Alternative to pro ceramic coating....

[Mototrig]

......what is a next step people are using after a buff to seal in the shine? I know getting it professionally ceramic coated is the best option but it's not in my wheelhouse at the moment.

Was looking at Gel Coat Labs bow to stern or Meguiars M21.
Nexgen is for automotive but is supposed to have a higher amount of Silicon Dioxide than the alternative, anyone using it on marine application?

I did an RPD search and the only one that populated was Griots 3 in 1 and use Speed shine spray at the end of the day on the water.

Up until now I've been using hot sauce and other water spot removers.

Let's hear everyone's controversial answer as to why this or why that because I know it's coming

 

[LazyLavey]

Clutch from shine supply works well on non coated or coated surfaces. I used it and liked it prior to getting ceramic

I'm sure there are others as well

 

[Rogers Hopeful]

Buy the ceramic and do it yourself. If you can buff and polish the ceramic is the easy part. Adams Polish has a few videos of how to do it. Their graphene ceramic coating can be seen under UV light to see if you missed spots. They sell a kit with a UV flashlight

 

[Justsomeguy]

Shine supply beadlock marine. Have good lights and use a lot of clean towels. I broke it in 4 sections 3 towels per section. It came out pretty good for not being a professional.

Edit: to clarify beadlock marine is a ceramic coating. It's flash time is more forgiving for those less experienced. It leveles well and it's concentrated, so only one coat necessary is what they say. I did 2 coats of regular beadlock on mine as the marine wasn't out yet.

 

[ChrisV]

apply the ceramic yourself. Its really easy.

 

[Xtrmwakeboarder]

+3 for apply the ceramic yourself. It’s a lot of work though

 

[oldschool]

I brought my gel coat back to life using Meguiars rv/marine products with a random orbital polisher. Not difficult, just took time and effort. Since then I’ve used this product by Turtle Wax, Seal and Shine. Has worked great so far, just wet a microfiber in the ice chest at the end of the day and wipe down(followed by a dry microfiber).

 

[Desert Whaler]

I've been impressed with Griot's 3 in 1 Ceramic Liquid Spray Wax.
Used it on my truck back in November and water still beads like crazy, safe on pretty much all surfaces.
Spray on buff off. 2 coats are recommended with a wait time of overnight for the 2nd coat.
A little goes a long way, best to do in the shade and not when it's a scorching hot out. Hard to screw it up.
Some of the products mentioned above are probably better, but I've been happy for the price and ease of use.
(edit) . . . forgot that I used it on my outboard before my last river trip to Blythe, it really helped keep the water spots from sticking so badly/

 

[Mototrig]

Some of the products mentioned above are probably better, but I've been happy for the price and ease of use.
(edit) . . . forgot that I used it on my outboard before my last river trip to Blythe, it really helped keep the water spots from sticking so badly/

That's kind of how I feel, so many products that work, hard to go wrong these days.

I brought my gel coat back to life using Meguiars rv/marine products with a random orbital polisher. Not difficult, just took time and effort. Since then I’ve used this product by Turtle Wax, Seal and Shine. Has worked great so far, just wet a microfiber in the ice chest at the end of the day and wipe down(followed by a dry microfiber). View attachment 1027190 View attachment 1027191

Meguiars and Turtle wax are tried and true.

I used 3D speed with a medium polishing wool pad. I like that It isn't a very aggressive polish and I didn't have to worry about burning my 39 year old gel coat.

If I can wax it out a few times per year and use a spray between washes I'm good with that.

Thanks everyone for your input

 

[2Driver]

A few alternatives to professionally applied ceramic coating:

A 3-day vacation getaway
A used dirt-bike
A new Mt bike
High end built in grill
….

 

[bowtiejunkie]

I think buffing is the hard part of ceramic and looks like you’ve done that. You could buy a kit and do it yourself. I use Adam’s Polishes Paint Sealant after buffing. But that’s on car paint. I haven’t made the switch to ceramic as for some reason I like to suffer.

 

[Mototrig]

A few alternatives to professionally applied ceramic coating:

A 3-day vacation getaway
A used dirt-bike
A new Mt bike
High end built in grill
….

So glad I'm not the only one who thinks the prices are retarded high

 

[pronstar]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Mototrig]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Turtle wax hybrid solutions for the win.
I wonder how TW would fair against Nexgen?

 

[Rotten deal]

The $$$ part is the correction and polish. If you’ve already done that buy some ceramic coat and do it yourself. The application is an easy wipe on deal. Or take to one of the good ones and hire just to apply product, you’ve done the prep.

 

[DaveC]

I tried the Driven one. There is also one from Chemical guys that I have not tried.

My boat is brand new so it was a good time to do it. Buffing sux!! LOL

 

[Ballyhoo]

Plus 1 for anything from Shine Supply, including Clutch and Beadlock Marine.

 

[HALLETT BOY]

I just applied this to my truck , came out awesome. Next will be the boat . I too , cannot fathom the prices some of these shops want to ceramic coat boats / vehicles .

 

[bowtiejunkie]

I know nothing about shop rates. But, the product (ceramic, one-time use towels and applicators) is likely $200 or more depending on size of boat. Labor isn’t cheap (everyone making a $100k/yr and all - joking). I know it takes me a damn day to wash, paint correct, paint sealant, a vehicle (using a one-step liquid). More than a day if I wash, clay, correct, polish, paint sealant. PITA. I’m too DIY to pay anyone for much of anything, but do realize nothing is cheap anymore.

 

[WhatExit?]

I just applied this to my truck , came out awesome. Next will be the boat . I too , cannot fathom the prices some of these shops want to ceramic coat boats / vehicles . View attachment 1027289

I just bought this and their spray product - gonna give 'em a try.

A friend of mine likes the Chemical Guys' stuff but he's young so he's not into Meguiar's products

 

[Mototrig]

Update for anyone interested:
After watching countless videos on YouTube I came to the conclusion to use Griots 3 n 1 ceramic spray. I wanted something that would have a longer lasting hydrophobic layer and relatively easy to find in many stores. I also bought Griots Shine for spray down at the end of the day.
Fast forward to 4:25 for the 6 month Griots result

I know this is highly controversial because of the differences between automotive and gel coat waxes, but it's what I'm running with for now. I'm pretty happy with the results. We'll see how it handles the water spots next week

 

[lbhsbz]

Update for anyone interested:
After watching countless videos on YouTube I came to the conclusion to use Griots 3 n 1 ceramic spray. I wanted something that would have a longer lasting hydrophobic layer and relatively easy to find in many stores. I also bought Griots Shine for spray down at the end of the day.
Fast forward to 4:25 for the 6 month Griots result

I know this is highly controversial because of the differences between automotive and gel coat waxes, but it's what I'm running with for now. I'm pretty happy with the results. We'll see how it handles the water spots next week
View attachment 1029334
View attachment 1029335
View attachment 1029336

If it was any good the bottle and towel would have slid off the bow.

 

[TCHB]

I understand a good Wax job but I am not sold on a coating that lasts for years. When I talk to the sales guys at SEMA they all have their own sales pitch. I still remember the POLY product that was sold with new cars. Did it really do anything? Who knows.