Differences in Bottom Paint - A Quick Guide!

 

The big question each season by new and seasoned boaters is if painting the bottom is necessary and the answer is… it depends! If you are keeping your boat in the water for the season, yes. If you are pulling your boat after each use and keeping it on the trailer, not necessarily – I will explain this further, but if your boat has been previously painted, yes.

 



If you are keeping your boat in the water for a long duration, such as the entire season, you will need to paint your boat. You will use an ablative paint. Think of an ablative paint essentially like it is like a soap bar, it wears away as you use it. The purpose of this paint is to wear away to prevent any growth of barnacles and build up on the bottom. There are multiple types of ablative paints made by a variety of brands including Interlux and Pettit. Some of these paints are single season or multi-season. Please keep in mind that multi-season paints may still need to be touched up each season. 


If you are primarily trailering your boat AND it has been previously painted or want extra protection to the fiberglass, you will need to paint the bottom. You will use either a hard bottom paint OR a hybrid paint.  

Hard bottom paint does not slowly wear away overtime. It releases biocide and eventually will run out and stop protecting the hull from growth. This is why it is not to be used on boats that are being kept in the water all season. There again are multiple brands that make hard bottom paint, including the two that were mentioned earlier, Interlux and Pettit. 

Hybrids are just as the name suggests, a combination of an ablative paint and a hard bottom paint. These paints are still self-polishing (similar to ablative paints) and release biocides (like hard bottom paints). These are typically used for boats that need a harder paint than an ablative but might not keep the boat out of the water like you would with a hard bottom paint.

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