A ceramic coating for your boat is a step up from wax that fills the microscopic peaks and valleys in your gel coat or paint so water wicks off and the surface is easier to clean, but it only pays off if you maintain it correctly. In this How 2 Tuesday I sit down with Zach McAllister from Salts Gone, a chemical and coatings expert who works on corrosion across marine, aerospace, and heavy industry. We dig into how ceramic coatings actually work, why most owners get no guidance after the sale, and how to maintain the coating so the money you spent protecting your boat keeps working. This one is audio only.
Listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.
Zach McAllister says ceramic coatings are great and a real step up from wax, but they are only worth it if you maintain them. People spend serious money, often six to fifteen hundred dollars, to get a boat ceramic coated because they want the water to wick off and the boat to be easy to clean, which it does deliver. The problem is there is usually no information after the sale about how the product works or how to keep it performing. Understand what the coating does and maintain it, and yes, it is worth the investment.
Every surface on your boat, whether it is smooth painted gel coat or fiberglass, is porous under a microscope, like sandpaper with microscopic peaks and valleys. Those peaks and valleys hold water tension, which is what lets dirt, salt, and grime cling on. The purpose of wax, ceramic, graphene, or any of these coatings is to fill in those peaks and valleys so the surface is smoother, water beads and rolls off, and there is far less for contaminants to hold onto. Ceramic just does that job better and lasts longer than wax.
You keep it hydrated with frequent, gentle washes using a pH-neutral, biodegradable product rather than harsh, high-pH soaps. Zach explained that a normal wash when you come in rehydrates the ceramic and prolongs its life. You do not need an aggressive ceramic wash full of silicon dioxide every time. Just rinsing the boat and washing it with a pH-neutral product keeps the coating conditioned. Maintenance is the part most owners are never told about, and it is what makes the coating last.
Not for performance, but usually for looks. Zach said leaving the product on has zero negative bearing on the boat or your electronics. The only downside is cosmetic: on dark hulls it can dry into soapy-looking white or water spots, which wash right off once wet again. On a white deck you would never notice. So on darker colors, spray it on and rinse it off; on lighter surfaces you can often leave it. Use your judgment based on the finish.
Some are. The big concern is phosphates and anything that changes the pH of the water, which can drive algae blooms. One person washing a boat has a pretty nominal effect, but thousands of people every weekend washing in the water adds up, and products like a ceramic wash full of silicon dioxide really are not meant to go in the water. That is why Zach favors a pH-neutral, biodegradable, non-toxic product, because a lot of what you spray ends up in the water you fish.
Not for the coating's sake. Zach said wiping the boat down and leaving it however you like is fine, the product works either way, because what matters is the invisible chemistry at the surface. Plenty of big-game crews dry every inch of the boat as part of the ritual, and skiff guides often skip it. If drying is your routine, keep doing it. If you would rather skip it, the coating does not require it to keep performing.
The thing that jumped out at me talking to Zach is how often people spend real money on a ceramic coating and then hear nothing about how to keep it working. They paid to make the boat easy to clean and the water wick off, and the coating delivers, but without maintenance it quietly degrades. Understanding what the coating is actually doing makes it far easier to care for. Zach explains the chemistry in plain terms in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Zach and I got into something every angler should hear: a lot of what you spray on your boat rolls off into the water you fish. Harsh, high-phosphate, high-pH soaps and silicon-dioxide ceramic washes can drive algae blooms and simply are not meant to go in the water. Using a pH-neutral, biodegradable product protects both your coating and the fishery. He breaks down what to avoid and why in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Here is how Zach and I would keep a boat ceramic coating working so the money you spent protecting your boat actually lasts.
I unpack each of these with the details and stories in the episode. Press play in the player above.
The morning after this one, the takeaway felt simple: if you are going to spend the money to protect your boat with a ceramic coating, go the small extra distance to protect the coating itself.
Wash it gently and often with a pH-neutral product, rinse the dark surfaces, and you keep the water wicking off and the boat easy to clean for far longer. You also keep the harsh chemistry out of the water you fish. That is a win for your investment and a win for the fishery, which is exactly why this one was worth a full episode.
How 2 Tuesday is my weekly series where I break down one fishing skill at a time, from knots and casting to gear, tactics, and the habits that make you a better angler. Watch and listen to every How 2 Tuesday episode from Tom Rowland.
Zach McAllister · Salts Gone · ceramic coating · graphene coating · wax · gel coat · corrosion · phosphates · silicon dioxide · boat maintenance · How 2 Tuesday · Saltwater Experience
I'm Tom Rowland, a professional fishing guide based in the Florida Keys, host of the Tom Rowland Podcast, and the longtime host of the Saltwater Experience television show. On the podcast's How 2 Tuesday series I break down one practical skill or lesson at a time, from fishing technique and gear to the habits that make you a better angler, in short, focused episodes you can put to use right away.
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