Skamper-Ramp for animals up to 45lbs.

Featured Highlights -

• Skamper-Ramp® provides animals with a way out of their water entrapment
• This simple white, box-corrugated, hi-tech plastic ramp attaches to the side of the pool, walled pond, dock, or even boat. Because all living beings see 550nm (white), they can see it, day or night, and they "skamper" out on the ramp.
• Easy to assemble and install
• Safe for pools with vinyl liners
• Deck hardware included
• Skamper-Ramp® - 25” x 13” x 5” (2 lbs. boxed)
• 1 year warranty

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Why does it work?

A. Skamper-Ramp is an escape ramp: a means of preventing animals from drowning. The science is that ALL living beings - domestic or wild, bugs, animals or humans, whether they are colorblind or not - see 550nm wavelength, which is the color white. As long as the Skamper-Ramp is installed so that a few inches of the "nose" (the curved end) are under water and the ramp breaks the surface, then the animal will see it. The other end of the ramp is like a box, and it is that "open-box" end that must be snug to a vertical wall (whether it's a pool, floating or fixed dock, walled pond, spa, or stern/swim platform of a boat) in order to provide the rigidity necessary for an animal to "skamper" out on the ramp.

Q. What size do I need? 

A. We suggest that the smaller Skamper-Ramp be used for animals up to 45 lbs - however we have had 120 lb sheepdogs go out on the small ramp; all that happens is it becomes more vertical, and may even crease, but it will still work. You can bend but you can't actually break the ramp or its flexible plastic wing strips.

The Skamper-Ramp Big Dog™ is best used for larger animals, up to 90+ lbs, for floating docks or houseboats, or with boat swim platforms. Those who wish more buoyancy or to use with a larger animal can try securing flotation “noodles” on the underside of the ramp, away from the “nose” end. But remember it is the box end that is sturdiest and most rigid. For people with very small animals, the larger ramp can be used as an indoor ramp for pets weighing less than 25 lbs to get up onto, or down from furniture.
 
Also, if people don't cover their pools for winter, but do drain them, then hanging the Skamper-Ramp Big Dog down into the pool makes an easy escape ramp for any animal that may get caught during the off-season.

Q.  Are there alternative anchoring methods?

A. For those who customers that don’t want to drill into their decks, it is possible to use alternative tie down points such as pool cover attachment points, skimmers, railings and water levelers. There are many creative ways to attach the ramp, you just want to ensure that the ropes are not spread too far away from being parallel, that the back and wings have a surface to rest 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 - two criteria are critical: 1) a few inches of the round "nose" end need to be submerged so that the white breaks the water surface so the animal will see the white while swimming, even in stress; and 2) it needs to be snug to a "rigid" flat, vertical wall so that when a critter or pet gets on the end the Skamper-Ramp has something to brace against. It is the open-box-end and stabilizing wing-strips that provide rigidity and robustness, especially when braced against a vertical element, that makes it work.

The most important point about the installation is to have the Skamper-Ramp as snug to the pool edge as possible, while still have a few inches of the “nose” end of the ramp under water. To accomplish that there are two sets of holes for threading the connection rope through (one above the Skamper-Ramp name and one below) in order to accommodate deep copings or flush edges

Q. What about vinyl pools?

A. Either ramp works well for vinyl liner pools, making sure that an animal’s claws don't touch the pool wall and puncture it. Make sure that, if you have a deck surface that overhangs the pool wall by more than 2-3”, you re-lace the ramp’s rope to the holes below the Skamper-Ramp logo so that the ramp can be snugged under the overhang and closest to the side wall. 

It will not cut through or tear the vinyl. For peace of mind, you could put a double layer of vinyl on the side wall of the pool where the ramp will hang, or tape the edges of the ramp with vinyl repair tape, but neither should be necessary.

Q.  What is it made of?

A. Skamper-Ramps are made from 8mm, chemical- and UV-resistant, recyclable, box-corrugated, PP (polypropylene).  For this reason they will not yellow or become “scummy” over time.  The ramps come complete with nylon rope, nuts, bolts, and wing strips. After 5 years of research and in-pool testing we have found that the box-corrugated plastic has the longest life-span, is most economical, is lightest weight while providing the greatest strength-to-weight ratio along with robustness, is most reliable, is most versatile to use, and is easiest to assemble.

Q. How long will it last?

A. We know it will hold up for 5 or more years--we have ones installed that have lasted 5 and are still going strong, Skamper-Ramp has not been around long enough to determine an end-life beyond that.

Q. Are there other uses besides pools?

A. Our customers are creative in their applications. Many people are buying Skamper-Ramps for their floating docks, fixed docks and boat swim platforms; to use for thin ice rescue; and for indoor ramps for very small or light weight animals.