Boats, Jet Skis & Motorbikes

Boat ceramic coating on the Gold Coast

The sun hits a hull twice - once from above, once off the water.

A boat gets a worse deal than any car. Open water reflects ultraviolet straight back up at the hull, so the topsides take UV from above and below at the same time, and every trip finishes with salt drying on the surface. That is why a five-year-old boat can look older than a fifteen-year-old car.

PhotoBoat hull after gelcoat restoration and coating

Paint profile

What Boat paint is actually like

Gelcoat is not paint. It is a thick resin surface layer, and it fails by degrading rather than by scratching - going chalky, yellowed and eventually porous as UV breaks the resin down. Aluminium hulls are a different problem again, oxidising to a dull grey rather than chalking. Both come back, but the method is completely different, and knowing which one is in front of you is the start of the job.

Quintrex
Stessl
Haines Signature
Whittley
Stacer
Bar Crusher
Riviera
Maritimo

Common issues

What we see most on Boat

UV from two directions

Open water reflects and magnifies ultraviolet, so the hull sides and transom take far more UV load than the same surface would on land. It is the main reason gelcoat degrades as fast as it does on a boat that only gets used at weekends.

Salt that keeps working after you get home

When salt water dries it leaves microscopic crystals on the surface. Those crystals pull moisture back out of the air and hold it against the gelcoat, so the damage continues on the trailer, in the driveway, days after the boat came out of the water.

Chalky, yellowed topsides

The end state of untreated gelcoat: colour gone flat, white surfaces gone yellow, and a powdery residue on your hand when you touch it. Caught before the gelcoat goes porous it cuts back and seals. Past that point it needs painting.

Above the waterline only

We work topsides, transom, deck and superstructure. Anything below the waterline is antifoul, and antifoul is a specialist job with completely different requirements - we do not touch it and would not recommend anyone coating over it.

Our process

How we prep a Boat before coating

Preparation is the job. The coating is the last hour of it.

01Full inspection under LED and swirl-finder lighting, with paint depth readings recorded panel by panel.
02Two-bucket hand wash, wheels and arches degreased, badges and shuts cleaned out.
03Chemical iron and industrial fallout removal, then a clay treatment to lift bonded contamination.
04Tape-up of trim, rubbers and sensitive edges before any machine work.
05Oxidation severity assessed before anything starts, and the cut matched to it. Gelcoat gives you more material to work with than automotive clear coat but it is still finite, and an aluminium hull needs a different process again.
06Extra attention to the topsides and transom where reflected UV concentrates, plus every fitting, rail and hatch where salt collects and sits.
07Panel wipe with a coating-safe solvent to strip polishing oils and reveal the true finish.
08Fireball ceramic coating applied by hand, levelled panel by panel under controlled lighting.
09IR / controlled cure, then a final inspection and handover pack with aftercare instructions.

What we'd recommend for a Boat

Ceramic Coating

A hard, hydrophobic layer that makes washing quicker and keeps the gloss up.

Paint Correction

Clears the wash swirls and transport marks the factory finish arrives with.

New Car Paint Protection

The right call for a fresh delivery - corrected properly before anything goes on top.

Other Boats, Jet Skis & Motorbikes

Boat enquiry

Get a quote for your Boat.

Tell us the model, colour and condition and we’ll come back with the right preparation and coating plan. Inspections are done at our Gold Coast workshop — no obligation.

Reach us through

1/2 United Road, Ashmore, 4214