10 Simple and Practical Boat Dock Gift Ideas

Need a few gift ideas for that friend who loves spending time out on the lake or shoreline? You’re in the right place.

Everyone wants a dock they can enjoy all year long, a great view they can enjoy. So what can you gift?

In this post, I’ll cover 11 simple, yet practical gift ideas perfect for any dock owner. Nothing too fancy, but great items to have in the summer with friends over.

Nothing beats a couple of nice Adirondack chairs on a cool fall day. If you plan to gift any kind of dock furniture including chairs, check out my post here on a few dock furniture recommendations.

Be sure you select a material that won’t fall apart when left outside—or fade in the sun. I prefer these weather-resistant chairs by Serwall because they are made from this material called Polystyrene—basically, a weather-resistant material that won’t fade.

These chairs look like actual cedar Adirondack chairs, for a fraction of the cost; best of all—they won’t fade.

If your friend or relative lives on a lake and loves to fish, a fish cleaning station can be a great mountable accessory. These are great for private coastal docks; you can find these mountable cutting boards designed for cutting bait OR entire cleaning setups.

I recommend this model by Magma, because it’s designed to be mounted to a dock (unlike others) and comes with slots for drainage, a built-in ruler, and 4 filet knife holders.

Some of these cleaning stands come with canopies, and are wired..not the easiest item to gift unless you know the person well and their dock setup.

Any fishing lover will love a rod holder for their dock; many rock holders are versatile and can either be mounted to a dock or boat.

I like the clamp-mounted ones because you don’t have to leave them on a dock permanently—they can be used offshore as well.

Check out my post here if you need a few rod holder recommendations of all forms and functions.

If you know the condition of the dock, a new set of bumpers is a great gesture. These obviously help protect a dock from damage, and most sets cost under $100.

If you have time to scout out the dock they currently tie their boat up to, see what they have. Many people use boat bumpers as dock bumpers; in my opinion, a set of flat-mounted bumpers look much better on a dock piling.

You can find dock bumpers designed specifically to mount to posts, as well as bumpers that line the perimeter of the dock.

Solar LED lights are one of the most practical and affordable gift ideas on the list. I prefer the flat solar lights you can arrange on either side of a dock, but for less than $100 for a 12-pack, you can’t go wrong.

For late-night walks on the dock, the bright white solar lights look the best in my opinion.

A set of solar lights like these I found on Amazon are pretty affordable, great for parties and late nights on the dock; these also come in blue or white.

A comfortable chaise lounge is a perfect addition to any dock. Look for chaise lounges that won’t rot, get super-warm, and most importantly…waterproof.

You can find a few different chaise lounge chairs out there made of cedar and other high-quality woods on Fifthroom.com.

Most on Amazon are made of a resin material, so they don’t need to be sealed. Wood chairs do look great, so it depends on the preferences of the person you have in mind.

If your friend needs a good dock marker, or a good focal point for anyone pulling into their dock, a personalized dock sign made of wood is a great accessory to consider.

My family has had one of these for years, and one of the best practical gifts we’ve received.

I see these all the time on the lake and can be personalized on Etsy, even Amazon. Many of these nameplates you can personalize online, and find in wood, metal, teak, and many other materials.

The lifejackets, the casting net, the water shoes…so many accessories you want near your dock, just not laying on your dock all the time.

A plastic dock storage container is a good option because it’s pretty inexpensive and won’t rot. This one on Amazon by Lifetime I have personally..it’s pretty cheap but has held up for over 10 years.

On the other end f the spectrum you can find dock boxes with locks that are made from heavy-duty PVC materials. Check out my post on dock boxes 101 if you need more ideas.

Another great fishing accessory is a casting net. I loved my casting net growing up and was perfect for catching shrimp, and bait fish…It also stores perfectly in a storage box.

If you are unfamiliar, they are pretty easy to throw once you get the hang of it; these nets are also perfect for children and teens who may not want to use a fishing pole. Below is a short video to illustrate.

You can pick these up for less than $50 on Amazon. Many come with buckets and are ideal for any dock on the coast.

For winter nights, nothing beats a nice propane fire pit. If you know the person you are gifting likes to spend time out on the dock in the summers, a fire pit table helps create a great atmosphere on any dock.

I like these fire pit tables because many are 50,000 BTU and higher, they keep the dock warm, have built-in controls, and you can swap out propane tanks pretty easily.

Need more ideas?

If you need a few more gift ideas, be sure you check out my post on 21 boat dock accessories. 

Let me know what you decide to purchase in the comments 🙂