# Kiwi-grip Non-Skid deck finish...



## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

Does anyone here have any first-hand experience using Kiwi Grip non-skid deck finish? I have only read a few reviews about the product, they've all been positive, and I have a major job ahead of me when spring arrives. All of the non-skid surfaces of my boat have completely worn away. I've hear the company has been around in New Zealand for 15 years, therefore someone must have some experience in the product's longevity and wear factors.

Any and all comments will be much appreciated,

Gary


----------



## catamount (Sep 8, 2002)

I have it on my boat. Works great. My application of the KiwiGrip is described here: http://sailing.thorpeallen.net/Greyhawk/2007-10/index.html and you might see pictures of it in use if you peruse subsequent posts on that site...


----------



## Barquito (Dec 5, 2007)

They had an article in the latest 'Good Old Boat'. The texture looks attractive to me. I would wonder how well it wears.


----------



## jimq26 (Nov 7, 2001)

*Kiwi Grip works exactly as advertised*

I used Kiwi Grip on my cockpit sole last year (hard raced 1973 Grampian G-26). The floor had been worn smooth after all those years of racing and cruising, so we bought some Kiwi Grip and applied it exactly the way they recommend it be done.
Looks great, good anti skid properties yet it is still gentle if skin contact is made.
Some of my neighbours in the harbour have also used the product over the past few years, and all are very happy with the results. Wears extremely well.
Follow the instructions, and you will be pleased. You actually can dial up your anti skid finish as you progress.
Here's a link - Anti-skid Boat Decks from Pachena LLC - KiwiGrip anti-slip deck coating


----------



## zz4gta (Aug 15, 2007)

From what I've heard, its the cat's meow. Expensive, but it's what I'll be using come spring.


----------



## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

This was the information I was hoping to read. Thank you VERY VERY MUCH! As for being expensive, the price I found was about $130/gallon, which I thought was inexpensive for this type of product.

Thanks again,

Gary


----------



## capn_dave (Feb 17, 2000)

*Here Is a Post I made about Kiwi Grip awhile Back*

I have 3 Gallons That I still have to get down LOL Anywho here is a report I did awhile ago.
http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-maintenance/34341-kiwi-grip-non-skid-3.html

Fair Winds

Dave


----------



## carl762 (Jan 11, 2010)

After reading the Good Old Article and some threads, I'll definitely be using it come Spring. $130 is not bad at all. Hope they have the color I need.


----------



## arf145 (Jul 25, 2007)

So, it looks good even when applied over existing built-in non-slip? I've got a low-texture basket weave sort of non-slip.


----------



## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

Much of this will depend upon your roller pattern. I don't believe the underlying pattern will show up at all.

Gary


----------



## beiland (Jun 28, 2003)

*Few More Products*

A few more items discussed over here.

I cross referenced the two discussions. Opps new to forum so I will have to come back to post the link


----------



## beiland (Jun 28, 2003)

Here is that link to the other deck products

Rubberised paint for steel decks? - Boat Design Forums


----------



## sailcapt2 (Jan 10, 2009)

We did our decks with Kiwi Grip almost two years ago. It looks like new and is wearing great! We are full time liveaboard cruisers in the Carib so it sees more than average use. It was applied over the worn nonskid pattern in the glass, it covered the pattern and works better than anything I have tried before. Just be sure to "feather" the edges. It goes on quick and easy. 
Highly recommended.
Steve


----------



## bman88 (Nov 1, 2000)

*Kiwi colors*

I'm wondereing about the colors I've seen in the pictures. Many look like the manufacturers gray paint shade was used, but is it gray or white? How dark is the gray, and how dark/light is the white color that's available?


----------



## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

From what I've read thus far, the colors seem to be very close to those used by leading manufacturers. I'll let you know in a couple months when I paint my decks.

Gary


----------



## catamount (Sep 8, 2002)

bman88 said:


> I'm wondereing about the colors I've seen in the pictures. Many look like the manufacturers gray paint shade was used, but is it gray or white? How dark is the gray, and how dark/light is the white color that's available?


Panchena (the US distributor of KiwiGrip) will be happy to send you color swatch samples.

I used KiwiGrip Grey on my boat, with the "skid" areas painted in Pettit EasyPoxy "Mist Grey."


----------



## zz4gta (Aug 15, 2007)

Catamount, how do you like the easypoxy? I've used brightside for exterior paint, and it'd didn't hold up the best.


----------



## catamount (Sep 8, 2002)

I can't compare to Brightsides as I've never used it, but I don't think any one-part paint (Brightsides, Easypoxy) can stand up to a two-part paint (AwlGrip and the like) in terms of hardness and longevity. On the other hand, one-part paints are easier to handle and may be easier to do touch-up work when you do get scratches and stuff.


----------



## mroyusa (May 21, 2015)

I got my Kiwigrip from Fiberglass Supply Depot Kiwi Grip


----------



## asdf38 (Jul 7, 2010)

I applied kiwigrip to the cockpit locker covers in my basement last weekend and a full 6 days later it's still not hard.

Today I left them outside so they'd get some sun/warmth and I can still mark it with my fingernails.

It hasn't been warm this week but it hasn't been cold either (60 +/- 10 degrees) and my basement isn't particularly moist either.

I'm really hoping this dries eventually. It makes me concerned about applying it to the boat.


----------



## mbowser (Aug 4, 2000)

Get some air moving over the problem area. I had the same thing happen to me. I laid it all down and 30 hours later it was still just as wet as when I applied it. I got in touch with KiwiGrip support (Willy Stigglebout) and he told me to get a fan on it. Once I did, it was dry to the touch within 30 minutes. It took a few more days to fully dry, but the key was to get air moving over the surface. 

I did all my decks with it and after one season, it has held up very well.


----------



## asdf38 (Jul 7, 2010)

mbowser said:


> Get some air moving over the problem area. I had the same thing happen to me. I laid it all down and 30 hours later it was still just as wet as when I applied it. I got in touch with KiwiGrip support (Willy Stigglebout) and he told me to get a fan on it. Once I did, it was dry to the touch within 30 minutes. It took a few more days to fully dry, but the key was to get air moving over the surface.
> 
> I did all my decks with it and after one season, it has held up very well.


I think my primary problem was that I put it on way too thick at first.

Naturally it's hard to spread with the textured roller and I only grasped later that if you keep going over and over it you can get it to spread pretty well. Instead of doing that, the first time I was pouring down more paint and ended up with it too thick.

The fan helps too. My last application was dry to the touch (though not hard) a day later in similar cold basement conditions.

EDIT: Oh, also, they claim that their roller is totally unique. I have to question that. I bought a textured roller at ace hardware and got the same results (for less than half the price).


----------



## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

There is only one right way to apply Kiwi-Grip - with a notched trowel. It's in the instructions. Using a 1/8-inch notched trowel the paint goes down perfectly even and at correct consistency. Then, follow up with the loopy goopy roller and you cannot go wrong. Mine is on it's third season and looks as good as the day it was put down. No sign of wear whatsoever. I love this stuff, and the non-skid properties are the absolute best I've come across, wet or dry.

Gary


----------



## Minnesail (Feb 19, 2013)

travlineasy said:


> There is only one right way to apply Kiwi-Grip - with a notched trowel. It's in the instructions. Using a 1/8-inch notched trowel the paint goes down perfectly even and at correct consistency.


The can I have just says to use a brush, it doesn't mention a notched trowel. I see some instructions online that recommend using a notched trowel and I really like the idea, it would give you a consistent amount of paint.

Assuming the cleanup goes well mine goes on tonight. Wish me luck!


----------



## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

My Kiwi-Grip was purchased from Jamestown Distributors, it had a full instruction sheet with it, one that was identical to the online instructions, so they may have copied it from the Kiwi Grip site and printed it out.






Good luck,

Gary


----------



## jarcher (Jul 29, 2008)

I have a quart of white sitting here, waiting for me to experiment with it. I have watched many videos on it, and most showed the benefit of using a notched trowel and practicing on a piece of wood. Several posts recommended putting some plastic wrap or a piece of plastic over the unused portion so it does not cure in the can between uses. I'm hoping it will be easy to make it very aggressive in some areas but less so in others, and from what I have read it should be easy. We'll see!


----------



## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

One of the methods of making it less aggressive was to water it down by about 10 percent. This made the KiwiGrip thinner, thus the peaks were not quite as high or pointed. It is a very aggressive finish and you will NOT slip while walking on a wetted deck. However, if you scrape your knuckles over it while winching in a sheet, you WILL bleed profusely and loose some hide.  I know this from first hand experience.

All the best,

Gary


----------



## Minnesail (Feb 19, 2013)

I did it! Painted last night.

I also got mine from Jamestown, but it didn't come with any instructions other than what's printed on the can. (The can was all dented up and had even leaked a little bit, so maybe I had the boozed up Friday afternoon packing crew.)

Online I found a write-up that said to use a 1/8" trowel for a normal medium-grip finish or a 1/4" trowel for a thicker aggressive-grip finish. 

I'm covering old non-skid that was previously covered by some terrible gritty paint, so I used a 3/16" trowel. My thinking was that I'd want a little extra on there to fill in the gaps and craps from the previous non-skid and paint. Now that I've done it I think a 1/8" would have been OK also.

Throwing caution to the wind, I didn't do any practice runs, I just dove right in. It went great. It was easy to use the roller and the texture came out consistent. I slopped a couple times, but it cleaned up easily with a damp sponge. I applied it near sunset and when I went out this morning it was completely set (and just in time, because it started raining).

I am such a believer in this stuff. It's worth every cent.

Check out the pics to see how cruddy my non-skid looked before and how awesome it looks now.


----------



## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

Looks great. I'm confident you will love the product and how well it wears.

Gary


----------



## jarcher (Jul 29, 2008)

Minnesail said:


> I did it! Painted last night.
> 
> I also got mine from Jamestown, but it didn't come with any instructions other than what's printed on the can. (The can was all dented up and had even leaked a little bit, so maybe I had the boozed up Friday afternoon packing crew.)
> 
> ...


Nicely done!


----------



## SailingTokyo (Feb 2, 2016)

Question regarding prep for Kiwigrip: Do I need to remove the old deck paint and apply a barrier coat before applying Kiwigrip? I plan to do my entire deck with Kiwigrip white. I've got an S&S 30 with a "bubble cabin", essentially a domed flush deck. This means that almost the entire deck and cabin top is a walkable surface and I'd like it all to be non-skid. The previous owner put some terrible, extremely hard blue paint on which, if it ever contained abrasive at all, no longer does and no longer functions as non-skid. It's worn through, mottled, and chipped in many areas. You can see how bad it is in the pics below.

I'm thinking it should be possible to scrape/sand off the few areas where the existing deck paint is especially loose or cracking, then apply Kiwigrip right overtop of it without removing the old blue paint and applying a barrier coat. Removing the old paint would be a real chore. I attacked it with a carbide scraper and after many passes could barely uncover a small patch of white gelcoat. However, I don't know what the existing paint is, and whether it might trap moisture in the deck. Does Kiwigrip seal well enough that it doesn't require a barrier coat? Looking at the pics below, does the underlying gelcoat seem to be intact enough that a barrier coat is not necessary? All advice appreciated!


----------



## SVTatia (May 7, 2007)

SailingTokyo said:


> ...I'm thinking it should be possible to scrape/sand off the few areas where the existing deck paint is especially loose or cracking, then apply Kiwigrip right overtop of it without removing the old blue paint and applying a barrier coat....


Just sand the old paint making sure to remove anything that is loose or almost loose. Fill in any nicks or cracks and ideally you should apply an epoxy primer then a topsides polyurethane to the areas where you will not need the non-skid. 
Barrier coat is only for areas that will be submersed, you don't need it on the deck.
The KG paint is thick and easy to apply, but be careful with your "dome", because you need to actually pour it on the deck then spread with a spatula, before rolling.

.


----------



## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

No need for a barrier coat, no need to do much more than some rough sanding to remove any loose stuff, then using a trowel with 1/8-inch notches, spread the kiwi grip on the deck, followed by the loopy-goopy roller - very easy, excellent finish, excellent traction and wears like iron.

Good luck,

Gary


----------



## Sailormon6 (May 9, 2002)

I'm glad you chimed in, Gary. According to this thread, you painted yours in 2011, and, if you're still saying it "wears like iron," it must be pretty good stuff.


----------



## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

My decks look as good as the day I first applied the Kiwi Grip - And, the boat gets used a lot. I'm amazed at how well this product holds up.

All the best,

Gary


----------



## misfits (Dec 9, 2011)

travlineasy;3313937 then using a trowel with 1/8-inch notches said:


> FWIW, on my sabre it has the molded in non skid pattern & I found that using the 1/8 notch" didn't provide adequate coverage on the test area I did once it settled. I used the 1/4" notch on the remaining non skid areas, the coverage was much better & it looks good.
> Using the 1/4" notch does require using more product.


----------



## DonScribner (Jan 9, 2011)

My non-skid was a waffle patters in the FBP. The PO had painted it with some sort of grey paint with a texture additive. After years of use the result was heinous. SO, I bought a gallon of KG and rented a strong pressure washer. I blew all the old stuff off and rolled the KG with the "loopy goopy roller. Applied a somewhat thin coat. The result is an awesome almost-burlap-looking finish. I also used some inside my lazarette lid. Highly recommended.


----------



## SailingTokyo (Feb 2, 2016)

Great advice everyone, thank you! I made an error in terminology, I meant to say "base coat", not "barrier coat". So KiwiGrip doesn't require a base coat eh? Good to know, that will make this project go much faster!

You mentioned filling any nicks in the deck though. What filler is recommended? Something like West System 407?


----------



## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

West system works just fine. Or any other slow drying epoxy will do.

Gary


----------



## miatapaul (Dec 15, 2006)

SailingTokyo said:


> Question regarding prep for Kiwigrip: Do I need to remove the old deck paint and apply a barrier coat before applying Kiwigrip? I plan to do my entire deck with Kiwigrip white. I've got an S&S 30 with a "bubble cabin", essentially a domed flush deck. This means that almost the entire deck and cabin top is a walkable surface and I'd like it all to be non-skid. The previous owner put some terrible, extremely hard blue paint on which, if it ever contained abrasive at all, no longer does and no longer functions as non-skid. It's worn through, mottled, and chipped in many areas. You can see how bad it is in the pics below.
> 
> I'm thinking it should be possible to scrape/sand off the few areas where the existing deck paint is especially loose or cracking, then apply Kiwigrip right overtop of it without removing the old blue paint and applying a barrier coat. Removing the old paint would be a real chore. I attacked it with a carbide scraper and after many passes could barely uncover a small patch of white gelcoat. However, I don't know what the existing paint is, and whether it might trap moisture in the deck. Does Kiwigrip seal well enough that it doesn't require a barrier coat? Looking at the pics below, does the underlying gelcoat seem to be intact enough that a barrier coat is not necessary? All advice appreciated!


That looks like the paint is going to have to at least mostly come off. I think I would use some sort of primer before the Kiwi Grip. Let us know how it goes. I think I will be buying a bunch of this this summer!


----------



## boatpoker (Jul 21, 2008)

OK .... someone help me out here, I applied this Kiwi stuff last year. It's tuff as nails, provides excellent grip and looks 20 years old. Every single little bit of dirt sticks to it and I can't get it clean. I've tried everything from dish detergent, Ajax and pretty much all the "marine" cleaners on the market. How are you guys keeping this stuff clean ?

I'm ready to give up and try another product all together.


----------



## SailingTokyo (Feb 2, 2016)

miatapaul,

I loathe that damned blue paint and would like the peace of mind of having it gone and a primer coat applied before putting on the Kiwigrip. Otherwise the ghost of it's deteriorating corpse will haunt me everytime I look at the deck. However, it's very hard to get off, and I'm on a tight schedule as I'll be losing my spot in the marina yard in two months. With all the other work I need to do by then, I don't see how I'll have time to get the blue paint off. Hence wondering if I can apply Kiwigrip over it.

I'm wondering why you concur that it will have to come off? Any past horror stories that influence your opinion? 

Any recommendations on what type of primer to use if I do manage to get all the blue paint off?


----------



## SailingTokyo (Feb 2, 2016)

boatpoker,

I hear a lot of people complaining about the difficulty in keeping Kiwigrip clean too. I'm wondering if maybe a less aggressive application, with softer peaks and valleys, would hold the dirt less and be easier to clean? Maybe you could skim another top coat over yours with a smoother application?


----------



## boatpoker (Jul 21, 2008)

SailingTokyo said:


> boatpoker,
> 
> I hear a lot of people complaining about the difficulty in keeping Kiwigrip clean too. I'm wondering if maybe a less aggressive application, with softer peaks and valleys, would hold the dirt less and be easier to clean? Maybe you could skim another top coat over yours with a smoother application?


Thanks for the thought but I applied it with a tight foam roller. It's actually quite a gentle texture for walking on barefoot.


----------



## SailingTokyo (Feb 2, 2016)

Ah. Too bad. That removes my hopes that a smoother application would be easier to keep clean. Looking forward to hearing how others clean theirs.

How's the foam roller application for traction? I like the idea of applying it smooth enough to walk on barefoot. Don't like the idea of skinned knuckles and knees with a more aggressive texture. If it still provides enough grip, I reckon I'll go with the gentlest application I can manage.


----------



## boatpoker (Jul 21, 2008)

SailingTokyo said:


> Ah. Too bad. That removes my hopes that a smoother application would be easier to keep clean. Looking forward to hearing how others clean theirs.
> 
> How's the foam roller application for traction? I like the idea of applying it smooth enough to walk on barefoot. Don't like the idea of skinned knuckles and knees with a more aggressive texture. If it still provides enough grip, I reckon I'll go with the gentlest application I can manage.


I used 6" firm white foam rollers which produced a quite low level texture very evenly. It looked great, it worked great and is extremely tough......... It was absolutely, irrertievably filthy within a few weeks.


----------



## SailingTokyo (Feb 2, 2016)

What colour Kiwigrip did you use? I assume some colours show different types of dirt worse than others. 

Has anyone used white and had dirt and/or glare problems?


----------



## boatpoker (Jul 21, 2008)

SailingTokyo said:


> What colour Kiwigrip did you use? I assume some colours show different types of dirt worse than others.
> 
> Has anyone used white and had dirt and/or glare problems?


I used white. I will not recommend this product unless someone can tell me how to get it clean.


----------



## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

I've never had a problem cleaning my decks with Kiwi Grip. Most of the time I use Comet Cleanser and a stiff bristle deck brush on a long, aluminum handle - works fine. However, when I get bird poop and spider poop stains on the deck, cleanser just doesn't cut it. At that point I use LA Absolutely Awesome Cleaner that I purchase at Dollar General - that stuff will clean anything with ease. Just spray it on, let is sit for about 10 minutes, then scrub if with a stiff bristle brush. Those stains and dirt just disappear and wash away. Now, it also will quickly dissolve old wax, so if you just waxed your hull, be sure to wet it down and rinse the deck thoroughly or your wax job will go for naught. 

https://www.dollartree.com/20-oz-Totally-Awesome-Cleaner/p8056/index.pro

I've also cleaned my grungy, horrible looking fenders with this stuff. Fenders that were black with the dry-rotted rubber rub rail of my 40 year old boat. It took two times to make them look brand new - but not a lot of elbow grease.

Hope this helps solve your dirty deck problems,

Gary


----------



## boatpoker (Jul 21, 2008)

travlineasy said:


> I've never had a problem cleaning my decks with Kiwi Grip. Most of the time I use Comet Cleanser and a stiff bristle deck brush on a long, aluminum handle - works fine. However, when I get bird poop and spider poop stains on the deck, cleanser just doesn't cut it. At that point I use LA Absolutely Awesome Cleaner that I purchase at Dollar General - that stuff will clean anything with ease. Just spray it on, let is sit for about 10 minutes, then scrub if with a stiff bristle brush. Those stains and dirt just disappear and wash away. Now, it also will quickly dissolve old wax, so if you just waxed your hull, be sure to wet it down and rinse the deck thoroughly or your wax job will go for naught.
> 
> https://www.dollartree.com/20-oz-Totally-Awesome-Cleaner/p8056/index.pro
> 
> ...


Thanks, I'll be passing a DollarTree later today. Hopefully they carry that product here in Canada.


----------



## miatapaul (Dec 15, 2006)

SailingTokyo said:


> miatapaul,
> 
> I loathe that damned blue paint and would like the peace of mind of having it gone and a primer coat applied before putting on the Kiwigrip. Otherwise the ghost of it's deteriorating corpse will haunt me everytime I look at the deck. However, it's very hard to get off, and I'm on a tight schedule as I'll be losing my spot in the marina yard in two months. With all the other work I need to do by then, I don't see how I'll have time to get the blue paint off. Hence wondering if I can apply Kiwigrip over it.
> 
> ...


just because it looks like it is coming off, and I have not experienced Kiwi Grip, but other paint projects, the paint will only stick as well as the substrate. If the substrate is chipping off it will likely chip off and as you said haunt you. If you don't take it off, and it starts to peel off under the kiwi grip, you will now have two hard to remove layers of paint, and that might well make me just sell the boat rather than deal with it! Could you get in a soada blaster? Let them do the hull at the same time. Will take a day to set up, day to blast, then a half a day to clean up and your done?


----------



## Garbone (Jan 18, 2016)

I also just use a "deck brush" on a broom handle along with a bucket of water with a 1/4 cup of bleach. Scrub the deck and hose it off. Cleans up well, love KG. 

Our decks were baby blue, applied a pretty think layer to cover it, no primer.


----------



## aelkin (Feb 3, 2013)

Hi guys;
I'd like to weigh in here.
3 seasons ago I re-covered deck and cockpit of a C&C 35-1 with KiwiGrip, and cannot recommend it enough.
Like Gary, I used white, with varying 1/8", 3/16" and 1/4" trowels depending on how aggressive I wanted the tread pattern. Like Gary, I have had no trouble cleaning it, when I bother to do so. The decks (lowest peaks, 1/8 trowel application) clean up easy as pie. soft bristle brush and diluted Mr. Clean Green.
The cockpit sole (most aggressive, 1/4" trowel) look permanently dingy. It is consistently trampled, seldom cleaned. If I want to (typically 2x per season), I get down on my knees with Spray 9 and a nail brush, and it comes up great. After 1 race, it looks dingy again...but no one has ever said a word. On the contrary, I'm frequently complimented on the looks of the boat.

Glare - none. the texture prevents light from reflecting. My whole boat is white. Gloss white edging on decks, water runnels, topsides, etc. Kiwi grip everywhere else.

Texture and coverage - as stated, if you use a larger-notched trowel, you can cover ANYTHING with this stuff. I covered over 3 different types of non-skid, and you can barely see the transition points, even on close inspection.

Adhesion - no need to do more than scuff any paint that is adhering. If it's flaking off, take it off. I have one spot on my foredeck, where the PO had put 3M grit tape down. I did not do a diligent job of removing adhesive there, and the KiwiGrip has cracked and come off there. It is EXACTLY the size and shape of the tape. Everywhere else, it has adhered just fine.

Like Gary, I cannot say enough good things about this product. Trowel and Loopy Goopy are essential. I walk on both cockpit and deck in bare feet regularly, and do not find it to be the least bit uncomfortable, even on the aggressive spots.

Again, Gary is correct about the knuckle thing. I also know from experience. Don't try to adjust the non-skid. Just keep your knuckles off the decks!!

Andy


----------



## SailingTokyo (Feb 2, 2016)

miatapaul,

That's good advice, I reckon I'll scrape and sand down whatever's loose, then paint over it.

aelkin,

Happy to hear that like Gary you used white and are happy with it, and that the glare isn't too bad. That's decided it for me. I'll post pics here in a couple months when the decks are done!


----------



## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

Here's what I started with. As you can readily see, the old non-skid had completely worn away and I was down to the black stuff in many locations. What a huge difference Kiwi Grip made. Prior to applying Kiwi Grip, walking on my foredeck on a wet day was like trying to negotiate a curved, rocking ice-skating rink.






Gary


----------



## boatpoker (Jul 21, 2008)

Travelineasy ... I picked up some of that Dollar Tree LA Cleaner and it is amazing. One of the rare cleaning products that does exactly what it says it does ! Thanks for the heads'up

I still may look for another product to cover the Kiwi as I suspect that it will still be a dirt magnet and stain so easily that it will require constant cleaning.


----------



## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

Glad I could help.

Gary


----------



## oysterman23 (Jul 22, 2011)

travlineasy said:


> Glad I could help.
> 
> Gary


I have to confirm Gary's accounts of LA Awesome concentrate. It has become one of my primary tools for maintaining boat surfaces. A dilute solution used in a garden sprayer is my usual boat cleaner. a stronger mix restores color to ipe, bubinga, purpleheart, walnut, teak and cumaru trim. (soft brush helps) on occasion I will make an oxalic acid mix add a bit of the awesome concentrate (as surfactant) and use that to clean hull stains etc. 
And....Kiwi Grip is marvellous stuff though in my experience you should go over that old blue finish with a soft pad and open coat 150 to break loose and taper any loose paint. then wash well and do a final wipe down with fresh rags and denatured alcohol. works great.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk


----------



## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

Just happened to watch this vid on Soft Sand for non-skid. Looked pretty interesting. I'm not in the market for new non-skid, I just watch these random boat projects for fun. Can't tell if that's therapy or I need a therapist. Fine line....


----------



## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

Obviously, there are several mores steps using Awgrip and the rubberized product than using Kiwi Grip, and I'm not really sure if there are reports on durability, at least I couldn't find any.

Gary


----------



## misfits (Dec 9, 2011)

Minnewaska said:


> Just happened to watch this vid on Soft Sand for non-skid.


I saw this product at a boat show last year & considered using it.
It's a pretty cool & comes in different size granules depending on the texture one is looking for. In the end I was so tired of painting, I took the path of least resistance & went with KG. 
It's so easy to apply & clean up afterwards. It takes more time to tape off the areas than it does to apply it.


----------

