Before you buy

Grain has a wood-look deck with twin non-slip strips and tan corner panels. Core has a grey drop-stitch top with black side tubes. Both are 20cm thick with the same three-year warranty. Compare them.

One boat: a Launch dock. Two craft, like a boat and a jet ski: the Harbour Y 8.5. See the sizing guide.

Both words get used for the same thing in Australia. A Tidle is an inflatable floating dock, or inflatable pontoon, that sits on the water beside your boat.

Thousands of fine threads join the top and bottom layers inside the dock. When it's pumped up they pull tight, so the deck stays flat and firm instead of bulging like a pool toy. Tidle uses 20cm of it.

Unroll it, pump it up, tie it off. The Harbour Y comes with an electric pump; the Launch docks come with a hand pump.

That's what it's built for. It gives you a clean, dry place to step on and off the boat without wading through mud or getting the gear wet.

Yes, it's a favourite. As with any time on the water, keep an eye on them and make sure the water is deep enough and clear of snags before anyone jumps.

Yes, tied off properly, for the trip or the season. Take it out ahead of big storms or flooding.

Rinse it with fresh water, let it dry fully, then roll it up. Store it out of direct sun and away from sharp edges. The care sheet in the box covers the rest.

Small punctures can be patched with the repair kit in the box. For anything else, contact True Gear under the three-year warranty.

Through True Gear, at truegear.com.au.

Tidle is an Australian brand run by Tim Jagger, who also runs True Gear. The docks are made by a specialist inflatable factory that builds for leading dock brands overseas.