If you’ve been researching floating docks for a Cape Coral, Fort Myers, or anywhere-in-Florida waterfront home, you’ve almost certainly narrowed the field to two brands: Wave Armor and EZ Dock. Both dominate the modular floating dock space. Both use polyethylene construction. Both claim long lifespans in saltwater. So which one should you actually install?
MacDuff Marine is a factory-authorized Wave Armor dealer, which gives us a strong opinion but this post isn’t a sales piece. We’ve also removed and replaced plenty of EZ Dock installations, so we know exactly where each system performs and where each one falls short. Here’s the honest comparison for Florida saltwater applications.
Quick Summary: The Verdict in One Paragraph
For Southwest Florida saltwater canal homes, we recommend Wave Armor in most cases better warranty terms, stronger UV resistance, more modern modular design, and significantly better performance in storm conditions. EZ Dock still has loyal fans and is a strong product, but its design is older, its warranty is shorter, and its resale value in the Florida market is lower. Full breakdown below.
The Short Brand History
EZ Dock is the older of the two and essentially pioneered the residential floating dock category in North America in the 1990s. Wave Armor launched later with a design that addressed many of EZ Dock’s known weaknesses, especially UV degradation and connection-point fatigue. In the last decade Wave Armor has taken significant market share across Florida, where salt, sun, and tide make the performance differences visible.
Head-to-Head Comparison
Material & UV Resistance
Both brands use linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE). The difference is in the UV stabilization package. Wave Armor uses a higher-grade UV inhibitor formulation that resists fading, brittleness, and surface chalking. Florida’s UV load is one of the highest in the country; this gap shows up around year 10–12. EZ Dock sections sometimes require replacement due to brittleness before then; Wave Armor sections routinely stay supple and stable well past 15 years.
Saltwater Durability
Both materials are chemically inert in salt water. Neither rusts, corrodes, or degrades from the water itself. The failure modes are always either the UV-driven plastic aging described above or the hardware connecting sections. Wave Armor uses marine-grade stainless fasteners throughout; EZ Dock has historically used some lower-grade hardware in older generations (current products are comparable). For older used-dock comparisons this matters; for new installs today, both are equivalent on hardware.
Connection System & Stability
Wave Armor’s coupler system (often referred to as the Wave Armor hinge) is designed to flex slightly under wave load without fatiguing. EZ Dock uses a bolted-through system that’s highly rigid which sounds like a good thing but actually transfers stress to the poly sections during wave and storm motion, accelerating wear at attachment points. For sheltered freshwater lakes, EZ Dock’s rigidity is fine. For Florida canals with boat wake, tide, and hurricane exposure, the flex-tolerant Wave Armor design is meaningfully better.
Modularity & Expansion
Wave Armor’s modular library has broader main walkways, finger docks, PWC ports, kayak launches, boat ports, corner pieces, and adapter modules that let you reconfigure the dock without replacing sections. EZ Dock offers modularity too but with fewer specialty pieces. If you think you’ll want to add a kayak launch or a second PWC port in three years, Wave Armor gives you more flexibility.
Aesthetic
Subjective but worth mentioning: Wave Armor’s surface finish and color options (including driftwood and gray that mimic natural dock materials) look more contemporary. EZ Dock is functional but reads as a utility product in a way that Wave Armor does not. For homes where the dock is part of the waterfront aesthetic essentially every Cape Coral canal home this matters.
Warranty
Wave Armor offers a 20-year limited warranty on polyethylene sections. EZ Dock offers an 8-year warranty on most products. That gap is the single most important number in this comparison for many buyers. See our dedicated dock warranty comparison guide for the full side-by-side on every major brand.
Price
Comparable Wave Armor and EZ Dock configurations run within 10–15% of each other at list price. Wave Armor tends to price slightly higher at the module level, but the longer warranty and greater resale value usually make the 20-year total cost of ownership lower. For a typical Cape Coral waterfront home, expect:
- 4×10 walkway + PWC port (Wave Armor): $7,500–$9,800 installed
- 4×10 walkway + PWC port (EZ Dock): $7,000–$9,200 installed
- Full boat port + walkway (Wave Armor): $12,500–$18,000 installed
- Full boat port + walkway (EZ Dock): $11,800–$17,200 installed
Resale Value
Florida real estate agents increasingly note the dock system brand in waterfront listings. A Wave Armor dock is viewed as a premium upgrade by waterfront buyers; EZ Dock is viewed as a functional installation. When it comes time to sell, the Wave Armor dock typically adds marginally more to the appraised value and closes faster.
When Wave Armor Is the Right Answer
Choose Wave Armor if:
- You’re in a Florida saltwater canal environment
- You value the 20-year warranty over a slightly lower upfront price
- You want the broadest modular accessory library (kayak launches, PWC ports, fishing platforms)
- Aesthetics matter for your waterfront
- You plan to stay in the home long-term or want max resale value when you sell
- Hurricane resilience is a serious factor in your decision
When EZ Dock Might Still Make Sense
EZ Dock is still a reasonable choice if:
- You have an existing EZ Dock system and want to expand with matching modules
- You’re in a low-UV sheltered freshwater environment (not typical in Florida)
- You value the maximum rigidity that comes with the bolted-through connection system
- You already have an installer you trust who only works with EZ Dock
What MacDuff Marine Recommends
For Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Port Charlotte, Naples, and any Florida saltwater canal home, we recommend Wave Armor for the reasons detailed above. We install Wave Armor systems across Lee, Charlotte, Sarasota, Collier, DeSoto, and Polk Counties, and we stock the most common configurations locally so install timelines are fast. If you’re expanding an existing EZ Dock system we’ll still do the install, but for new builds we’ll typically present a Wave Armor option first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I mix Wave Armor and EZ Dock modules in the same dock?
Mechanically, the connection systems aren’t compatible. If you want to add on to an existing EZ Dock layout, you should stay with EZ Dock. If you want to transition, plan for a full replacement of the floating sections.
How long does installation take?
Most residential Wave Armor configurations install in 1–2 days once on site. Permitting typically adds 2–4 weeks in Cape Coral and 3–6 weeks in unincorporated Lee County.
Are floating docks safe in a hurricane?
Floating docks actually tend to perform better than fixed pile docks in high-water storm surge events because they rise with the water rather than getting torn free. Proper anchoring and pre-storm prep matter see our 2026 hurricane prep guide for the full playbook.
Do floating docks work with boat lifts?
Wave Armor floating docks integrate with boat ports (their floating drive-on boat dock system) directly. Traditional piling-mounted boat lifts don’t install on the floating dock itself; they attach to existing pilings or seawall. Both can exist together and we often design installs that combine both.
Compare Wave Armor options for your Florida waterfront
We’ll walk your dock, measure your waterfront, and put together a Wave Armor configuration that fits your boat and canal. Every quote is written, itemized, and backed by our $150 beat-any-estimate guarantee.