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Ceramic Pro Coatings - Are They Worth IT?


R0909

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We had our boat professionally detailed and ceramic coated this spring. For our lake, I have not noticed a benefit with regard to water spots. I will not do it again. 

I am going back to following the recommendations of @ibelonginprison

The jescar powerlock Sealant is a proven, affordable, and relatively easy application process. 

 

The ceramic coat did help with the cleanup of general dirt, grime, water line, etc. I no longer have to use any product to clean those. A damp towel wipes them right off. 

Edited by BLSousa
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I hate that the ceramic didn't work for you, as you wanted it to. Generally, that's the next step up from a good polymer sealant.

However - I'm glad the Jescar is working well for you! Once I discovered that stuff, my detailing life changed. ha It's so easy to apply, and wipe off, that I can apply to a whole boat with a DA polisher in 15-20 minutes, let it cure while I drink a couple beers, then wipe it off in 20 minutes. 

 

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The stuff I used was from MarineNanoShop.  Paint correction is a PITA with all the wet sanding, buffing, etc on a 2 year old boat to get a mirror shine.  Applying the ceramic is pretty easy.  Though you do need to be meticulous.  I've notice that I have a lot less water spots as the water just rolls off. I still get it on the horizontal surfaces and the like.  Cleanup is a snap.  I use their SiO2 spray to do cleanup and maintenance at the same time.  We'll see how it looks after a year of use though.  It's only been 2 months so far.  Wax never lasted this long for me though.

That being said, I like most that its "hard" and stays shiny even after three weeks of the wind blowing the dirty cover against the sides out on the slip.  Used to be that would scuff up my wax job and haze the finish enough that a good polishing was in order again.  FWIW here's my attempt at ceramic.

 

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I am not sure what my local lake water is like compared to what some of you are in, but can’t imagine investing in ceramic coat around here.  Waxing here and there and using hot sauce after our outings and I think my gel still looks great after a few seasons. 

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12 hours ago, hethj7 said:

I am not sure what my local lake water is like compared to what some of you are in, but can’t imagine investing in ceramic coat around here.  Waxing here and there and using hot sauce after our outings and I think my gel still looks great after a few seasons. 

I agree with this^^^. My boat is 5 years old and has almost 700 hours. I wipe it down religiously but have only "waxed" it once. It still looks really good although it could use a really good detail.  I just don't see the value in ceramic. DIY or not, it ain't cheap. I'm sure i would wipe it down the same as i do now, if i had a coating done on it. 

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Wiping it down keeps it clean. But fading / oxidation from the sun is just a fact of nature. Wiping it down doesn't save you from the sun over time. Using a good polymer sealant twice a year will help keep your gel looking good for longer than just 5 years though. 
A good polymer sealant blocks UV rays, and lasts longer than wax. Wax is good, but it never lasts very long. (wax also takes longer to apply, and remove than a sealant)
I can literally think of no good reason to use wax, instead of a sealant, on a boat. lol

For the amount of time you spend wiping it down, you could spend an extra 45 minutes and give it a coat of sealant, let it cure, then wipe it off - at least once a season. 





 

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On 8/27/2018 at 3:28 PM, Slurpee said:

The stuff I used was from MarineNanoShop.  Paint correction is a PITA with all the wet sanding, buffing, etc on a 2 year old boat to get a mirror shine.  Applying the ceramic is pretty easy.  Though you do need to be meticulous.  I've notice that I have a lot less water spots as the water just rolls off. I still get it on the horizontal surfaces and the like.  Cleanup is a snap.  I use their SiO2 spray to do cleanup and maintenance at the same time.  We'll see how it looks after a year of use though.  It's only been 2 months so far.  Wax never lasted this long for me though.

That being said, I like most that its "hard" and stays shiny even after three weeks of the wind blowing the dirty cover against the sides out on the slip.  Used to be that would scuff up my wax job and haze the finish enough that a good polishing was in order again.  FWIW here's my attempt at ceramic.

 

How much of the ceramic coating did you end up using?

Myself and a friend are looking to pull the trigger on this product. 

Your's looks awesome. These boats really could all use a good wetsand out of the factory.

Edited by boardjnky4
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On 8/28/2018 at 2:46 AM, isellacuras said:

I agree with this^^^. My boat is 5 years old and has almost 700 hours. I wipe it down religiously but have only "waxed" it once. It still looks really good although it could use a really good detail.  I just don't see the value in ceramic. DIY or not, it ain't cheap. I'm sure i would wipe it down the same as i do now, if i had a coating done on it. 

Yup.  You have to wipe it down even with ceramic coatings.  Boats still get dirt on them and other stuff.  So if you want to keep it shiny clean you give it a quick wipe down with a damp rag.  So that part of boat analship doesn't go away with any product. LOL.

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44 minutes ago, boardjnky4 said:

How much of the ceramic coating did you end up using?

Myself and a friend are looking to pull the trigger on this product. 

Your's looks awesome. These boats really could all use a good wetsand out of the factory.

It's a little hard to say exactly.  Having done two coats I would guess 3/4 of a bottle did the outside of the boat above the chines, surfgates, and platform.  I didn't go very far into the interior, just down to the top of the upholstery.  And I have the Gatorstep kit on the gunnels to cut down on what I'm covering. 

I have to answer 3/4 of a bottle because I started off with sanding and correcting the surfaces of my stand up paddleboards before ceramic coating to get some practice on technique in before touching the boat.  I also did one of my Phase 5 boards and a new wakeboard and the 4 new JL M880 gel coated speaker pods first.  So all of that practice used up about 3/4 of a bottle I think (SUPs are a LOT of surface area it turns out).  Then I used it up on the boat and popped open another bottle and used up about 1/2 of that.  Definitely get a bottle of the SiO2 polish if you're going to be paint correcting and use it as the last step with a polishing pad before putting on the ceramic. And buy some extra applicator pads.  They're cheap and you'll use them.

I'm waiting on some days in the 80s to put the boat on a trailer in the driveway and get started on the underneath.  It's filthy under there and needs a really good polish.  The hard water here just builds up on any surface easy.  THAT is what sold me on the ceramic over polymer.  I've done polymer and it makes me feel great about the sun oxidation and makes wipe downs a  bit easier, but it doesn't contribute to ease of appearance at all for keeping the running surfaces clean.

The paint correction of the boat definitely caught me off guard.  There are places on the boat that have some serious Orange Peel type texture (if we were talking about automotive clear coat that is).  The surf gates are really bad in that respect.  The rest of the boat was better than any car I've ever had though.  I guess I just expected it to be smoother.  So I didn't have to get too crazy with the wetsanding to get to a point I considered good enough.  Just remember if you do it yourself to stay away from edges and borders where you won't be able to get a rotary or DA pad in to polish it back up again... like by the rub rail.  That sucked for me fixing that in one spot by hand with a pad before I learned to stay away from any edges with the sandpaper.

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On 8/27/2018 at 2:21 PM, ibelonginprison said:

I hate that the ceramic didn't work for you, as you wanted it to. Generally, that's the next step up from a good polymer sealant.

However - I'm glad the Jescar is working well for you! Once I discovered that stuff, my detailing life changed. ha It's so easy to apply, and wipe off, that I can apply to a whole boat with a DA polisher in 15-20 minutes, let it cure while I drink a couple beers, then wipe it off in 20 minutes. 

 

Amazing how easy that stuff wipes off!   

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  • 3 months later...
On 8/27/2018 at 1:21 PM, ibelonginprison said:

However - I'm glad the Jescar is working well for you! Once I discovered that stuff, my detailing life changed. ha It's so easy to apply, and wipe off, that I can apply to a whole boat with a DA polisher in 15-20 minutes, let it cure while I drink a couple beers, then wipe it off in 20 minutes. 

Got some more details on this stuff?

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17 hours ago, 05hammerhead said:

Got some more details on this stuff?

Jescar Power Lock Plus Polymer Sealant (Pint) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P87W0IU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_aIqhCbSQF5DE1

 

ive been using this stuff for a few years on my mostly black boats.  Was turned into it by this forum.  Stuff is amazing!  All of my cars are black and I use it on them too.  I typically apply it a few times a year on my cars, and 2 times a session on my boat.  Give it a shot, you won’t be disappointed. 

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43 minutes ago, SCMike said:

Jescar Power Lock Plus Polymer Sealant (Pint) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P87W0IU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_aIqhCbSQF5DE1

 

ive been using this stuff for a few years on my mostly black boats.  Was turned into it by this forum.  Stuff is amazing!  All of my cars are black and I use it on them too.  I typically apply it a few times a year on my cars, and 2 times a session on my boat.  Give it a shot, you won’t be disappointed. 

so just simply washer down and DA polish this on and youre good?  Seems too easy. 

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8 hours ago, 05hammerhead said:

so just simply washer down and DA polish this on and youre good?  Seems too easy. 

Yep, that’s all.  It doesn’t take swirls or hard water spots out, so you may still need an initial polish to get a really glassy finish.  I typically do a polish once a year, and then seal it with the Jescar directly after.  I’ll apply a second coat of Jescar about midway through the season with no additional polish.  

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^^^ that.

A sealant is just what it says... it seals the surface. It does zero to remove oxidation, scratches, swirls etc. That's all part of the "paint correction" process. 
The paint correction process (or "gel correction" in this instance) is what takes 97% of the time and effort. I'll spend 12-16 hours correcting the gel coat... and about 30 minutes applying a coat of sealant. lol 

Applying a sealant should be quick, easy, painless, and effortless. The sealant is what protects the surface from damaging UV rays, and makes water bead up and roll off. So when you spray and wipe it down with a quick detailer it cleans up MUCH more easily than a non-treated surface. 

Also - do multiple coats of the sealant for better results. 
Apply the sealant, let it cure for 20-30 minutes, then wipe it off.
Wait 2-3 hours then do another coat with the same process. If you do 3+ coats, that's where the magic is. ha 

I had a friend do 5 coats on his Lexus IS "daily beater." It sat outside during a snow storm about 5-6 years ago. There was 2" of snow on everything else but his car. It all blew off cause none of it would stick. lol 

Edited by ibelonginprison
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1 hour ago, ibelonginprison said:

^^^ that.

A sealant is just what it says... it seals the surface. It does zero to remove oxidation, scratches, swirls etc. That's all part of the "paint correction" process. 
The paint correction process (or "gel correction" in this instance) is what takes 97% of the time and effort. I'll spend 12-16 hours correcting the gel coat... and about 30 minutes applying a coat of sealant. lol 

Applying a sealant should be quick, easy, painless, and effortless. The sealant is what protects the surface from damaging UV rays, and makes water bead up and roll off. So when you spray and wipe it down with a quick detailer it cleans up MUCH more easily than a non-treated surface. 

Also - do multiple coats of the sealant for better results. 
Apply the sealant, let it cure for 20-30 minutes, then wipe it off.
Wait 2-3 hours then do another coat with the same process. If you do 3+ coats, that's where the magic is. ha 

I had a friend do 5 coats on his Lexus IS "daily beater." It sat outside during a snow storm about 5-6 years ago. There was 2" of snow on everything else but his car. It all blew off cause none of it would stick. lol 

I started using Jescars with@ibelonginprison tutorial on here.  The boat wipes down very easy and the spots are not near as bad. Even on the Dirty D. I have not been doing multiple coats.That is great information and I also always polished before coating. It is great to know I can do a mid season sealant without polishing. It will get done sooner😂

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On 8/27/2018 at 3:28 PM, Slurpee said:

The stuff I used was from MarineNanoShop.  Paint correction is a PITA with all the wet sanding, buffing, etc on a 2 year old boat to get a mirror shine.  Applying the ceramic is pretty easy.  Though you do need to be meticulous.  I've notice that I have a lot less water spots as the water just rolls off. I still get it on the horizontal surfaces and the like.  Cleanup is a snap.  I use their SiO2 spray to do cleanup and maintenance at the same time.  We'll see how it looks after a year of use though.  It's only been 2 months so far.  Wax never lasted this long for me though.

That being said, I like most that its "hard" and stays shiny even after three weeks of the wind blowing the dirty cover against the sides out on the slip.  Used to be that would scuff up my wax job and haze the finish enough that a good polishing was in order again.  FWIW here's my attempt at ceramic.

 

How much product did you end up using? Did you do your interior as well? Did you do your tower, speakers, windshield, etc... ?

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2 hours ago, boardjnky4 said:

How much product did you end up using? Did you do your interior as well? Did you do your tower, speakers, windshield, etc... ?

Probably about 1.5 bottles for the whole boat. I did not do the tower. It’s the wrong thing to use on that. It’d be a mess. I did my tower speakers and windshield though. I did the inside around the seat base and the grab handles where gel was exposed.  I didn’t treat the vinyl in any way. No real problems with vinyl in my boating experience. 

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2 hours ago, Slurpee said:

Probably about 1.5 bottles for the whole boat. I did not do the tower. It’s the wrong thing to use on that. It’d be a mess. I did my tower speakers and windshield though. I did the inside around the seat base and the grab handles where gel was exposed.  I didn’t treat the vinyl in any way. No real problems with vinyl in my boating experience. 

Good point on the tower. My dealer has a boat done by ceramic pro. They did the vinyl interior as well, and it's amazing how the vinyl repels water and dirt now.

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On 12/27/2018 at 12:41 PM, Sparky450 said:

I started using Jescars with@ibelonginprison tutorial on here.  The boat wipes down very easy and the spots are not near as bad. Even on the Dirty D. I have not been doing multiple coats.That is great information and I also always polished before coating. It is great to know I can do a mid season sealant without polishing. It will get done sooner😂

Oh yeah man, you can re-apply halfway through the season. You only really need to polish it once, really good - then if you take care of it, you don't really need to re-polish for another season or two. I only polish mine every other season, and that's cause mine's old. 

I usually do 3 coats at the first of April, 1-2 more coats around the 4th of July weekend, and keep it wiped down in between.
The number of people that think it's a new boat is shocking. Only thing that gives it away is the typical Malibu vinyl inside... but I'm taking care of that this season. :) 

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On 12/27/2018 at 12:10 PM, ibelonginprison said:

^^^ that.

A sealant is just what it says... it seals the surface. It does zero to remove oxidation, scratches, swirls etc. That's all part of the "paint correction" process. 
The paint correction process (or "gel correction" in this instance) is what takes 97% of the time and effort. I'll spend 12-16 hours correcting the gel coat... and about 30 minutes applying a coat of sealant. lol 

Applying a sealant should be quick, easy, painless, and effortless. The sealant is what protects the surface from damaging UV rays, and makes water bead up and roll off. So when you spray and wipe it down with a quick detailer it cleans up MUCH more easily than a non-treated surface. 

Also - do multiple coats of the sealant for better results. 
Apply the sealant, let it cure for 20-30 minutes, then wipe it off.
Wait 2-3 hours then do another coat with the same process. If you do 3+ coats, that's where the magic is. ha 

I had a friend do 5 coats on his Lexus IS "daily beater." It sat outside during a snow storm about 5-6 years ago. There was 2" of snow on everything else but his car. It all blew off cause none of it would stick. lol 

This is my future recipie for my new, nearly all black boat.  Looking forward to the results.

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Hi all - happy holidays, and happy new year. So for a guy who waxes his Canadian boat (short season I mean) 2-3 times a year what else would you recommend...sealant wise? I only use premium waxes and wipe down religiously, probably 2-3 times a day using Sauce, etc. (I love the boat and beers in the sun!).

Looking forward to your suggestions :)

 

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