Teak vs. Fiberglass Platforms

[Malibudude]

The red glass step looks awesome on my brother's red XTI. Covered it in black/red Traxx & people who see it love it. He was out showin off on a Sky Ski at Boardstock last weekend.

Boardstock hasn't even happened yet.

[Bill_AirJunky]

The red glass step looks awesome on my brother's red XTI. Covered it in black/red Traxx & people who see it love it. He was out showin off on a Sky Ski at Boardstock last weekend.

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Boardstock hasn't even happened yet.

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That site you just linked says it happened on August 18 - 21. What date do you have there?

[Malibudude]

The red glass step looks awesome on my brother's red XTI. Covered it in black/red Traxx & people who see it love it. He was out showin off on a Sky Ski at Boardstock last weekend.

Boardstock hasn't even happened yet.

That site you just linked says it happened on August 18 - 21. What date do you have there?

Whoops I was thinking of September...vacation on the mind

[Bill_AirJunky]

HEhe, hope I didn't just tell you that you missed out........ I haven't been in a few years but heard that this year's event was a blast.

Edited August 23, 2005 by Bill_AirJunky

[SunriseH2OSkier]

The cheap aluminum trim piece has to go.

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Slight tangent here, but anybody got a source for something in stainless? IIRC, the Nautique trim was about 1/2", maybe 5/8" high, with a profile much like a parenthesis - "(". I am wondering if something like this would be flexible enough to wrap a straight piece around the corners of the platform, or if it would have to be pre-formed?

Stewart, got any ideas?

[WakeGirl]

Boy, I'm guessing that it would have to be pre formed. What about a rub rail with stainless insert like the boat itself has?

[woody]

I love how much grip there is with the fiberglass/rubber top. Plus I don't have to worry about staining it every other month.

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I didn't realize your boat had a fiberglass platform. I need to check it out during the LAbor day weekend.

I love my teak platform. I've never had a problem oiling the teak... I have a 13 year old son, and oiling the deck is one of his boat chores.

[gooddog]

I recondition the teak 2 to 3 times a year. It only takes about an hour and it always ends up looking like a fine piece of furniture. Mine is never slippery as I have heard some are. I don't know why that is...Most of us who grew up with wood boats tend to like teak...helps connect those good ole days to these good ole days. I like the fiberglass ones too, they seem to go well with the VLX and I like the size of them.

[D-GOOSE]

I love how much grip there is with the fiberglass/rubber top. Plus I don't have to worry about staining it every other month.

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I didn't realize your boat had a fiberglass platform. I need to check it out during the LAbor day weekend.

I love my teak platform. I've never had a problem oiling the teak... I have a 13 year old son, and oiling the deck is one of his boat chores.

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Ya I wouldn't have a problem oiling a teak, if some one else was doing it. . We hope to see this time. I will be getting my new two 750 fly high fat sacs by then. Should help a little for surfing.

[woody]

I love how much grip there is with the fiberglass/rubber top. Plus I don't have to worry about staining it every other month.

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I didn't realize your boat had a fiberglass platform. I need to check it out during the LAbor day weekend.

I love my teak platform. I've never had a problem oiling the teak... I have a 13 year old son, and oiling the deck is one of his boat chores.

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Ya I wouldn't have a problem oiling a teak, if some one else was doing it. . We hope to see this time. I will be getting my new two 750 fly high fat sacs by then. Should help a little for surfing.

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The teak won't get scratched or chipped when you do a deck start/stop when sufin'. I'll have to show at Bullards. We'll be there this Sun.

Edited August 25, 2005 by woody

[doughickey]

I recondition the teak 2 to 3 times a year. It only takes about an hour and it always ends up looking like a fine piece of furniture. Mine is never slippery as I have heard some are. I don't know why that is...Most of us who grew up with wood boats tend to like teak...helps connect those good ole days to these good ole days. I like the fiberglass ones too, they seem to go well with the VLX and I like the size of them.

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I agree with gooddog. I like the teak with my classic '98 RLX. (As per the TMC headline, I like my wake 4 inches, not 4 feet. If my boat was a monster people mover tsunami maker with bling and stuff, I might go for F/G also.)

This year I added the slip on/off swim cover. Cost about $100. Local canvas shop. Made a big difference keeping the UV from fading the platform. Sunbrella material. I orginally worried that the water/mositure might build up underneath and would cause a mold problem. I thought I may have to add golf balls or nerf balls under the cover. Nope. As I watch my boat roll up/down as it sits at the dock (on the whips), the wave action from underneath drives air up through the openings between the teak platform slats, and causes a natural air movement underneath the cover.

Even on days when the boat may sit at the dock in the sun with the mooring cover off, the teak platform cover can stay on. Takes (literally) under 30 seconds to take it off.

Net = I'll stick with teak. The new cover keeps it looking like the dining room table all summer. And when I get a bid of rubbing from ski fins or other, I just add a bit of teak oil.

Darn.... I won't have to totally re-sand as a spring project next year. I'll just have to add a coating of teak oil.

[NorCaliBu]

Have to admit 2 to 1 in favor of teak surprises me. I'm definitely a teak kinda guy (heck, I still ride one of them there skinny sticks ).

[Cbrown]

I actually prefer the look of teak but from a function stand point I like the F/G. If malibu made their teak platforms the same size as the f/g then that would seal the deal for me. I did not mind taking care of the teak but with the fiberglass so much bigger it is nicer. Easier to put boards on and also when you are hanging out in the water.

[gooddog]

With the temps here reaching in the high 90s to 100, we do a lot of just chillin in the water as we drift behind the Bu. The teak platform is always right at water level without any ballast making it really easy to climb up on. I noticed that the F/G platforms on VLXs are mounted at more angle so they are at water level only with ballast loaded. With out the ballast they are up out of the water and higher at the back end making it less swimmer friendly. I appreciate the engineering in this design for placing the platform at the proper level when the ballast is loaded and the boat is being used for its specific design. If you order a teak platform on a VLX, are they mounted on an angle like the F/G or are they level with the waterline like older models?

[stusumm]

With the temps here reaching in the high 90s to 100, we do a lot of just chillin in the water as we drift behind the Bu. The teak platform is always right at water level without any ballast making it really easy to climb up on. I noticed that the F/G platforms on VLXs are mounted at more angle so they are at water level only with ballast loaded. With out the ballast they are up out of the water and higher at the back end making it less swimmer friendly. I appreciate the engineering in this design for placing the platform at the proper level when the ballast is loaded and the boat is being used for its specific design. If you order a teak platform on a VLX, are they mounted on an angle like the F/G or are they level with the waterline like older models?

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My VLX has the teak platform and it is at the same angle as the FG ones. It's only level with the water when ballast is full.

[Dan P]

I got my first FB platform this summer and everyone likes it better than teak. Not as slippery and the shape makes it much easier to get into bindings. The only complaint has been that it gets hot when parked in the sun, but a quick splash of water with your foot fixes that.

[Bill_AirJunky]

My brother's XTI fiberglass step is maybe an inch or two above the waterline with no ballast. I understand the CA sun & keeping the boat on the water warped the teak step after about a year so the FG was a replacement.

[Boomer]

I like fiberglass platforms, but not Malibu's FG platforms... The one on my '04 Supra SSV was nice. Big, rounded off, with a killer stainless grab rail all the way around it.

If Bu's was that nice I'd have gone FG, but in lieu I went back to teak, even though my boat is "brightly colored" to to speak.

I guess you could say it looks out of place, or awesome, depending on your perspective, lol.

I've lived with the teak all summer and love it. It has no gaps for my dog's feet to fall through (like my old MC'c teak platform did), is comfortable, and big. I am not a teak care freak, so I plan on refinishing it once per year, in the spring. Yes, it loses it's color as summer wears on, but only when dry. Once wet in the water it looks great.

[Malibudude]

I like fiberglass platforms, but not Malibu's FG platforms... The one on my '04 Supra SSV was nice. Big, rounded off, with a killer stainless grab rail all the way around it.

If Bu's was that nice I'd have gone FG, but in lieu I went back to teak, even though my boat is "brightly colored" to to speak.

I guess you could say it looks out of place, or awesome, depending on your perspective, lol.

I've lived with the teak all summer and love it. It has no gaps for my dog's feet to fall through (like my old MC'c teak platform did), is comfortable, and big. I am not a teak care freak, so I plan on refinishing it once per year, in the spring. Yes, it loses it's color as summer wears on, but only when dry. Once wet in the water it looks great. 

I say it looks great

[chathamsolutions]

Me too.

And I don't know what you guys are talking about RE size of the platform. IIRC my teak platform and the FB are the same size on the LSV. If they were different it was so small I didn't notice.

The teak on the LSV is 8 planks wide. 8 PLANKS. Me and two of my brothers - both over 200# - have hung out and eaten lunch on it together. It's HUGE. Can't imagine having a bigger one really.

The size was one of the selling points. Bigger than anyone elses on the market at the time - that I saw.

[WakeGirl]

All of the platforms on the v-drives are bigger, I think that's what people mean. Plus they're probably comparing their FG vdrive platform with a ski boat/DD boat's smaller platform that happens to be teak.

[Boomer]

This thread made me feel guilty so I went and put a couple coats of teak oil down. It made the teak look darker red compared to the nice, blonde teak it had when new.

That's my maintenance for the summer, all 10 minutes worth.

Any idea what type of oil they used in the factory to get the blonder, lighter color my new platform had in the picture above? Mine came in lighter than most, and I liked it that way.

[NorCaliBu]

Any idea what type of oil they used in the factory to get the blonder, lighter color my new platform had in the picture above?

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Don't know what the factory uses but if you just look at the color of the oil you get a decent idea. For instance, Amazon Gold is a little bit lighter, more of a gold color vs. West Marine's "house" brand which is a little darker and definitely more reddish.

[chathamsolutions]

You could call Teak World in Tenn. That's who makes the platforms for the factory.

[tvano]

i think the cleaning treatment makes a difference, too.

unique teak kit has a 2 part cleaner.

the first part cleans and the second part lightens the wood to that fantastic blonde color.

i have good luck cleaning the teak with trisodium phosphate, but i would like to know what that second agent is.