This industrial anti-corrosion application collides with the inshore boating world. Say goodbye to tough cleanups and lower resale value.
Once upon a time I owned a beautiful, bone white, Pathfinder 2200v.
And I absolutely hated cleaning it.
It's not that I didn't like having a clean boat, I just hated that once it was clean it got dirty again very easily. I could look at it wrong and it would become dirty.
I spent a lot of time cleaning my Pathfinder so clients would get to walk into a clean boat first thing in the morning. I really did spend a lot of time cleaning the boat!
Back then my business acumen wasn't nearly as sharp as what it is now. I was wasting a lot of my time and not spending it being productive in some other way.
If I had a ceramic coating my life would have been easier and my boat would have kept its value.
So let me lay it out for you what a Ceramic Pro coating is and why it's a sound investment for anyone who wants to take good care of their boat.
What is a Ceramic Pro coating?
Ceramic Pro has its origins in the oil and gas industry, where it is used to protect surfaces and hardware against corrosion. Anything having to do with oil and gas seems like a great place to not have corrosion!
It is a transparent, liquid nano-ceramic coating. Once it is done curing to its applied surface, this coating will transform itself on the surface to a permanent, rigid, flexible shield.
Ceramic Pro can be described as an additional clear coat, with three times the hardness and self cleaning properties.
This coating protects against the things we hate cleaning off of boats:
- Bird poop
- Saltwater corrosion
- Fading and oxidation from UV damage
- Sea scum stains
- Shoe scuffs
- Mold
- Bugs (think Love Bugs when you are towing your boat)
- Your wife's glass of red wine
- and more...
This special coating has a "self-cleaning effect".
Coated surfaces become hydrophobic, allowing water to encapsulate dirt and grime and carry it off the boat with a simple rinse. Best of all, the coating can be applied to any surface, including upholstery.
Now, I know that kinda sounds a little "salesy", but it's true. I have seen paint sprayed onto a treated hull and wipe off with a normal towel. In fact, I recorded a live video of it here:
NOTE: A lot of people saw the paint they used was marking paint and comes off easily. It does not come off easily. Read the label on the back of the can they used. You can also scroll down for more painting videos.
How does Ceramic Pro help fishing guides?
I think Ceramic Pro is good for anyone who uses boats for commercial purposes. When working on a boat, especially as a fishing guide, time is of the essence.
This may sound crazy to you but operating a fishing charter is not all hunky-dory. It's a business just like any other one and that means time is money. Inefficient fishing guides get to spend less time working "on" their business rather than "in" their business.
NOTE: If you own a business and have never heard that term you need to slap yourself in the forehead.
Once that is done, get online and order The E-Myth by Michael Gerber. Read it right away.
Ceramic Pro can save you a lot of money cleaning your boat. The cost of cleaning comes in the form of cleaning services, cleaning supplies and any time spent cleaning yourself.
Whether it's removing stains, restoring gelcoat, or simply scrubbing dirt out of non-skid, time spent cleaning equals time spent not doing something else. That equals lost revenue.
So how much money does Ceramic Pro save?
That's a great question for which I have a great answer. But first, you must ask yourself, "What am I worth?" This is a basic entrepreneurial principle that really sets the tone for how one manages their time.
Easy Math
I would value a guide at $50/hr, since some are making at least $400 in an 8 hour fishing trip, though some earn much more.
The average full time inshore fishing guide (in Louisiana) fishes 10-12 times a month, or roughly 130 days a year. Some fish even more than that!
Given these numbers, a guide is spending roughly $3,250 of his time annually cleaning his boat. This is the case if he spends, on average, 45 minutes a trip cleaning his boat, but the Ceramic Pro coating cuts it down to 15 minutes.
This includes corrosion prevention, cleaning non-skid, rust removal, fish blood, upholstery care, etc.
Yet these are fairly conservative numbers. Most guides charge more than $400 on average. Others spend much more time on the water than 130 days annually.
A guide charging $500/trip on average and fishing 170 days out of the year can expect to spend $5,312 of his time cleaning.
Some guides fish 200+ days out of the year.
If at any time he hires a deckhand to help clean the boat his costs go up even more. From my experience, deckhands were paid $100/trip. I'll let you do the math.
Now figure those same numbers for offshore boats. Or yachts. The list goes on and on.
Now is the time to note that Ceramic Pro coatings come with a 2-year warranty. Are you seeing the savings?
But what if I am not a guide?
Then you need to ask yourself these questions:
- Will fishing on Saturday mean you can't fish on Sunday because you have to put the boat away?
- Do you enjoy detailing your boat? (Hey! Some people do!)
- Are you going to hire someone to clean your boat? What is the cost and how often does that cost recur annually?
- What is your time worth?
- How much do you spend on cleaning supplies?
- Do you plan on selling your boat in the future?
- Is your boat exposed to the elements when not in use?
We all joke when we say "boat" is an acronym that stands for "Break Out Another Thousand". We laugh because of how closely the joke resembles reality.
The question you need to ask yourself is, "Will a Ceramic Pro coating keep me from breaking out another thousand?"
- Why do we pay for a Power Pole when we can throw a cajun anchor?
- Why do we go 35mph+ with a big outboard when we can get there eventually at 5mph with a smaller outboard?
- Why do we get the onboard battery charger when using a portable one works just as fine?
Get answers from the experts
The professionals at Dipnotiq Protective Solutions of Houma can get you squared away with a quote. This business is owned by experienced fishing guide, Captain Rob Dupont.
He fishes just like you do and understands what inshore anglers put up with.
You can reach Dipnotiq Protective Solutions of Houma at (225) 776-9820 or follow them on Facebook below.
Captain Rob Dupont also operates Impulse Fishing Charters and was in Episode 16 of our Inshore Interviews podcast. You can learn more about these coatings from Ceramic Pro expert, Brandon Knobloch in our bonus episode.
Want to see more Ceramic Pro in action? Check out these videos below.
