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Sharkhide

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kbaldwin

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When did Bennington start to apply the Sharkhide on the tools?
Where on the spec / build sheet does it state? I have a 2018 SLX21
 
Lots of dealers apply on delivery, but I think it was an option on new builds for a long time.

If you have a 2018 that has factory sharkhide, you probably need another application. My boat is 3 years old and it's starting to show signs of needing a new application.
 
I have had it factory applied on all of mine since 2013.
I have my dealer reapply it every other year.
 
Pic above is my 2014 having it reapplied at the dealer
 
It was factory applied on my 2017 build. However, I am not certain it was actually listed on the spec sheet.

The boat would have come with a tag on the pontoon indicating Sharkhide was applied if done at factory before shipping. Purchase dealer might have that record too.
 
Strange that my dealer has never mentioned it. They usually don’t miss a trick when it comes to yearly maintenance. is there any environmental impact to the water? I operate on a freshwater lake.
 
Thanks for the info. Contacted my dealer. They don’t recommend. They do recommend Vantage pontoon protectors. I’ll check them out when my new boat comes in.
 
Bobby Bass said:
Thanks for the info. Contacted my dealer. They don’t recommend. They do recommend Vantage pontoon protectors. I’ll check them out when my new boat comes in.
Click to expand...
Did they provide a reason that they don't recommend ? I have an idea as to why ,but those are 2 completely different products
 
Understand. They said it needs to be applied every year and it’s expensive. Since they would be the ones doing the work I don’t want to do something they don’t recommend and end up with issues.
 
Are your trailering yours or keeping it in slip ?
If in a slip , it does wear off in a few weeks . BUT , it is still easier to wipe off the slime . If you are using a trailer it will last for years .
I have mine reapplied every other year only because I am lazy :D,and its easier to wipe than scrub those pontoons below the waterline .
 
I hear you. I keep my boat docked in the water All summer. I have the pontoons cleaned every fall when it’s stored. You can see the slime on the bottom of the pontoons when they pull the boat but it looks fine when it’s in the water. Like the idea of the wrap to avoid dock rash when I dock elsewhere on the lake.
 
There are pros and cons to Sharkhide. It is a great product and can completely protect the toons from that dark grey discoloration that comes from oxidation of the aluminum. However, if a spot gets rubbed off, such as if your toons frequently rub against a dock, that that part will darken. Here is the bad part, once it is applied, it is hard to adic wash and refresh your toons because the Sharkhide completely blocks the acid wash. What happens is that the dark spots actually get brighter (like they should) but you get an uneven look. This is also a simple way to check to see if you have Sharkhide on your toons. While the boat is on a trailer, use a hull cleaner for aluminum (acid wash) and if it cleans unevenly, you have Sharkhide or some other protectant still on the toons. If it is truly uneven and you want that factory fresh look you can do this (and it is explained on the Sharkhide website and YouTube videos. I did this. It took at least half a day. The hardest part of this is that you have to get the old Sharkhide off by rubbing it off with varnish remover using paper towel. Once it is all off, you can acid wash and the hull will be a bright even color. Then you rub the toons three times with progressively finer scouring pads and then finally apply the Sharkhide. I did three layers. After doing this my toons remained pristine for the entire season (stored on a lift). Now that there is a good layer, each season i will simply hose off with water, wipe clean, dry and apply another layer of Sharkhide. Applying the Sharkhide takes maybe 15 minutes so that is the easy part.
 
My dealer acid washes the pontoons when they pull it out at the end of the season so it makes sense they don’t focus on applying. There’s only one dealer and Marina on the lake so all the Benningtons look the same. Appreciate everyone sharing their experiences. Just found out two coworkers have Benningtons and I recommend they check out this forum.
 
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