Skamper-Ramp Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Why does it work?
A. Skamper-Ramp is an 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 pool wall) 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.

You'll notice the decorative pattern (created by the traction 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 water rescue device on the market that is a ramp and provides any animal with an escape from drowning - allowing exit from the water on their own!!

NOTE: For optimal performance of the 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.

Q. What about vinyl-lined pools and above ground pools?
A. All of our ramps work well for permanent vinyl liner pools - in-ground or above-ground (steel walled) - making sure that an animal's claws don't puncture the pool liner. 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 not designed for any water situation (pool, dock, boat) that doesn't have 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, boats without a vertical transom or whose swim platform is too deep and/or too high. And trying to use ladders to brace against is unsatisfactory because of the construction of the blowmolded ramp with its arched wall edge.

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.

We do not recommend our 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.

While we haven't had anyone report a problem but we understand and respect the fear of replacing a liner. In order to minimize rub, if you have it or can get it, we suggest doubling the vinyl wall layer in the area where the ramp will be installed.

Q. How does it install to a boat or a dock?
A. Because Skamper-Ramp was originally designed for use in pools, dock installation is easy if there is a vertical face to the dock. Simply tie both rope ends to one cleat and make sure the ramp is snug to the dock face.

Boat installation often requires some ingenuity, and awareness that chop may "kick it up". Outboard motors, are the easiest - as in the picture here, simply brace the ramp on the stern alongside a motor and tie both ropes to one stern cleat.

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 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.

The back ("open box") end of the ramp requires approximately 6" of a 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), has a sloped transom/stern or no place to "create" a brace, it may not be appropriate for your boat.

Q. What is it made of?
A. The new Skamper-Ramp and Super Skamper-Ramp have been blowmolded using white polyethylene, and are equally as chemical- and UV/solar-resistant as the original version. None of the Skamper-Ramp models will become yellow, mildew or "scummy" over time - and they won't grow barnacles. Both fabrication methods ensure that all models 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 for the Super Skamper-Ramp which snaps together; and the nylon rope, nuts, bolts, washers, wing strips, and stainless steel d-ring clips for screwing into the decking for the original ramp. The only additional parts you will need to purchase separately, for any of our ramps, are the 1/4" stainless steel pan-head screws about 1.5" long (and concrete anchors) required by your pool deck surface.

The new Skamper-Ramps are blowmolded polyethylene parts that snap together for easy assembly.

Q. What size is right for me to use and what are other applications?
A. The newly designed blowmolded versions are designed to endure more wear-and-tear from frequent use, rather than just an occasional escape, and will work for pets as well as most any unwanted wild animals. The longer Super Skamper-Ramp is strong enough to hold over 200 lbs on dry land, so even more with water displacing the weight, and the regular Skamper-Ramp doesn't really have a weight limit, but we suggest small to mid-sized animals because of the shorter length.

The width of the Skamper-Ramp was determined by the fact that the placement of the feet of virtually all dogs never exceeds 12". Most any animal's upper body can be held out of water by any size of Skamper-Ramp, allowing the ramp to do what it is supposed to do - prevent drowning.

Because so many customers asked for it, we 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, and regular Skamper-Ramp (SKR4) for smaller to mid-sized pets and animals. The regular size is the most commonly used for smaller pets and/or control of wildlife that fall/are chased into a water hazard.

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 or slip their leg into the holes as they learn to use the ramp.

Please realize, however, that dogs, specifically, should 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. Click here for tips/suggestions on how to train your dog!

In winter, if pools are left slightly drained for winter, hanging a Skamper-Ramp down into the pool makes an easy escape ramp 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.

Skamper-Ramp works well with floating docks and houseboats, too! It just must have the 5-6" of vertical surface to brace against and have at least 3" of ramp in the water at all times.

Q. 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?
A. 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 if someone is around to hear them. 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.

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 to the peace of mind that comes from knowing there is one additional, inexpensive layer for drowning prevention in addition to your fence and/or your training.

Q. Are there alternative anchoring methods?
A. 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; 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 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.

Q. How long will it last?
A. As stated above, 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, we know it will hold up for a very long time - one has been installed in a pool in Charleston, SC for over 5 years, still looks very much like the day it was installed, and is going strong. While we can't make guarantees, the ramp should last a very long time!

Q. Are there other uses besides commercial or residential pools?
A. Our customers are 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; 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.

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