Polyform G-4 Twin Eye Boat Fender 6.5" x 22" Gray

The Polyform G-4 is a workhorse dock fender for boats in the 20 to 25 foot range. It's a ribbed cylinder, 6-1/2 inches across and 22 inches long, molded from tough PVC. The job is simple. Keep your hull off the dock, the pilings, and the boat rafted up next to you. This one does it without fuss.

Polyform has been making buoys and fenders longer than most of us have been boating, and the G series is their utility line. The ribs down the body aren't just for looks. They add wall strength and give the fender a bit of grip so it doesn't roll flat against a smooth hull. The gray color is a nice touch too. It shows less scuffing than white, and it looks at home on just about any boat.

What makes this a twin-eye fender is the molded loop on each end. That gives you two ways to hang it. Run a line through one eye and it hangs vertically off a cleat or a rail, which is how most folks rig fenders alongside a floating dock. Or run lines through both eyes and hang it horizontally, which works great against a piling or a low freeboard boat where you want the fender lying flat. Hung vertically is the go-to for most weekend docking, but keep a couple rigged horizontally for the times you end up against a tall piling. The eyes are about 0.75 inch, so they'll take up to a 3/8 inch fender line comfortably. Use a proper fender line and tie it off where the hull meets the dock.

Sizing matters with fenders, and this is where boaters get it wrong. A good rule of thumb is one inch of fender diameter for every four to five feet of boat, and at least one fender for every 10 feet of length. Polyform rates the G-4 for boats 20 to 25 feet. On a 22 foot center console, you'd want three or four of these down the working side, maybe a couple extra to move around when you're coming into an unfamiliar slip or rafting up. Never run just one. Three is the floor on anything over about 18 feet.

The G-4 is inflatable, so you set the firmness yourself. Top it off with a needle valve until it's firm but still has a little give when you press it. Don't overdo it. An over-inflated fender in the summer heat is working too hard and bounces instead of cushioning. A little give is what actually protects the gelcoat. A cheap needle inflator that fits a hand pump or even a bike pump handles the job in a minute. Check the air a couple times a season, especially after it's been stored over winter.

Care is easy. Rinse the salt and grime off with fresh water, and a little mild boat soap knocks off the black scuff marks that docks leave behind. If you're storing the boat for the winter, pull the fenders, let them dry, and stow them inside out of the sun. PVC holds up well, but UV is hard on everything out there, so a season indoors adds years to them.

Who's this for? Owners of runabouts, center consoles, cuddies, and small cruisers in that 20 to 25 foot window who dock regularly or raft up on the weekend. It's a single fender, so order the count your boat needs. Keep a spare or two in the locker. You'll always wish you had one more when a stranger rafts up beside you at the sandbar. If your boat is bigger than 25 feet, step up to a larger model in the same line for the right amount of cushion. This is honest, no-nonsense dock protection from a name that's been trusted on the water for decades.