Quote:
Originally Posted by XCR-700
And has anyone actually checked to see what the boat manufacturer says about some of these coatings??? My 3" thick bible provided by Formula tells you to wash and wax it, it says NOTING about any ceramic sealer and so it begs the question, could you void your warranty on the finish by doing this? I would not be surprised. I have seen similar happen in the pool industry, the fiberglass pool people will void your warranty for the smallest of deviation from their guidance.
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There term Wash & Wax has become extremely watered down over the years. Way back, I realized that my time actually waxing was wasted due to lack of longevity. There's nothing inherently harmful in using a wide variety of products, from waxes to sealants to coatings on gelcoat. The only real harm is typically putting a polisher in the hands of a newbie. If you do polish your boat, either by rotary or dual-action polisher, whatever protection you apply as the last line of protection will generally look better, and last longer. For the casual user, a DA polisher should be their first tool, not the rotary. Cheaper ones are out there, but your arms and entire body will thank you if you don't cheap out in this category.
I used
https://www.fourstarproducts.com/gelcoatlabs.html. Gel Coat labs for many years. Not a ceramic coating, their final layer is a sealant. I'd use the DA in the Spring with their polish, then apply the sealant. Typically, my boat was shiny and mostly clean the entire season. With those results, I had no reason to look elsewhere. With my results, I had quite a few people stop using their Collinite wax and switch. Now today, "ceramic" is a very overused term, and many consumer products have little to no real ceramic in them. The real separation is between a real coating, and a consumer sealant or semi-coating. A real ceramic coating, which comes in the small bottle, is quite different. They also require a real learning curve, and some special care when applying.
I can tell you this, they're a lot easier than wax, and last longer. Want something easy as pie that looks good? Try MEGUIARS Hybrid Ceramic Wax. Spray on wipe off, and it's cheap. Turtle Wax makes a similar product. Might last the entire season, but anyone can do it. If you're not going to a pro, and won't or can't do the prep, stick to an east to use product. There are some pretty bad ones out there.