Boat coatings at Mats Detailing are priced by hull length and the condition of the gelcoat, starting from around [price per foot] for the coating itself. Most of the cost is preparation rather than product — an oxidised hull has to be compounded and polished before any coating goes on, and that is quoted separately.

For reference, our automotive coatings run from $450 for a small car on a two-year coating up to $1,800 for an extra-large vehicle on our longest-life product, excluding preparation. Boats are quoted by length because a hull does not map onto car sizing.

The honest framing: on a well-maintained hull the coating is the larger share of the bill, and on a neglected one the correction is. We quote both separately so you can see which you are paying for.

Expect [5 to 7] years on a boat, which is shorter than the same coating on a car. Gelcoat has no clear coat above it, salt water is harsher than road grime, and boats spend their lives in direct UV. A trailered, covered boat holds a coating considerably longer than one on a permanent mooring.

What shortens it most: permanent mooring, no cover, no freshwater rinse after salt use, and harsh cleaning products. What extends it: covering the boat, rinsing after every trip, and using a coating-safe maintenance wash.

A coating does not fail all at once. Water beading weakens first and gloss dulls gradually, which is the signal to top up with a maintenance product rather than recoat.

For most boats, a high-grade pure ceramic coating is the better choice, not graphene. Our Fireball range includes a graphene coating, and it is excellent on dark-coloured cars — but the coating we specify for marine work is Butterfly, a pure ceramic rated for its hardness and clarity and designed for marine application.

Graphene coatings are marketed hard across the industry, and the real-world difference over a top-tier ceramic is smaller than the marketing suggests. On a boat, what matters is hardness, UV resistance and how the coating handles constant salt exposure, and a well-made ceramic does that job.

We would rather recommend the right coating than the most expensive one. If your boat is a dark-hulled launch kept under cover, there is a case for graphene. For the typical Waikato or Bay of Plenty trailer boat, there is not.

Almost always, yes. A coating is optically clear and bonds to whatever is beneath it, so coating over oxidation locks the oxidation in and seals a dull finish under a glossy layer. Gelcoat is polished back to a sound, clean surface first, then coated immediately while it is still bare.

The amount of work varies enormously. A near-new hull needs a light polish. A hull that has sat uncovered for several summers needs compounding, then refining, then coating — and that preparation is usually the larger part of the quote.

This is why we will not quote a boat coating over the phone from a length alone. We need to see the gelcoat, or clear photos in good light, before putting a number on it.

Rinse with fresh water after every salt-water trip, wash with a pH-neutral coating-safe shampoo rather than household detergent, and top up with a maintenance product a few times a season. Cover the boat when it is not in use. That is the whole routine, and it is what determines whether the coating reaches its full life.

What to avoid: dishwashing liquid, abrasive cleaners, harsh hull cleaners and anything with strong solvents. These strip the coating and will shorten its life considerably. Using products outside the manufacturer's recommendations can also void the coating warranty.

We stock the Fireball maintenance range for exactly this, and we will show you the routine when you collect the boat rather than leaving you to guess.

For almost every boat owner, yes. Marine wax lasts a few months and needs reapplying every season, sometimes twice. A ceramic coating lasts years, resists salt and UV far better, and makes washing significantly easier because grime releases instead of bonding.

The cost comparison favours coating over time. Wax is cheaper per application but needs doing repeatedly, and every reapplication is labour. Across a few seasons a coating typically costs less in total and performs better throughout.

Wax still has a place. On a boat you are about to sell, or an older hull where a coating is not economic, a wax gives a good short-term finish for a small spend. We will say so rather than upselling you a coating that will not pay for itself.

Yes. Painted aluminium takes a ceramic coating much like gelcoat does, and the benefits are the same — easier salt removal, UV resistance and better gloss retention. Bare or brushed alloy needs assessment first, because coating adhesion depends on the surface finish.

Aluminium pontoons and plate boats are common on Waikato and Bay of Plenty trailers and are often left untreated. Salt staining and white corrosion bloom both slow markedly once the surface is coated.

Tell us whether your boat is painted, bare alloy or wrapped when you enquire, because all three take different preparation.

No, and no reputable coater should. Below the waterline is antifoul territory, and ceramic coatings are not designed to sit permanently submerged or to resist marine growth. A coating goes on topsides, deck, superstructure and above the waterline.

For trailer boats this distinction barely matters, because the hull is out of the water between trips. For moored boats it matters a great deal, and antifoul is a separate job we do not do.

If someone offers you a ceramic coating as an antifoul alternative, treat that as a reason to get a second opinion.

It dramatically slows it rather than stopping it entirely. Oxidation happens when UV breaks down exposed gelcoat, so a coating that sits between the UV and the gelcoat removes the main cause. A coated, covered boat can go years without visible chalking.

It does nothing for oxidation already present. The coating is clear, so existing chalkiness stays visible underneath — which is why correction comes first.

Once the coating eventually wears, oxidation can begin again. That is the point to recoat rather than let the gelcoat start degrading.

Usually two to four days for a trailer boat, most of which is preparation and curing rather than applying the coating. A coating needs cure time in controlled conditions before the boat can be used or exposed to water.

An oxidised hull takes longer because compounding and refining come first. A near-new boat with sound gelcoat is at the faster end.

We will not rush the cure to get a boat back for a weekend. A coating cured properly lasts; one rushed into the water does not.

Yes, and it is the ideal time. New gelcoat is at its best on day one, needs only light preparation, and a coating applied before the first season means the hull never gets the chance to oxidise. The job costs less because there is no correction to do.

The same argument applies to a boat you have just bought second-hand in good condition. Protecting sound gelcoat is always cheaper than restoring faded gelcoat.

New boats sometimes need the factory release agents removed before coating, which we handle as part of preparation.