BOTE Inflatable Dock 10 Review

by Mark Ranum · Published July 27, 2022 , 12:09 pm · Updated August 2, 2023 , 5:18 am

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Have you ever wanted to have your own personal private island? Now you can with the BOTE Inflatable Dock 10. At first glance it might just look like nothing more than a floating square, but it is so much more. The Dock 10 is an inflatable floating dock that can be a diving platform, a hangout pad for family and friends, a home base for big lake adventures, the ultimate river float, a fishing platform and of course your own private island. Those are just the options that we have tried, but the possibilities go on from there. Lets dive into the details on the BOTE Inflatable Dock 10 and see if it is an option that fits into your water adventures.

What is in the BOTE Inflatable Dock 10 Box

Inflatable Dock 10 – Folded Dimensions: 63″ × 22″ × 10″ – Inflated Dimensions: 10′ × 10′ × 8″
Carry Sling – Two person carry
Hand Pump
Aero Repair Kit
Info Packet

Setup and Inflation of the BOTE Inflatable Dock 10

The BOTE Dock 10 isn’t your average pool tool and is constructed with the very durable AeroBOTE Technology (same tech that is used on their SUP boards), which in turn causes the weight to be on the hefty side. Coming in at around 70 pounds, it is best to have two people carry this to the waters edge for inflation. Which is exactly the way the carry sling is setup, a handle on each side for transporting.

The carry sling is basically a rubber burrito wrap held together by snap lock buckles that secures the Dock 10 within. Unpacking is as simple as unsnapping the two buckles, unrolling and unfolding the platform to allow for inflation.

The BOTE Dock 10 does come with a hand pump, but I would highly recommend investing in an electric pump for this behemoth – or at the very least employing your kid or the neighborhood kid to inflate it with the hand pump.

I would like to share how long it took to inflate this by hand, but we gave up after about 15 minutes because it seemed like we were making little to no progress and hooked up an electric pump to finish the job with ease.

The electric pump completed the job in about 20 minutes. If I was to wager a guess on total hand pump time, I would say it would be in the neighborhood of just over 45 minutes to fill this 115,200 cubic inch goliath.

Durability of the BOTE Inflatable Dock 10

The BOTE Dock 10 delivers an incredibly durable and stable platform, thanks to the AeroBOTE Technology and military-grade PVC skin with a nicely padded slip-resistant deck. The Dock 10 has withstood over two months of almost daily use, everything from dog claws to unruly teenagers and adults to crazy kids, all while being left out in the elements to push the extreme use cases of sun baking, rain and wind thrashing against a metal dock. Under normal use cases, it would not be recommend to leave the Dock 10 inflated to bake in the sun all summer long. However for the two months that it has been, there was no noticeable fading or any stress to the PVC skin. The slip-resistant deck did have a couple of bubbles appear on the surface, which is likely due to moisture accumulating between the PVC and the deck padding, then being super heated from the sun causing the expansion.

Again this is an abnormal use scenario and in most cases the Dock should not be left out all summer. But if you were to leave it out all summer, the fix for the bubble is simple, carefully poke a needle into just the decking pad, while making sure not to push through to the PVC skin, allowing the air to escape, push out any excess air and the glue between the deck and PVC skin adheres the two together once again.

Offering 100 square feet of surface area and 1500 lbs. of carrying capacity, the BOTE Dock never once seemed like it was near capacity or lacking space in testing, even when we tried to push the limits on it when the entire local varsity soccer team decided to have a royal rumble on it. The Dock 10 truly thrives under pressure and if anything BOTE may have underrated the carrying capacity by a few hundred pounds.

Versatility of the BOTE Inflatable Dock 10

How much can you really do with a floating square? It turns out, quite a bit and if you are really creative, probably far more than I am about to mention.

The obvious – a swimming and diving platform. The low profile and 16 grab handles make it incredibly easy to get back on the BOTE Dock 10 after jumping in the water.

A lounge pad. The BOTE Dock 10 has plenty of room for a group of people and even chairs. Great for sunbathing and yoga too.

A home base for those big lake adventures. The BOTE Dock 10 is easy to spot and can be anchored and left behind as a central meeting place.

The ultimate river raft. Perfect for lazy days floating down the river. And thanks to the tough and durable construction, you never have to worry about sticks, rocks or other river debris.

Lake transportation. With two people and a couple of paddles the Dock 10 can move quite well. This also makes for an easy way to change diving or lounging locations on the water. Works great for fishing too.

Moves even faster when you add four more to the mix. The new BOTE Dock rowing team?

It could also double as camp mattress for sleeping under the stars or place four 5 gallon buckets under it and you have a giant square table for dining or games. Bottom line here is that the BOTE Dock 10 is a highly versatile product and has plenty of potential far beyond just a floating square.

Features on the BOTE Inflatable Dock 10

Durable Construction – Military-grade PVC skin with AeroBOTE Technology for stability
Grab Handles – 16 of them which allows for easy carrying or climbing on from the water and corner handles can be used to tie off and anchor the dock
Tie Downs – 8 Tie down points on the deck, perfect for lashing down a cooler or any other gear
Inflate/Deflate Valve – Compatible with high pressure pumps capable of connecting to HR valves.
BVA Deck Pad – The BVA multi-textured deck pad is heat sealed to shed water and provides plenty of cushion as well as anti-slip traction
Attachment Points – 8 Accessory mounting points allow for any 1/4:20 accessory attachment
MAGNEPOD™ – A magnetic base drink retention system that makes securing a BOTE magnetic drinkware a breeze

Recommended Accessories for the BOTE Inflatable Dock 10

AeroPump Auto Electric Pump II – For ease of setup, an electric pump is a must.

Inflatable Aero Chair – Compact, lightweight, comfortable and packs down small

MAGNEBottle 36oz with Cap – Keeps drinks cold and the bottom magnet secures right to the MAGNEPOD on the Dock 10

Final Thoughts on the BOTE Inflatable Dock 10

The BOTE Inflatable Dock 10 is a highly durable and very stable swim platform that is extremely versatile and two person portable. If you are looking for your very own private island and want to take your water adventures to next level enjoyment without compromising a lot of storage space at home then the BOTE Inflatable Dock 10 is for you.

BOTE also offers two smaller versions, the Dock 7 (7′ x 7′) and the Dock FX (8′ x 3′).