The Skamper Ramp - Frequently Asked Questions
Why does it work?
Skamper-Ramp is a water exit ramp, a water escape ramp - a means of preventing animals and pets from drowning.
It is truly a K.I.S.S.—“keep it simple solution”—to a very major problem: animal drowning. Easy to assemble, lightweight, strong and inexpensive, it is white so all living things can see it.
Because it is made of heavy-duty plastic, it is a deceptively simple-looking product. But behind that design there is a significant amount of engineering, science and testing. The primary science is that ALL living beings - domestic or wild; bugs, animals, or humans; colorblind or not - see the color white. When trapped, day or night, they see it and go to it to keep their heads out of water and for escape. Skamper-Ramp provides peace-of-mind to pet owners and animal lovers since it provides protections against drowning, day or night, 24/7.
Skamper-Ramp must be installed so that a few inches of the "nose" (curved) end are under water and the ramp breaks the water's surface, enabling the animal to see it at eye level in the water. The "open-box-top" end (closest to the anchoring surface) must be very snug against a vertical wall in order to provide the rigidity necessary for an animal to "skamper" out on the ramp — whether it's a pool (commercial or private), floating or fixed dock, walled pond, spa, bulkhead, reservoir, canal, stern of a boat, or stock tanks and water troughs in pastures and remote ranchland.
In order to be sure the ramp is as snug as possible to the vertical surface, it is easiest to assemble the ramp, then stand it up with the "open box top" end on the pool edge and tie the ropes as tight as possible through the d-ring clips, or to an anchor(s). Then stretch it down over the edge, snug against the vertical surface.
You'll notice the decorative pattern (created by the traction ridges and flow holes) catches the animal's interest but there are no colors on Skamper-Ramp because not all animals see colors, but ALL animals see white. Skamper Ramp is the only award-winning, patented ramp, water rescue device on the market. It provides any animal with an escape from drowning—allowing exit from the water on their own!!
NOTE: For optimal performance of all Skamper-Ramp models it is important, from time to time, to check and make sure the rope is as taut as can be so the ramp is very snug to the (pool) wall /vertical surface... for the discontinued (original and Big Dog) versions, it is important to check the nuts and bolts for tightness as well. Also, the side wing nuts should be screwed tight and the tabs pushed through so that the wings can "splay" out a bit when you push down on the upper portion.
Will I need anything more for installation?
The ramps come complete with all the necessary assembly hardware for proper installation, with the exception that they do not have the screws/bolts for wood or masonry decking. If you have existing anchors in your pool deck (for covers, fencing and the like) you probably ca fasten your ropes to the existing anchors.
NOTE: Hardware for attaching the D-ring-clips to the pool deck HAS NOT been supplied due to the wide variety of deck types and materials as well as uses of Skamper-Ramps.
Please consult with your local hardware store or pool service company to make the appropriate selection.
For a pool deck, not utilising existing fencing or cover anchors, the maunufacturer suggests a 1/4" pan-head stainless steel screw that is 1 1/2" long and a plastic or lead concrete anchor for sinking into your pool deck; for a wooden deck, or dock not utilizing existing cleats, they suggest a 1/4" pan-head stainless steel screw that is 1.5" long (or 2" carriage bolt).
What about vinyl-lined pools and above ground pools?
The ramps work well for permanent vinyl lined pools by making sure that an animal’s claws don't puncture the pool liner - in-ground or above-ground (steel walled). If you have a deck surface that overhangs the pool wall by 1" or more, make sure you re-lace the ramp’s rope to the set of holes below the Skamper-Ramp logo so that the ramp can be snugged under the overhang, directly against the side wall.
It is important to know that Skamper-Ramps were designed for any water situation (pool, dock, boat) that has a rigid vertical surface within 30" of the water surface to brace against. That means that vinyl pools that do not have a permanent vertical wall surface (or deck face) to brace onto; inboard boats, or boats without a vertical transom, or boats whose swim platform is too deep and/or too high; and using some types of ladders to brace against is an unsatisfactory application because of the construction and installation methods of the ramp.
Note that the blowmolded Skamper-Ramp models are designed for regular, even frequent, usage in vinyl pools as well. Their totally smooth edges will not cut or wear on your liner, even if used for regular ingress and egress by your pet.
For peace-of-mind, a double layer of vinyl can be put on the side wall of the pool where the ramp will hang (if you can get some from your vinyl pool contractor, or tape the edges of the ramp with vinyl repair tape) but neither should be necessary.
The manufacturer does not recommend the ramps for soft-sided, non-permanent, above-ground pools because there is no permanent rigid vertical wall to brace against - a necessity for optimal performance. However, it is possible to adapt your pool to accommodate a blowmolded Skamper-Ramp. You could try to adapt your deck (primarily by affixing a 1x10 x 18” board under the deck with a brace behind it holding it perpendicular to the deck and parallel to the pool wall) so that the Skamper-Ramp will have a rigid flat surface to brace against so that animals may escape using it.
How does it install to a boat or a dock?
Because Skamper-Ramp was originally designed for use in pools, dock/bulkhead installation is easy if there is a vertical face to the dock that is at least 8-12" high and the water level is not more than 30" away. Simply tie both rope ends to one cleat and make sure the ramp is snug to the dock face. Or, if you need a few more inches to the water and your dock has a deeper facing board (~15-20"), you could screw the d-ring clips into the dock's facing board approximately 8" below the dock surface, so your dog only needs make one step to get up onto the dock.
Boat installation often requires some ingenuity, because boats are not as universal in design as pool walls or bulkheads. And it is important to be aware that water chop may “kick it up”. The ideal installation is with smaller inboard/outboard motor boats under 22' long – as in the picture here. Then you simply brace the ramp on the stern alongside a motor, opposite the swim latter, and tie both ropes to one stern cleat. You need to be sure the stern rail is not more than 25-30" above the waterline.
With some platform/pontoon boats it can work, especially when you treat a gate much like a dock and, either get pairs of smaller cleats, or sailboat line-tensioners, for fastening the rope on the face of the pontoon boat, on either side of the gate, rathen than on the deck where people can trip over them or stub their feet on them...
Sometimes it may be advantageous to have it installed so the back of the nose/tongue end is resting on the pontoon for stability.
With a swim ladder, some people re-lace the rope to the set of holes below the Skamper-Ramp logo and then tie it around the ladder rails and brace it between the top rung and the bottom of the platform, so that the underside of the platform keeps the ramp from going vertical. With the blowmolded design that does not work so well.
With a large platform that is high off the water, some people put eye hooks on the underside of the platform about 6” back from the end. Then re-lace the rope so that you can tie the ramp through the eye hooks and back down through the ramp, allowing the ramp to stay dragging behind and under the boat. The advantage to this is that in chop the ramp won’t kick up and the underside of the platform allows a brace so the ramp doesn’t go vertical. Alternatively if your stern is not too far out of the water, you could anchor the ramp to the stern side (perpendicular to the picture above), and tie it to a stern cleat.
The back (“open box”) end of the ramp requires approximately 6-10” of vertical surface to brace against, or must have the underside of a rigid horizontal surface to brace against. As with pool installation, the ramp also must have at least 3” submerged beneath the water. We will honestly tell you that if your boat gunwale is too high out of the water (like many sailboats, over 22' boats, or cabin cruisers), you have a jet boat, your swim platform is too substantial, your boat has a sloped transom/stern, or no place to “create” a brace, it may not be appropriate for your boat.
Skamper-Ramp works well with floating docks and houseboats, too! It just must have the 8-10" of vertical surface to brace against and have at least 3" of ramp in the water at all times.
What is it made of?
The Super Skamper-Ramp has been blowmolded using white polyethylene to be chemical- and UV/solar-resistant. It will not become yellow, mildew or “scummy” over time -- and it won't grow barnacles. The manufacturing method ensure that they are lightweight as well as durable - providing tremendous strength-to-weight ratio and affordability!
Each ramp comes complete with the necessary hardware for assembly and installation - rope, stainless steel d-ring clips and washers.
They are blowmolded polyethylene parts that snap together for easy assembly.
You only need fasten the d-ring clips to yor deck surface for secure anchoring.
The only additional parts you will need to purchase separately are the 1/4" stainless steel pan-head screws about 1.5" long (and concrete anchors) required by your pool deck surface.
NOTE: For optimal performance it is important, from time to time, to check and make sure the nuts and bolts are tight, and that the rope is taut on all models so the ramp is snug to the pool wall and most stable.
What size is right for me to use and what are other applications?
The newly designed blowmolded ramps are designed to endure the wear-and-tear of frequent use, rather than just an occasional escape, and are suitable for pets as well as most any unwanted wild animals. They are strong enough to hold about 90 kgs on dry land, so no worry about size with water displacing the weight.
The width of the Skamper-Ramp was determined by the fact that the placement of the feet of virtually all dogs never exceeds 8-12”.
Because so many customers asked for it, the manucturer made the stronger, snap-together assembly blowmolded versions of Skamper-Ramp - Super Skamper-Ramp (SKR3) for larger/longer animals or greater distance to the water.
For people with very small pets, like toy and teacup breeds, you might feel more comfortable putting white toweling on the ramp and lacing it on the underside so there isn’t a chance they will be frightened by the hole pattern. But it is the hole patern that also helps attract an animal to the ramp, so your risk losing that feature. Dogs are smarter than you think and we find that they will pick their way around the holes, just as wild animals do.
Please realise, however, that dogs, specifically, must be trained!! They are used to someone being there to help them. It is important to take the time to introduce them to the ramp, even if you don't expect them to be in the pool and it is for emergency use only.
For those who live on farms and ranches, you can anchor the original Skamper-Ramp in stock tanks and water troughs so that any critters that might fall in, when going for a drink or swim, have a means of escape and won't drown and pollute the water as they decay. Since most equine animals will not drink from polluted water except under duress, which provides one less chore for the busy farmer/rancher, and peace of mind that there is good water for animals to drink.
In winter, if pools are left slightly drained (whether or not they are covered), hanging a Skamper-Ramp down into the pool makes an easy escape ramp/ladder for any animal that may get caught during the off-season. For old fashioned covers that are not permeable, leaving a larger sized Skamper-Ramp tied to the cover anchor along the middle of the narrow side, reaching as far to the center as possible, helps a dog or animal that may go onto the sagging cover, have a way to get out, rather than be trapped and die.
Skamper-Ramp works well with floating docks and houseboats, too! It just must have the 8-10" of vertical surface to brace against and have at least 3" of ramp in the water at all times.
Why do I need a Skamper-Ramp if I have a pool alarm, a fenced pool, or I have trained my dog to the steps?
No matter how careful we are, accidents do happen!
Fence gates get left open from time to time, or don’t always get securely closed. Many animals—especially "critters!" manage to get over or under fencing.
Alarms are great, but only if someone is around to hear them 24-7. What if they aren’t?
In training a pet to the steps (which are underwater and can’t be seen by the pet), you have actually trained your pet to some marker.
But do you know exactly what that marker is that your pet is using?
What if that potted plant or piece of furniture is moved for a party, or the landscape changes – how will your pet find the steps then?
And while you may have trained your dog to go to the steps, that is when you go to the pool with them or call them out from a consistent place, not necessarily when you are not there or it is a stressful time.
What if they are spooked, chased or fall in, or if some other animal gets to your pool?
Then the situation is not the same.
What if you neighbour's pet comes over to play with your pet at your pool?
Is that pet trained to your steps?
Just as one plans for layers of safety protection to keep people from drowning in the pool, one needs to also plan for layers of protection to keep animals from drowning in pools.
There is great value in the peace of mind that comes from knowing there is one additional, inexpensive layer for drowning prevention in addition to your fence, your alarm, and/or your training.
Are there alternative anchoring methods?
For those that don’t want to drill holes into their decks, it is possible to use existing tie-down points such as pool cover attachment anchors, clips, railings, fence post anchors, etc.
Just be sure to check the tautness of the rope from time to time—the knots can loosen, particularly when they are tied around something like a railing.
There are many creative ways to attach the ramp, but you must be sure that the ropes are not spread too far apart—they should be parallel or come together at one point—and that the back and wings have a straight/vertical surface to brace snuggly against, and that the force is downward (diagonal vectors) so it does not pull purely horizontally (or it will pull out.)
There is no one right way to install a Skamper-Ramp, however, two criteria are critical:
1) a few inches of the round "nose" end need to be submerged so that the white ramp breaks the water surface and the animal can see the ramp leading out while swimming, even in stress, adn the ramp kits the animal mid-chest or lower when it is swimming; and
2) the open-box end of the ramp needs to be as snug as possible against a "rigid" flat, vertical wall so that, when a critter or pet gets on the "nose" end, the open-box-end of the Skamper-Ramp has something to brace against. It is the open-box-end that provides rigidity and robustness, especially when braced against a vertical element—that’s what makes it work.
The most important point about the installation is to have the Skamper-Ramp as snug to the pool wall as possible, while still having a few inches of the “nose” end of the ramp submerged. To accomplish that there is a separate set of holes for (re)threading the connection rope (below the Skamper-Ramp logo) if need be. This will help if it seems that the ramp wobbles too much, or if there is an overhang or deep coping. In addition, you should tie a half-knot in the rope line (where it exits the ramp) to keep the ramp from sliding along the rope if an animal approaches it from the side.
How long will it last?
The ramp is made of polymers that are some of the strongest, most durable materials available that float.
In addition, the polymers used are UV- and chemical- resistant.
Because of this, the manufacturers know it will hold up for a very long time—one has been installed in a pool in Charleston, SC for over 7 years, still looks very much like the day it was installed, and is going strong. There are no guarantees, but the ramp should last a very long time!
Are there other uses besides commercial or residential pools?
Some customers have been creative in their applications. Many people are buying Skamper-Ramps for their floating docks, fixed docks, and boats (from the stern transom or with the swim platforms); to use for thin ice rescue in northern climates; for indoor ramps to litter boxes or furniture for very small or light weight animals; and in stock tanks and water troughs in pastures and remote ranchland. Hotels, motels, municipal water system reservoirs, public/community pools, resorts and more... can all take advantage of Skamper-Ramp's drowning prevention to keep water free of animals, minimise chemical useage, and assure pristine, clean water.
|