Paint or Gel Coat

[2.5racer]

What are the pros and cons to both. Going to be painting my center console soon.

[texasvector]

i went with paint on my boat.......although i like the looks of it....i HATE the sensitivity of it. seems like every time im out i put another scratch on it:(

[mastertrax]

t....i HATE the sensitivity of it. :(

Yeah and here I sit with a gallon of it to paint mine with :D Your vector's interior looks great, only you can see those little scratches. What kind of paint did you use on yours?

2.5racer, save a little for touching up the big scratches if you decide on paint. I almost went with Kiwi Grip, I bet that's some durable stuff. I ended up with paint because I found a color I couldn't live without. It's urethane so maybe it will hold up fairly well

[texasvector]

Yeah and here I sit with a gallon of it to paint mine with :D Your vector's interior looks great, only you can see those little scratches............. I ended up with paint because I found a color I couldn't live without. It's urethane so maybe it will hold up fairly well


MT youre gonna have to wear socks in the summer and a onesie with footies in the winter to keep from scratching that interior
:eek::D

i used PPG base coat clear coat on exterior and "TUFF COAT" on the floor. floor has held up well.

a hydrostream prolly aint the best boat to use paint on.......... its hard enough climbing in and out of a stream without having to worry about scratching it.

[GIL_CV21]

Gel-coat is tough as nails but its a lot of work getting it to shine because of the wet sanding and buffing and you are limited as to how creative you can get with designs and colors compared to paint .

[hemi2005]

I'm a fan of paint. That's what I've always used. I like the fact that you can spray a base / clear on the topside and it will shine for years to come. I lean toward a single stage urethane on the below the waterline areas, though I have used a base / clear on the bottom before as well.

[99fxst99]

Use a good 2 part LP (Imron, Awlgrip, Alexseal, etc) and you will be happy. It is SO much easier to clean than gel coat. And the shine lasts better too. If painting the deck inside a center console you can also add a silica to the paint for a nonskid surface.

[dagodiver]

I have had great results using DURATEC 904-001 high gloss additive.
1:1 mix with gelcoat then it sprays like paint.

Dago.

[XstreamVking]

Gellcote for the hull (cause its so tuff) , paint for the deck. (cause it looks so good).