps one in his boat and it blows up in seconds.

bigbumpercompany.com

+1 for the Exile balls

Limited supply of Exile buoys with new artwork left in stock - http://exileaudio.com/store/install-...s/add-ons.html

But do they have the same surface area as hippity hops? Has anyone confirmed the specs?

The hippity hops are a thinner rubber. I like my exile balls and wouldn't use anything else. I have been tied up to a dock and had such big rollers come by (we have tug/barge traffic on the Columbia river) that with a lesser product I would have had gelcoat damage for sure.

This is from Brian at Exile:

Here's a pic using way more than I need, LOL:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2...725_091349.jpg

You can always throw them up on the tower if you don't wanna deflate them.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-7...628_105151.jpg

I've had the same 4 Exile fender balls for about 4-5 years and I've honest to God never added more air to them since the first time I blew them up. I use them every time the boat gets on the water

What is that at the bottom of the picture, in front of the right windshield? XM antenna?

That is an air intake cover

The second picture, not the first.

+1 for Exile!! LOVE mine! And the G has ample storage so I always keep 3 inflated on the ready. Will NEVER use traditional bouy's again!

+ 1 for Exile here as well! 100% agree with @beg4wake says.. We keep them inflated in our G23 ready to use 3 at any time.

Sorry for my ignorance, I just purchased some of these exile buoys and blew one up manually. Little hard to get very stiff as you can't pinch the buoys after a while. Are these ok when they are "squishy" or should they be very stiff and therefore use a pump.

I've had mine for 3 years and I just blow them up manually. They remain a little squishy and have lasted just find. Help absorb some of the shock too if big rollers come in.

No brainer....
Cheaper than regular bumpers.
They don't scratch your boat like regular bumpers.
Keep your boat further away from the dock or other boat.
You can fill or empty them for storage as needed.

Just attach 4'-5' of rope to each handle and you are good to use to tie to your cleat and enough to tie to the next boat or dock.


http://exileaudio.com/store/install-...ll-fender.html

Also if you want to fill them really full just use your pump that you might have on board for your tube. If you have a good pump you can fill them real big.