Tried sealant vs wax on my kayaks. Sealant supposed to last longer. They say 4-6 weeks for wax on cars and 2.5 months for sealant. Advantage for sealants for me is when you hit the deck lines while applying they don’t turn white. You can put sealant products over wax but they say better to strip wax with Dawn soap then two coats if sealants. Opinions?
Spend your time paddling, not waxing and/or sealing. 
No I like to keep my stuff nice. What does it take to care for a kayak? Rinse and wash 10 minutes. Wax or seal monthly 30 minutes. 12 mile paddle 3 or 4 hr. I find it relaxing to make it shine. When bidding projects for a break I’d run out and wash a car or truck. I can’t paddle 24 x 7.
I’m with you PaddleDog; there’s plenty of time for paddling and I don’t mind pampering my boats too. I don’t know what “sealant” is and probably won’t go looking to find out, because I’ve got all sorts of car care products to last me a lifetime. I even wax my paddles.
I have used Klasse on my cars for about 18 years now. It last way longer than wax. Living in Buffalo NY were salt is used heavily puts it to the test. I also use it on my gelcoated kayaks. I wont have any faded gel coat. Only problem I have had is right after apply Klasse the kayak can slide around even with a tightly strapped down on roof rack. Get the boat wet a few times that is less of a problem. Put one coat at beginning of summer and she is good to go the season. Now some people don’t care that there gel coat fades and looks like crap. Thats fine too. Klasse has both a red bottle and the grey bottle for best protection I use both.
Depends on the boat, but I hate fading. My Tarpon and other rec boats get the decks waxed annually. I am a little more fastidious about composite boats.
I used to wax the hulls until I had one slide off the rack and ding my wife’s car.
Klasse is supposed to be good may try it on my Boston Whaler.
@magooch said:
I’m with you PaddleDog; there’s plenty of time for paddling and I don’t mind pampering my boats too. I don’t know what “sealant” is and probably won’t go looking to find out, because I’ve got all sorts of car care products to last me a lifetime. I even wax my paddles.
@dc9mm said:
I have used Klasse on my cars for about 18 years now. It last way longer than wax. Living in Buffalo NY were salt is used heavily puts it to the test. I also use it on my gelcoated kayaks. I wont have any faded gel coat. Only problem I have had is right after apply Klasse the kayak can slide around even with a tightly strapped down on roof rack. Get the boat wet a few times that is less of a problem. Put one coat at beginning of summer and she is good to go the season. Now some people don’t care that there gel coat fades and looks like crap. Thats fine too. Klasse has both a red bottle and the grey bottle for best protection I use both.
I purchased Klasse last fall, after you recommended it in another thread. I managed to get it on my car a couple days before the temperatures dropped and snow arrived. Nice product. Hoping I haven’t washed it all off when getting the salt and crud off the vehicle (touchless car wash only). The boats will have to wait until spring. Thanks for the recommendation.
Neither.
Slippery boats are a problem when carrying, loading and unloading from a vehicle, and during rescues. If you store your boat under cover, the gelcoat won’t fade and you don’t need to waste time waxing. If it makes you happy, buff it once a year with a product like Dolphinite.
My Solstice by Current Designs fades if not sealed, polished, or 303 applied Only time it’s not covered is when in use or being washed.
Solstice is 08 and I have it since 2010. Original owner hardly used and stored it in garage like new. He used it 4-5 times.
I use varnish.
Oh wait! I don’t have gel coat.
But varnish don’t last forever either correct?
Varnish is highly UV degradable. I’ve used Spar Varnish on my wood boats but think another layer of protection is a good idea.
I am old enough to remember it on wood boats.
@PaddleDog52 said:
But varnish don’t last forever either correct?
Yep - every 2 - 3 years I’ll give the Tern a sanding and a new coat of varnish.
@rival51 said:
@PaddleDog52 said:
But varnish don’t last forever either correct?Yep - every 2 - 3 years I’ll give the Tern a sanding and a new coat of varnish.
Its this way the varnish has UV protection for the epoxy fiberglass wood composite below it. A good quality marine varnish of several coats will last many years. The varnish on my boats, is most degraded by sand, concrete, odd tree parts, pipes, piling, rocks, racks and worst of all barnacles. Repair occurs as needed. Best refinish technique is to remove all the rigging and use paint remover then sand and re coat. Small areas are sanded and recoated.
On my gel coat boats we use Starbright cleaner/wax when condition warrants (annually more or less). Yes it takes a little oxidation and thickness off but the 12 year old and the 35 year old boats are doing well. All boats are washed with “Zip Wax” , and automotive wash product with soap and light wax film.
I got no Idea what kind of sealer Paddle Dog52 is talking about. However Turning Point Boatworks is using a lot of automotive clear coat on composite epoxy boats with good success. In that case a cleaner wax is the wrong thing to use.
@Overstreet said:
@rival51 said:
@PaddleDog52 said:
But varnish don’t last forever either correct?Yep - every 2 - 3 years I’ll give the Tern a sanding and a new coat of varnish.
Its this way the varnish has UV protection for the epoxy fiberglass wood composite below it. A good quality marine varnish of several coats will last many years. The varnish on my boats, is most degraded by sand, concrete, odd tree parts, pipes, piling, rocks, racks and worst of all barnacles. Repair occurs as needed. Best refinish technique is to remove all the rigging and use paint remover then sand and re coat. Small areas are sanded and recoated.
On my gel coat boats we use Starbright cleaner/wax when condition warrants (annually more or less). Yes it takes a little oxidation and thickness off but the 12 year old and the 35 year old boats are doing well. All boats are washed with “Zip Wax” , and automotive wash product with soap and light wax film.
I got no Idea what kind of sealer Paddle Dog52 is talking about. However Turning Point Boatworks is using a lot of automotive clear coat on composite epoxy boats with good success. In that case a cleaner wax is the wrong thing to use.
Type is explained above in the link I supplied. Common use on cars.
303 is the ticket…