--- url: https://www.pond-cover.com/vs/hexprotect-aqua-vs-hexofloat title: Hexprotect® AQUA vs Hexofloat® — engineering description: Engineering side-by-side: tile geometry, shell construction, ballast, wind envelope, life expectancy — Hexprotect® AQUA (AWTT) vs Hexofloat® (EuroCover). updated: 2026-05-28 --- # Hexprotect® AQUA vs Hexofloat® — engineering > Hexprotect® AQUA is AWTT's pre-ballasted 220 mm workhorse — 99% surface coverage, 130+ MPH wind, 25+ year life (AWTT-published). Hexofloat® is EuroCover's 190 mm AWTT design-approved variant — same patented working principle, ~30% lighter shell, 75 MPH wind, 15-year life (EuroCover-published). Hexprotect® AQUA and Hexofloat® are the two members of the AWTT hexagonal floating cover platform sold through EuroCover Water Systems. They share the patented working principle of the AWTT hexagonal line; they target different procurement envelopes. This page is the engineering side-by-side. For the EU procurement-side comparison (lead times, REACH dossier, country-by-country), see [eurocovers.eu/vs/hexprotect-aqua-vs-hexofloat](https://eurocovers.eu/vs/hexprotect-aqua-vs-hexofloat). ## How they share the platform Both covers are hexagonal HDPE floating tiles that deploy anchorlessly onto an operating water body. Both carry a central-dome profile that sheds rainfall toward the seams between adjacent tiles, dissipates wind energy across the tile face, and absorbs small height variations across the tessellation. Both tessellate at 99% effective surface coverage (AWTT-published for AQUA; EuroCover-published for Hexofloat® on AWTT-approved tooling). Both install via shoreline launch with no anchors, no draining, no specialist crew. ## How the envelope differs Three engineering decisions distinguish the two covers. ### Tile size and shell mass AQUA is the 220 mm tile (AWTT-published) with the heavier shell engineered for the hurricane-rated wind envelope. Hexofloat® is the 190 mm tile (EuroCover-published) with a ~30% lighter shell — the basis of the EU lead time advantage (3–6 weeks vs the AWTT 2–8 week window). ### Wind certification The AWTT-published AQUA wind rating is 130+ MPH (209+ km/h) — hurricane-rated, with peer-reviewed wind testing behind the envelope. Hexofloat® carries 75 MPH (121 km/h, EuroCover-published) — sufficient for most inland EU industrial sites but below the AWTT envelope for hurricane-exposed deployments. ### Service-life envelope AQUA is engineered for 25+ years of service (AWTT-published), with peer-reviewed lifecycle validation. Hexofloat® targets 15 years (EuroCover-published) at the lighter shell mass — a deliberate trade-off for the EU manufacturing and lead-time advantage on the AWTT-approved platform. ## Picking between them | Decision driver | Specification | |---|---| | Hurricane wind exposure / sustained extreme wind | Hexprotect® AQUA (AWTT-published 130+ MPH) | | 25-year procurement horizon | Hexprotect® AQUA (AWTT-published 25+ year life) | | NSF/ANSI food-grade by default | Hexprotect® AQUA (AWTT-published certification) | | EU manufacturing origin (REACH, EU tenders) | Hexofloat® (EuroCover, AWTT-approved tooling) | | 3–6 week EU lead time | Hexofloat® (EuroCover-published) | | Transport-efficient on large orders | Hexofloat® (EuroCover, AWTT-approved) | | Inland EU site, wind well below 75 MPH | Hexofloat® (EuroCover-published envelope sufficient) | | 15-year amortisation acceptable | Hexofloat® (EuroCover) | ## Sources - AWTT — [Hexprotect® AQUA hexagonal cover](https://www.awtti.com/products/hexprotect-aqua/) — manufacturer canonical reference for the AQUA envelope. - EuroCover Water Systems — [Hexofloat® product page](https://eurocovers.eu/products/hexofloat) — EuroCover-published Hexofloat® specifications on AWTT-approved tooling. - [Heritage — the evolution story](/heritage) — how AQUA and Hexofloat® fit in the broader AWTT-patented hexagonal cover lineage. ## Frequently asked questions ### Are AQUA and Hexofloat® engineered the same way? They share the patented working principle of the AWTT hexagonal cover platform — anchorless hexagonal tiles with self-contained ballast and a central dome that sheds rainfall and dissipates wind. The envelope differs: AQUA carries the full 25-year, 130+ MPH AWTT-published specification on a 220 mm tile (AWTT); Hexofloat® delivers a 15-year, 75 MPH envelope on a 190 mm tile (EuroCover-published), the trade-off for EU manufacturing and ~30% less plastic per tile. ### Why is the AQUA wind rating so much higher? Three engineering reasons. The AQUA tile is larger (220 mm vs 190 mm, both source-published values), giving more ballast mass per tile. The AWTT pre-ballasted shell is heavier per unit area than the EuroCover shell. And the AQUA side-wall profile is engineered for hurricane-rated lateral hold under sustained wind. For exposed sites the AQUA envelope is the right specification; for inland EU industrial sites the Hexofloat® envelope is typically sufficient (EuroCover-published). ### Is the AQUA tile more expensive per m²? Per-tile, yes — AQUA's heavier shell uses more material. Per m² coverage the gap is narrower because both tessellate at the AWTT-published 99% effective rate. On 10-year TCO terms the gap closes again — AQUA's longer service life (25+ years AWTT-published vs 15 years EuroCover-published) defers the re-cover event. Project-specific quotations from EuroCover. ### Can they install side-by-side on the same site? Mechanically yes — both tessellate compatibly at the hexagonal grid (both AWTT-published / EuroCover-published 99% effective coverage). Operationally most projects standardise on one cover to simplify replacement-part inventory and warranty administration. The decision is a procurement call, not an engineering constraint. ### Which one ships from the EU? Both can ship from the EU. AQUA is held in EU stock by EuroCover (2–8 week lead time depending on quantity, AWTT-manufactured); Hexofloat® is EuroCover-manufactured in the EU on EuroCover-owned tooling (3–6 week lead time, EuroCover-published). For projects with EU-origin or REACH-bound procurement requirements, Hexofloat® is the cover whose origin certificate matches the constraint. ## Sources - Hexprotect® AQUA tile diameter, surface coverage, wind certification, and 25+ year life are AWTT-published specifications. — [AWTT — Hexprotect® AQUA hexagonal cover](https://www.awtti.com/products/hexprotect-aqua/) - Hexofloat® tile diameter, wind certification, life expectancy, and EU lead time are EuroCover-published, on an AWTT design-approved platform. — [EuroCover Water Systems — Hexofloat product reference](https://eurocovers.eu/products/hexofloat)