Has anybody used a graphene coating for the top of their boat? Google says it's safe for gel coat but I don't see any product information that says so.
Has anybody used a graphene coating for the top of their boat? Google says it's safe for gel coat but I don't see any product information that says so.
Don Harris
1986 Stratos 179V
1986 Mariner 150 Magnum
The application of it is troublesome for the product I bought. says i need to be under cover not in the elements or sun for at least 4 hours after application And must be completely clean b4 using it. prolly should have read this b4 buying it.
My thoughts were to use it on my truck 1st. but keeping in the garage means I have to take my boat out. can't imagine its not safe for gelcoat
Bryan McDonough
2023 Nitro Z21 XL
Nitro Team
Thanks for the input. My boat is under a carport so it is out of the sun. I may check it out and try it.
Don Harris
1986 Stratos 179V
1986 Mariner 150 Magnum
From my experience the graphene and ceramic coatings do not work on gelcoat. I just recently tested an area of my top cap with cerakotes SiO2 product, it was no better or even not as good as the meguires spray hybrid detailer.
Ok. Thanks.
Don Harris
1986 Stratos 179V
1986 Mariner 150 Magnum
I bought some. Did about 2 ft of my topcap and it will never get the rest done. It is horrible. I think you need to completely polish the surface prior to application. It simply seals in every little waterspot, making them never go away.
quick trip around the boat with maguires carnuba wax is my routine now. It takes 15 minutes per side.
Yes, I just did my whole rv and my boat.
My rv is painted and then gel coat or clear coat a lot over the paint.
Im about 3 weeks out from having finished it.
I did my rv first under a car port.
I did it properly, washed with dish soap, brushed with a brush and dish soap, then used that soapy water as lube and CLAY, then buffed and polished w wool and then finer pad etc.
I learned from my rv that the gel coat doesnt really need much polishing but I did still hit it with wool then a fine pad.
It seems awesome. I did my talons, my motor, my graph screens, apex and garmin it seems very worthwhile on everything so far.
I plan to do my car, truck everthing I own. A good friend showed me how good it can be.
I used R1. I did also use some g tech that I found on alibaba express for 1/4 the retail price to test it compare it. I did a lower section of my rv and used it on my boat on one side. Im not one to accept what they claim in advertisements etc. So I will know whats what in some time here. The g tech is a two layer stuff, I have a video from their engineer expaining it and why every other product is trash... I found it harder to apply since it was not leaving streaks or lines on the rig to see where you coated. etc. The r1 is easy to see what you did. I did mess up some on my rv, taking a random swipe across panels here and there and they are visible on the black because it must have removed some of the coating etc. It will have to wear off or Ill have to polish it off it it bugs me enough. It is only visible at very certain angles. My rv truck cab is normal paint etc and it came out sweet, I was much more careful on it vs the 34' sides of my rv.
I can spit on my rv mirror and barely touch it and wipe off bugs of the chrome plastic that used to take a serious scrubbing in the past, even soaking the bugs a bit before removing.
Right now my rv is so slippery its not even funny. Fyi my rv is 10 years old, never been waxed, never anything but a truck stop wash. I can see my reflection in my rv even right now up at Mill Lacs where the whole thing is coated in polin.
Sorry so long a post. Lots of info here and its all fresh. I cant wait to polish up my wifes car, remove all the swirls and such.
Last edited by Mahomee; 05-14-2025 at 05:17 PM.
Originally Posted by SteezMacQueen
Yeah, you need to prepare the surface there is nobody selling ceramic and telling you to put it over a dirty surface.
I find a lot of your posts very amusing between here and TFF, you want to come across as a high roller, expert, super car builder, jack of all trades. I mean you supposedly work on high end super custom cars but then post stuff like the above? It makes no sense, you must be a office guy.
One last thing. If you buy r1, youll get a discount code to sign up for the emails. THEN not long after your first order theyll offer you 25% off. As luck would have it the original sign up code didnt work for me so they gave me a code and I was able to stack it w the 25% off one for 40% off.
The rv kit is the best bargain way to buy their stuff. I bought 3 rv kits at the 40% off!! I should be good to do all my stuff and then some.
I had my boat professionally ceramic coated before I ever put it in the water and I can't see that it helps much. Still water spots really bad which is what i was trying to prevent.
Water spots should still be there, but a light wipe of your sleeve or rag and they are gone???
I can use a dry rag and wipe off my spots if there are even any. Ill know more in a few more days. Im only day 3 on my trip here, might stay 10 more days.
Im at mill lacs so water isnt really dirty, but at home i usually have a water line etc. nothing now on it.
If it wasnt so hard to post pics on here i could blow your mind w pics of my reflection in my rv and hi written in the pollen.
Buy a ProTec detailing kit. Wash it, polish it, and then seal it. Best way I know to seal and protect fiberglass. Makes wipedowns with BBS a breeze.
BassCat Sabre FTD
Mercury 150 Optimax
"It's just fishing"
I just went out to cover my boat.
There are water spots on my black mercury, BUT I can wipe them to gone with a bit of pressure and my sleeve. With spit and a single wipe of the sleeve they are gone, it looks perfect.
There is no scum line or water spots on my hull down at the water line or sides of the boat, etc. I rubbed my hand on it and its clean as a whistle, after towing 7 hours, fishing 3 days, no wipe down.
With a terry cloth and spray it will be super simple to clean my cap and engine, shined perfect in a minute or two.
Where prior my water spots were a job to get off my motor cover and I had all but given up.
HERE Is a link to what I used on half my boat, to compare it to the R1. The price has gone up 12 bucks in two weeks. Tarriff crap. I bought 25 jerk baits at 3.66 ea and now they are ^.98 ea...
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/32568...yAdapt=glo2usa
Wow, Mahomee, good info! Thanks!
Don Harris
1986 Stratos 179V
1986 Mariner 150 Magnum
Its all new and fresh to me. I know it's long winded. Ill be the first to come back and say if it was a waste of time.
I for the most part had a dirty boat for the last few years.
pm me if you want ill text you some video, like I said wiped off like it never has just a few minutes ago. its a hassle to convert and post pics here etc.
I could make a video easily of the engine which is black and spit shine it is pretty impressive, with just a sleeve. I have not hit it w a terruy cloth.
That's ok. I take your word for it. I appreciate it.
Don Harris
1986 Stratos 179V
1986 Mariner 150 Magnum
Prep is everything, boat must stripped of anything else that ha been applied, in all case it should buffed with the proper equipment first and in many case will require wet sanding first, then decontaminate before applying. I have had great success with ceramics, should be applied by a pro though
Thank You Leon Pugh
do not use terry cloths, use microfiber only. Long term terry cloths use will dull gelcoat
Thank You Leon Pugh
There is a a lot of bad info in this thread. Let me clear some things up.
Wax Graphene, ceramics, sio2, sealants are all very are different materials. Prep is all the same for the most part, application is very different. For most bass boats, carnauba is going to be easiest. I prefer a polymer sealants. Ceramic are good for things that don’t get touched a bunch. Graphene is newer and I dont have much experience.
I would never recommend anyone to just wet sand a boat without touching the gel coat first. That’s crazy to recommend. Gel coat correction can go very wrong very quickly.
your clear coat on your truck and rv are not the same as gel coat. While they can be treated similarly, they are not the same
Water spots are the minerals, impurities, etc left over after the water evaporated. Unless you dry you boat/vehicle or is pure water, you will have some water spots. Coatings help sheet water of so it reduces the amount and will
make it easier to clean
Waxes and sealants are essentially fats, washing them with dawn or degreaser wil strip your wax. Use wax safe marine or car wash. I buy soap based on the kind that smells good
haha, I use micro fiber. I have 200 plus of them, with my R1 ceramics orders. Thought terry and micro fiber were the same stuff, I was beers in after a great day fishing.
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