Our team was contacted by Mike and Skip of Southern Boating Magazine in 2017 regarding their interest in a marine ceramic coating to protect their 2007 31' dark blue hulled Jupiter. Considering their passion for fishing and routine trips out in the ocean exposing their boat to the harsh elements here in South Florida, they wanted to take the opportunity to try a different approach from traditional buff and wax.
For this particular case study, we are going to showcase the initial process from July 2017 and provide you with a marine ceramic coating review after 21 months here in South Florida.
As the manufacturer and applicator of marine ceramic coatings, our goal is to continually educate you as the boat owner about the advantages of ceramic coatings and how it can protect your investment. The case studies and updates of the boats is one of the ways we look to assist.
- Boat Brand:
- Jupiter
- Length Overall:
- 31'
- Ceramic Coating To:
- Hull, Transom, Top Side, Gunwales & Fish Boxes
- Location:
- Pompano, FL
Marine grade ceramic coatings are becoming more popular within the industry and for fellow boat owners.
More and more companies are offering a range of products either spray on products like our Marine Shine & Shield, or a more longer lasting applications such as our professional grade marine marine ceramic coating.
When attempting to parse through all of the options in the market, we feel it is best to inquire about real life results. Here at Glidecoat, we have completed over two years of laboratory development, running a number of tests from extreme UV (up to 2 years) and salt spray testing to confirm the ceramic coating would meet our expectations.
Once, the laboratory results were completed in early 2015, we began the process of applying our ceramic coating, here in South Florida, which, is one of the harshest conditions in North America. By applying our ceramic coating to various boats, we then had the ability to track the entire process and more importantly the real life results over time.
To provide transparency on the performance of the Glidecoat ceramic coating, we routinely check back in with completed boats to showcase the results. This brings back to the 2007 31' Jupiter.
The initial marine ceramic coating application was completed in July of 2017 and after 21 months, we returned to the boat to take photos and gloss meter readings to show the results.
Initial Marine Ceramic Coating Application - July 2017
For an older boat (2007), this boat was in relatively good shape as a number of factors contributed to that;
1). The boat is stored indoors when not in use
2). Before the marine ceramic coating application, the boat would receive routine buff and wax
For the initial marine ceramic coating application, our team completed the;
• Hull
• Transom
• Top side including the fish boxes
After completing the application back in 2017, the gloss meter readings jumped well into the 90's and looked amazing.
After the marine ceramic coating application, the gloss meter readings on the hull registered at 98.
The top side is typically more time consuming to complete a ceramic coating application and more exposed to the elements. During the initial application, the gloss meter readings jumped to the high 80's and low 90's.
Ceramic Coating Results After 21 Months
We returned back to the boat April 30th, 2019 to take photos and gloss meter readings to provide an update. On average, over the course of 18 months we anticipate, an approximate 15 - 20% drop in the gloss meter readings from the initial application.
As shown in the photos listed above, the highest gloss meter reading on the hull back in July 2017 was 98. After nearly two years, the gloss meter readings registered at 84. Right inline with our expectations and as an FYI, readings in the 80's is typical of factory new boats.
For the top side, the gloss meter readings were registering in the low 80's.
