Back to the main site

Sharkhide

JTaylor

JTaylor

Well-Known Member
Messages
715
Reaction score
377
Location
Woodbridge, VA
One of the last decisions I have in ordering my boat is whether or not to get Sharkhide.  I’ve seen some positive comments about it on this board, but the dealer is a little ambivalent about how well it works (although he admits he’s only been selling toons for a couple years and doesn’t have much experience with it).  He seems to think boats without it clean up well with just powerwashing at the end of the season.

I’m inclined to get it if it helps keeping the toons looking nice or making them easier to clean since the Potomac is dirty.  I’m willing to pay some $$ upfront to avoid a lot of manual labor in cleaning or applying some sort of protection myself.

I’m interested in opinions/testimonials from the board – should I order the Sharkhide?  

John
 
Yes ,I keep mine at a marina and all I had to do to clean it, was pull up to the sand bar with a sponge . Looked new all season .

If you haven't already also check on the under deck wave shield .
 
Well John, let me be honest, since my boat is always stored on my trailer, I probably didn't need the Sharkhide. I see you will be in a slip, so it might be a good idea to help keep the logs clean and running fast. I know for myself, that the only thing that bothers me about the Sharkhide is that it can rub off/mar up the finish, which can look unappealing as well. That being said, I'm told that you can reapply it in these areas and it will "meld" with the old stuff. I haven't tried that yet, so can't comment on its validity, but they say it does, which would calm any concerns I have for the product. After seeing some of the speed losses reported on here after one season of being in grimy water, anything is worth a shot. Just my opinion.
 
Welcome to the club John.I too keep mine on a trailer in a storage facility and trailer to the river every time and for that reason I have the guides on each side to assist loading on windy days.My comment is it is putting scrape marks as it rubs sharkhide off where it hits on center of tubes.We just finished detailing the boat a couple of days ago so I tried putting sharkhide on those areas and to me they looked the same oh well.But I will say sharkhide keeps the toons really shiny and doesn't discolor so if your not trailoring all the time I would do them just don't miss any areas because it will show after a while.Good luck with the Benny.
 
I've had Sharkhide on my toons for 3 full seasons now. My original plan was to polish them up to a mirror finish then apply Sharkhide but I didn't realize how much time and work it would be at the time so I just had them acid washed then I applied it.......It has done real well although it has rubbed off in some areas but I have reapplied it and it did meld or melt right into the existing Sharkhide. I put my boat back on the trailer after every use and towel clean them so I have no problem keeping them clean. Before next season I will acid wash them but I'll probably NOT apply the Sharkhide. I don't think it is needed if I don't keep it in the water at Lake Anna. If I kept it in the water I would definitely get the Sharkhide option......Just my opinion..............

I see you're from Woodbridge. Did you buy your Benny from Hoffmasters right there in Occoquan on 123. I know that area well...............
 
My dealer did not have any experience with Bennington factory applied sharkhide either.  My 2014 Bennington was the first he had ever ordered with that option.  I went ahead with including this option because of the very positive remarks from other folks experience.  Time will tell if it was the right decision but there are zero water marks on the pontoons after two outings this fall.
 
I have a couple quarts of Sharkhide and plan on applying it to the pontoon as soon as it is delivered, before it hits the water. My trailered  bass boat is a Tracker 190 aluminum hull, and before I applied Sharkhide a couple years ago I had to acid clean it a couple teams every year. Two years now, and except for a couple areas where straps, etc., rubbed it, it still looks great. I am a firm believer in its value.
 
I'd do it, BUT remember these 2 things (straight from their site)

Q: What will SHARKHIDE protect against?

A: SHARKHIDE will protect your surfaces from water (fresh, salt, brackish), acid rain, salt spray, humidity, alkaline, soot, and all road deicers (known at this time).

Q: Will SHARKHIDE keep Moss and Algae from growing on my boat hull?

A: NO!!! SHARKHIDE is a metal protectant, NOT an "Anti Fouling" bottom paint.
 
SEMPERFI8387 said:
I'd do it, BUT remember these 2 things (straight from their site)

Q: What will SHARKHIDE protect against?

A: SHARKHIDE will protect your surfaces from water (fresh, salt, brackish), acid rain, salt spray, humidity, alkaline, soot, and all road deicers (known at this time).

Q: Will SHARKHIDE keep Moss and Algae from growing on my boat hull?

A: NO!!! SHARKHIDE is a metal protectant, NOT an "Anti Fouling" bottom paint
Click to expand...
It does make it easier to wipe off though. (Moss and Algae )
 
I didn't order it as I keep my boat on a lift, thus it is not sitting in the lake getting build up etc. I'm not concerned with retaining the shinny toons, just keeping them clean as to not loose performance.
 
I have sharkhide on my toons, I spent a few hours under and outside my boat cleaning with a stiff brush and power washer. Granted, I made sure to get every bit off, but it does take work if you want them to be completely clean.
 
John,


I would definitely apply the Sharkhide to a new boat, but I would not order from the factory that way. It is a simple process, and certainly a DIY project. Apply two separate coats with a 24 hour span in between and your good to go. 1 quart will easily handle a triple when applied by hand. It will allow the toons to retain there "mill finish" throughout the season. While it can last several seasons, I have found that is does wear when it is rubbed against lift/trailer guides and the exposed areas definitely will oxidize if not retreated immediately. Pre-season reapplication is easy and would be a part of your spring cleaning. There are basically four ways you can approach the appearance/performance issue of your toons;


1.Leave as-is. Probably the worst choice.


2.Seasonal acid cleaning. The toons will be clean, but with a hazy white appearance.


3.Seasonal acid clean and water scrub with Scotchbrite to mimic original mill finish. The closest thing to factory new without a lot of effort.


4.Full blown polish. Lot's of work but the results can be spectacular.


In each case, an initial application of Sharkhide will help to retain a better look without an expensive investment.
 
Yes we have sharkhide took our boat up to get the 20 hour service parked next to a brand new boat that never had been in the water and the toons looked terrible and dirty compared to mine. I am glad we got the sharkhide and will continue to use it in the future.
 
Thanks much for all the advice.  I'm going to go ahead and order it -- it's not too much $$ and I don't want to start out on the wrong side of the ugly curve.  I'll go DYI to fill smudged areas and in subsequent seasons.  Thanks!

John
 
BigKahuna said:
I've had Sharkhide on my toons for 3 full seasons now. My original plan was to polish them up to a mirror finish then apply Sharkhide but I didn't realize how much time and work it would be at the time so I just had them acid washed then I applied it.......It has done real well although it has rubbed off in some areas but I have reapplied it and it did meld or melt right into the existing Sharkhide. I put my boat back on the trailer after every use and towel clean them so I have no problem keeping them clean. Before next season I will acid wash them but I'll probably NOT apply the Sharkhide. I don't think it is needed if I don't keep it in the water at Lake Anna. If I kept it in the water I would definitely get the Sharkhide option......Just my opinion..............

I see you're from Woodbridge. Did you buy your Benny from Hoffmasters right there in Occoquan on 123. I know that area well...............
Click to expand...
Yep, I bought from Joe Hoffmaster.  I like buying from a guy who shares the same name as the business.  He was great to work with and I was pleasantly surprised with the price -- with Bennington's known quality I thought it might command a premium price, but they were a better deal than most of the other local competition.  

John 
 
John,

Here is a view of polish and Sharkhide results. This photo was taken during the second season after the polish and Sharkhide application.

 
We have the sharkhide on ours but to tell the truth we couldn't even tell. It came with a tag attached which was the only way we knew they remembered to put it on. Ours are not shiny at all.
 
JTaylor said:
Yep, I bought from Joe Hoffmaster.  I like buying from a guy who shares the same name as the business.  He was great to work with and I was pleasantly surprised with the price -- with Bennington's known quality I thought it might command a premium price, but they were a better deal than most of the other local competition.  

John.
Click to expand...
We used to boat in that area when we lived in Maryland and had our bow rider. We used to put in at Smallwood State Park across the river and go to Tim's River Shore and to Occoquan to eat and hangout.....You have to be careful in the Potomac and watch that depth finder. It's really shallow outside of the channel. We bought our old boat at Time n Tyde marina right around the corner from Hoffmasters......
 
We're going to keep it at Pilot House marina, just downstream from Time and Tyde.  It's interesting that there are so many marinas in Woodbridge.  The Potomac is unfortunately shallow -- I'm hoping the low draft of the tritoon will help me reach (carefully) more areas.

John
 
1Tiredlady said:
We have the sharkhide on ours but to tell the truth we couldn't even tell. It came with a tag attached which was the only way we knew they remembered to put it on. Ours are not shiny at all.
Click to expand...
The boats all come out of the factory with about the same polish not dull not mirror, Like I said when we took our boat up for the 20 hr service I backed it in next to a brand new boat that had never been in the water and the toon were gray and streaked just from the rain water, all we had done to our was to power wash and wash with dawn dish soap and towel dry the whole boat. other than some hard water stains they look great. I think the mirror polished toons look awesome and I may do that the next time our boat needs sharkhide applied.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top