Marine paint is used to convey details of the boat and include aesthetics that match the personality, taste, beliefs, or creativity of the boat owner.
Although marine paint is the more conventional method of ‘decking’ a boat and has been the norm for hundreds of years, there are many benefits to vinyl boat wraps that will make you reconsider what to do with your boat’s hull.
Vinyl wraps, although only popularised in the late 20th century, have since been used for countless different applications, becoming one of the marine accessories that add oomph to boats and other water vessels. Vinyl boat wraps can drastically embellish a boat the way the boater wants it to look.
Today, vinyl wraps have become a preferred method used by contemporary boaters, to change their boat’s appearance and/or colour, and to convey specific messages about their boat. They are also advantageous to add a layer of protection to the boat at lower costs.
There are different types of boat wraps any boat owner can get. These are the common types:
Full exterior: This type of wrap protects your entire hull and functions as marine paint would. Many boaters opt for large, solid-coloured wraps but there are also options for full graphic wraps with eye-catching and artistic pictures.
Partial exterior: For those who want to add accents to their boat without covering the entire hull, partial wraps are the best choice. It’s entirely up to you to choose what designs you will add to the side of your vessel.
Interior wrap: While not as common as external wraps, interior wraps are popular with Quintrex fishing boats and other types of boats because they are easy to clean. They also make it easy to customise interior surfaces with cool-looking designs.
Now that you know the different types of vinyl boat wraps, here are the reasons why you should stick it on your boat’s exterior (or interior) hull:
Easy to Customise
From simple and classic to fully graphic designs, vinyl wraps make customisation easy. Instead of hand painting or airbrushing which can take a lot of time to finish and is more costly, you can preview and tweak your vinyl wrap until it’s exactly what you envision on a computer. If you don’t want a full-body wrap, you have the option to only get partial wraps and interior wraps, so you are in full control of every part of your boat’s look.
If you want to remove your vinyl wrap to expose the paint underneath, a professional can remove it quickly with minimal damage to the surface. Some boat owners use vinyl wraps to protect their boats’ original paint or gel coat to preserve resell value. Also, if you want to switch to a new design or graphic for your vinyl wrap, it’s easy to replace it with another.
Durable
Some might say that marine paint is superior because it lasts longer, but that does not account for repairs and yearly maintenance. Maintaining a painted boat is more difficult than a vinyl-wrapped boat and requires more skill. If vinyl needs a fix, it’s quick and easy. It’s also fade-resistant, so there’s no trouble matching your repair colour to the rest of the boat. And there’s no need to re-wrap the entire vessel if one area gets damaged.
Premium-quality vinyl can last up to seven years if applied by a professional detailer and they can last as long as expensive marine paint jobs.
Easy to Install
The time you save if you’re wrapping your boat instead of painting it is what makes vinyl better than paint. To paint a boat, you have to haul it out of the water and let it sit in a boatyard for weeks, which takes away time that you could be catching fish or going sailing.
Full vinyl wraps can be installed within a few days, depending on the size of the vessel. This means that even if you want to change your vinyl wrap, it’s no significant setback to your boating routine.
Great Value for Money
Vinyl wraps usually cost about a third of a marine painting job. If you own or manage more than one boat (for example you have a Quintrex boat and a Polycraft boat), wrapping your vessel is much more affordable than painting it.
Low Maintenance
With painted hulls, maintaining them to look perfect all the time is almost a full-time job. They require buffing, polishing, and skilled maintenance. With vinyl wraps, the only thing you need to get your boat looking brand new is just soap and water.