slippery swim platform

[tomfish]

Ok I have 2007 23LSV and love my boat but ever since we have had this boat people slip and fall all the time on the slippery rear deck. It is the fiberglass platform with the foam top and malibu design on it. One guy even broke a toe. It is known as the deck of death. What can I do. Did they ever recall this or what.

thx

[FlatH20]

the deck of death? really? I got an 08 and it gets slippery only when I put the 303 on it- but not to the point of being dangerous are you treating it with something that causes it to be slippery? I suppose that you could replace the pad or otherwise tell you buddies shut up and deal try climbing in and out without the platform...

[stroker-ace]

my boy made the mistake of putting water seal on his teak deck. looks great, but i ate shyte on it harder than i have ever eaten it in the water.

[Woodsprinter]

Post "wet caution sign" on the deck..

[jimw]

My 07 is the same way. It is very dangerous. I'm hoping Malibu will warranty it and put the new style on my boat. My friends 08 has a different style and it's not slippery at all.

[krafty]

Talk to your dealer. I had the black rubber pad on my 07 and it was slippery when wet. They replaced it with the newer grayish pad that made a world of difference.

[tomfish]

I bought my boat used but it still has warranty, should I talk to the local shop or call malibu? and for the record I have never sprayed or treated the rubber with anything other than lake water and the occasional beer foam.

[zzbutler]

Mine was really bad when it was new and a few people got some nasty bruises. The key is to not treat it with anything and it will be better over time. To speed up the process, you can wipe it down with alcohol or something of that sort to strip the wax/oil.

[WakingMeHappy]

Slippery surface on a wet boat. Hum, sounds rather strange.

[Cdoogles]

I have the same problem with the swim deck on my 07 VLX. It's not just normal wet boat slippery, it's oil slick slippery. I bought the boat used so I don't know if anyone else ever put a silicone based product on the platform, but if they did it hasn't worn off yet! Anyone else have luck with Malibu swapping out platforms for them? I could give Paul a call I suppose and see what they can do. So far no broken bones, but at least 3 people have bashed elbows, knees, etc on the way down...

[Roselaw1]

I know exactly what you are talking about. One of my buddies has an 07 VLX, another has an 05 VLX and I have a 2010 LSV. We had them parked side by side in three boat slips. I stepped from the dock onto the 07's swim platform and it was extremely slick to the point that I almost did the splits. I made the same move multiple time over a week to both my boat and the 05 and neither were any where near as slick. My 11 year old son was on the 07 and was attempting to jump off the swim platform to swim to my boat. However, because the platform was so slick, his feet slipped out from under him and he came crashing down with the back of his head slamming against the edge of the platform. Luckily, his friends were around and got him out of the water. He ended up with a huge goose egg at the base of his skull. Those platforms are extremely dangerous as hell and I would change it out.

[goochy]

I got a new one last summer 2007 LSV. Mine was very deadly . Had a guy fall off and bust a wakeboard ! Dealer replaced mine !

Edited September 1, 2010 by goochy

[DONTW8]

There is a reason that swim platforms should be made out of teak lumber. One of them is that they do not get slick. Unless you varnish them which is not the proper maintenance.

Flame retardent suit is in place.

[Pistol Pete]

There is a reason that swim platforms should be made out of teak lumber. One of them is that they do not get slick.

The other reason is the teak looks waaaaaay classier.

(Can I borrow your suit Dontw8?)

[martinarcher]

So are you guys talking about the rubber pads on the 07's being slippery? If so that's nuts.

Our teak deck on the old boat was never slippery, but the oil the PO put on this one made it a lot more slick than we are used to. It will be getting the Startbrite's Tropical Teak Sealer treatment this winter. That stuff rocks and isn't slippery at all, but keeps the teak looking awesome all year.

[apwrx]

Wow i never thought of the fg platforms being slick,I was thinking about getting rid of the teak one for a fg.

[jahgs06]

Sorry to change the subject a bit, but on our 05' VLX it has the black rubber pad on the swim platform and it leaves the bottom of your feet black and then the kids track that across the seats. I was going to replace it this winter with the new soft padded from Malibu, is this ok or is this going to be slick? Also I tried cleaning the black rubber, it helped a little but still leaves enough on the kids feet that we have now put towels down to keep the foot tracks to a minimum.

[Roselaw1]

Sorry to change the subject a bit, but on our 05' VLX it has the black rubber pad on the swim platform and it leaves the bottom of your feet black and then the kids track that across the seats. I was going to replace it this winter with the new soft padded from Malibu, is this ok or is this going to be slick? Also I tried cleaning the black rubber, it helped a little but still leaves enough on the kids feet that we have now put towels down to keep the foot tracks to a minimum.

I am assuming that you are going with the current year padded platform. I have a 2010 and the swim platform pad is not slick. However, the pad is very soft and does get cuts in it easily. I had the black hard rubber pad on my prior 03' and it was much more durable. I never had any problem with it making the bottoms of the feet black.

[TrickyNicky]

07 VTX here, never had anything remotely slip on the platform. Maybe I got lucky maybe it needs more wear, maybe I actually have a different grip on it but it grips you good, no doubt about that.

[jahgs06]

I am assuming that you are going with the current year padded platform. I have a 2010 and the swim platform pad is not slick. However, the pad is very soft and does get cuts in it easily. I had the black hard rubber pad on my prior 03' and it was much more durable. I never had any problem with it making the bottoms of the feet black.

Yes, I would put the current year padded platform on. Yes the black rubber is durable, but I just hate the black that is coming off onto the feet. I really don't know why, maybe just breaking down from the sun and use.

[Cueball]

I have the same problem with the '07 Vlx that I bought this spring. A friend took a spill this year @ the NE Malibu WOW; no serious injuries thankfully. I just pulled it out of the garage today for the first time since then (thanks to my busted kneecap). I am going to scrub it with some dish-soap / degreaser to see if that helps. If it doesn't help, I may try to "sipe" it like they do with tires. I'll check back in if I get any good results.

[Cueball]

I just noticed the date on this topic....................Has anyone had a good solution to this problem?

[Falko]

Sea dek replacement?

Or you could get some of those industrial stair treads and put some strips on the deck. That rough surface will give a nice petina to your board's bottom as well.