20 Best Antifouling Paint For Fiberglass (2022 Updated)

First off when the paint arrived it was all over the box so i refused the order. I’m pretty sure the UPS guy let the package of paint fall and was thrown around his truck. Ahhh I called James town and let them know what happened and they shipped out a new order right away.

They are awesome, and the customer support was great. I received a new package; the paint cans were still sealed and in good shape. The Antifouling bottom paint went on really nice and works great. Thank you Great job and great paint!.

Paint arrived without any obvious signs of damage to the outer package. Upon opening the package the can looked like it had been thrown from a moving vehicle. Dented to the point it would barely stand upright and leaking.

Called about the situation but was only offered an empty can to put the paint in. I expected a little more considering the cost if this product. I did not pursue the issue since the job was time critical.

I hope this product was not sent from the warehouse in this condition. Great product that I have used for years on commercial fishing boats just very disappointed in condition at receipt and minimal customer service response.

The product is good, but 2 coats are definitely required! Once on the boat, drying time seems much longer than other products even though it sets up pretty quickly in the paint tray! Don’t spill-out more than a quart at a time, else it will start to set-up before you can finish applying what’s in the tray.

Time will tell concerning durability and growth resistance.

I purchased a 3 gallon black and expected a rebate on it for at least up to 2 gallons for it like the rebate stated. Went through the whole process and they won’t honor it. The rebate didn’t say the 3 gallons were not eligible or what products were eligible.

Just up to 2 gallons were rebatable. So disappointed. I blame Interlux.

Been using this for a number of years. Used to use a much higher priced product, then tried progressively cheaper paints, down to the ones that didn’t work. This is the least expensive, but still quite effective, bottom paint I’ve found for use in our waters.

Loved this paint. One gallon covered my Sea Ray 290 with 2 coats. Goes on very easy and drys fast with great looking smooth results. Has properties of hard paint and doesn’t rub off on your hand like regular soft ablative paints.

We’ll see how it holds up over the season. Fingers crossed.

I did not have favorable use of ‘white’ Krypton last season applied to a Cape Dory 28 Flybridge Cruiser; the paint is very thick and coverage is far less than stated, the 1st gallon only covered 2/3 of the length of the hull, the 2nd gallon completed the 1st coat and maybe 2/3 of a 2nd coat.

Once in the water the 2nd cost peeled from the 1st coat in many areas, both coats peeled at the waterline, after hauling last Fall we noticed significant discoloring of the white paint, from last Fall thru today both coats are now significantly peeling in many areas which I’m thinking will require much more bottom prep for this coming seasons bottom paint application than previous paints had required.

I’ve been bottom painting our sail & powerboats since the 80’s, using many different products and have never seen this level of performance. However slime and barnacle protection was very favorable in our high growth area in Raritan Bay.

I may use another Jamestown project but certainly not Krypton.

I ordered a gallon to bottom paint my 19 foot power boat. The boat sits on a mooring in Manchester, MA harbor and in the past has gotten pretty slimed up over the summer with copper-based bottom paint.

This stuff works better – with a couple of bottom scrubbings in the water over the summer and a quick power wash after pulling the boat, it is really clean. I recoated it the 2nd year but think I could have simply touched it up as it is ablative.

I have enough left for a third painting should I decide to repaint in the spring.

Initially purchased two gallons of red Krypton. First gallon was rose color and needed quite a bit of mixing. Color stayed rose. Had to apply because I had just applied an epoxy barrier coat. Needed to open second gallon.

It was pretty well mixed and was bright red. Ordered a third gallon for a second coat. It also was well mixed and bright red. Concerned that the initial gallon may have been bad. Any thoughts?.

I used the petit vivid blue. on my boat the color is nice BUT it’s only been on for 5 months. and now it has barnicles already growing on it !!! The boat stays in brackish water (up the creek) I am Not happy 😕 at all !!!!! I used 3 coats ! I will Never use this paint again !!! Barnicles barnicles Barnicles 🤨🤨🤨 3/8 inch barnicles in just 5 Months !!!!.

Paint was easy to apply and now that the job is finished looks great. The paint dries hard and does not rub off on your hands like the older types of bottom paint used to do. I applied the first code with the paint right out of the can.

For the second and third coats, I found thinning it slightly with the recommended thinning agent was necessary for a smooth application. I put three coats on a 19-ft sailboat 6 1/2 ft beam and had about 15 or 20% of a gallon left when I was done.

Seemed very good quality, very thick. Went on the boat without any issues. It was a very bright white and the boat looks new again. Look forward to seeing how it holds up over the winter storage period when I see the boat again next summer.

This product is used on my 33 foot sailboat in mid Maine. The boat is in the water from June 1 to October 1. I live on the boat during the summer and get lots, almost daily sailing time. Besides the weekly scrub of the waterline, from the dinghy.

The bottom stays clean enough that a quick power wash takes off the minimal slim that accumulated over the summer. A quick sanding in the fall with 180 grit , keeps the bottom smooth and gets rid of any build up.

I use one gallon with the foam roller that comes from Jamestown.

This is my second season for JD Select. Last year’s results were OK with only 1 – 2 dozen or so barnacles from mid-Chesapeake waters. I use two coats of JDS on a 30 ft sailboat that stays in the water 7 – 8 months so a single season paint seems to work for me.

Pros – rolls on easily and covers well, adequate protection Cons – does not store well – regardless of endless power stirring, had to strain to get hard chips out of JDS left over from last year.

I found the product went on surprisingly thin, despite heavy sanding of previous paint (with which it was advertised as compatible) and extensive stirring. As a result I applied three coats. I look forward to assessing effectiveness at the end of the season.

If better than anticipated, I will make it known. In the meantime, still awaiting response to my questions to JD by email.

I have used Underdog for 4 years, sailing in the fresh water Delaware River, saltwater Delaware Bay in the Chesapeake. I have had a few barnacles in saltwater but mostly slime, and a very light slime in fresh water.

A quick swipe with a power washer wand and the hull is clean at winter haulout. Underdog goes on smooth, just remember to mix the can well before using as there is some separatiuon of solids and liquids.

This was originally used on a sailboat that was previous bottom painted and used in salt water. We were using in fresh water only. Not knowing what bottom paint was used previously, it took a lot of sanding to remove all, some patching and a good solvent wipe before applying.

Like anything else, you need a good foundation, don’t skimp on the prep. I applied 4 coats and it looked great. Each spring I’d give a quick sanding to remove the shedding and smooth it out, then apply 2 fresh coats.

Paint did it’s job and was reasonably priced. The blue color we selected was a big improvement over the old brown too. Would recommend for sure.

I ordered 4 cans of black and 4 cans of red after that. No problem with the black however 2 of the 4 cans of red were not the same formulation. The viscosity of that product was too thin to stick to the boat and ran through the hull paint leaving our boats to be repainted.

I think it was a batch error and doubt there is enough copper to stop barnacles. Otherwise if the quality is monitored by Petit it shouldn’t be a problem. We’ve had success with the paint otherwise.

I use the AF to re-coat my two pontoons on a sun tracker 22 party barge. I followed the directions provided (sand with 80 grit thoroughly) I spot primed and rolled and brushed in areas the paint coverage was excellent.

I had paid $1000 dollars to have the boat AF painted at a dealership that used interlude 33 the last few years. I believe my job which cost under $250 and some of my time (retired) lol. Was better the dealerships!! I’ll let you know About it’s longevity later.

Ive owned my 1963 36 foot aluminum Roamer since 1972. Ive run the gamut of painting and even sandblasting the old crud off a dozen times. The new TotalBoat Aluminum AF went on right over the top of the Interlux Trilux II without a hitch.

The expensive stuff barely lasts a season (6 months on a river off of Lake Mich. in Wisconsin). The TB went all last year and after a power wash at haulout this fall looked ABSOLUTELY as fresh as the day it went on! even at the scum line.

Only 4-5 zebra mussels on unpainted transducer surfaces. Not even ONE spec of white corrosion. Repairs to failure spots were always the norm with other products. I was impressed. So much in fact that I think Jamestown should send me a free gallon to offset the costs of the other 40 years worth of expensive paints.

LOL. I am gonna try other TotalBoat products from now on. Anything to comp against KIWI deck paint or Interlux Perfections? ws.

I use Aliumpaint AF for my pontoon which is docked for the summer in Indian River DE. Salt water and lots of barnacles. But not on my boat. When I pull the boat I pressure wash the bottom and blow 90% of the seasons debit off, this is great ablative paint.

In the spring I clean up the dirt and put a new coat on right over the old and we are ready for another season, absolutely the best marine paint! Stephen King.

This paint did an outstanding job of preventing marine growth on aluminum engine bracket in lower Chesapeake Bay area. I have a 23 foot boat with outboard on an aluminum bracket. Trilux and other paints have never prevented marine growth on the bracket.

When I pulled my boat this winter there was absolutely no marine growth on it after a full season in the water (April to December). It is the best antifouling paint I have ever used on the bracket! I have never found a paint that prevents marine growth on my trim tabs, so I will use Hydrocoat Eco on them in the spring also.

Easy to use and works. Especially the black. I painted my boat bottom with black and white stripes with this product, over a fresh Interlux barrier primer. At the end of the season the white stripes had mostly worn off and been replaced by a scary array of marine life.

The black stripes were as clean as the day I painted them. Next season I mixed the remaining black and white for a medium gray. The two had a reaction, forming a thick fast drying glop that was hard to apply.

Sanding between coats made it ok. Turned out to be the best bottom paint ever. Hard as a rock and nothing grew on it. Wanted to continue the experiment this year but the high cost of paint stopped me.

Went with the black and it’s perfect. I highly recommend this product. Better for the environment and better for you!.

My boat was painted with Hydrocoat prior to splashing last season. When it was hauled out late September, the hull had approximately five barnacles. I have half a gallon remaining from last year and will use that to touch up some areas of the hull.

I dock my boat in New Jersey a short cruise from New York Harbor and boat on the Hudson, Jersey shore and Long Island sound. Others at my marina now using Petit Hydrocoat because it’s easy cleanup no strong odors and performance.

This is the only paint my dealer uses. For 10 years now, I’ve never had barnacles on my pontoon. Interlux always makes a great boat paint.

I applied this product in Chaguarama’s Trinidad and BEFORE I could reach Martinique the whole boat was covered in growth. Both slime, grass and poks. Withing two months of sailing this products completely failed.

It is still on there but it does not work AT ALL. Aluminium hull, previous product used: Trilux 33 (much better).

Been using Pacifica Plus for seven years now. First year I had my boat the bottom paint I used did not work. Since then using Pacifica Plus when my boat gets taken out of the water it’s very clean. A power wash, sanding spots and the waterline is all the maintenance I do now.

Spartan is a multi season ablative paint. I have been using this paint for years and I reapply each season to have fresh coverage. This paint keeps the bottom clear of all growth and at the end of season easily clean the bottom.

Easy to roll, good coverage, drys quickly and great color. Because this paint is used every year one gallon almost covers a 38ft boat Only negative: difficult clean up. You will want a protective suit, face mask and goggles.

At the end of “paint day” all trays, rollers, brushes and protective gear are thrown out. I no longer attempt any clean up on these items.

My boat is on Lake Erie I bottom paint every other year with touch ups in between. First time using one gallon covered my 310 DA. hull with some left over. Rolled on easy with the medium nap roller. Choose not to use the roller that was provided because it’s to big for my application it dried in a short time.

Mineral sprites clean it up with no problems. Low VOC considering it was bottom paint even thought I was using it inside a heated building. Was able to take the paint can to a local paint store and had it shook up.

Unlike northern climes, here in Florida we get growth and the bottom requires regular cleaning – for boats that stay in the water that is. We applied 2 coats of black over 1 coat of blue in 2020. When we start seeing blue it’s time to pull the boat and paint it.

After 22 months in the water the bottom paint still looks good and is doing as advertised – with no blue paint showing through. After a good cleaning and scuffing we applied 2 more coats of black and are good to go.

This is my 3rd season of using ACT, and it holds up really well. Minimal growth with almost zero underwater scrubbing between annual haul outs. A 30 ft Center console uses about 2/3 of a gallon – put on thick.

Applies easily.

I really like this product. I get people giving my boat a double take all the time – with the new bottom paint and hull being compounded out and waxed – it looks showroom new. My boat stays in the GA lake water all year so fighting slime was my higher focal point.

I have a 30ft Donzi Cabin Cruiser and so far after two months of summer months the bottom paint still looks as if I just painted it. No brown/green Slime lines AT ALL. This paint went on easy with a 6″ 3/8″ nap roller and chip brush – which I just threw away when done.

Hardest part, and this goes for all ablative paint is getting all the copper mixed back into the paint properly before application – start with local paint store buy the painting application materials from them and they will shake the paint for you – have them use the heavy duty shaker in the back and do a double or triple shake – you are still going to have to mix it by hand with stick or drill but it will still be easier.

Also another perk is that I added 6 to 8 mphs to the top end speed after painting the bottom based on GPS mph.

DreamCatcher is a 40′ Silverton that spends six months a year in Lake Michigan / Green Bay. With the algae blooms prevalent during July and August, buildup of slime and algae lines at the water line is common and visually distracting.

This is my second season using Interlux ACT with slime control and the product is excellent. Once a week trip at cruise and the water line is clean as it was when launched. Following pressure washing for winter storage, it was probably not necessary to recoat, although we did add a another coat this winter.

I would highly recommend using this product if algae/slime are issues. In addition, we have not had any zebra mussel buildup in low flow areas this past season. Not sure if its due to bottom paint or just dumb luck.

I have been using the previous 779 Black for 26 years. This 779 Act is apparently the successor. With the added benefit of slime guard. The boat hull has always stayed quite clean and requires minimal cleaning at hall out.

The big benefit I see to this paint is I do not have a huge sanding job like the more expensive paint because this paint slowly disappears over a few years. Even though the other more expensive paints are ablative, they leave behind an impenetrable coat of paint that must be sanded off.

Even after 4 years. On the other hand, 779 Black and I expect 779 ACT black disappear nearly completely after 4 years. So if you hate to sand, this is what you want.

Although my boat surveyor mistakenly told me that this was a multiyear ablative, (it isn’t its one season), after that second year 4 years ago, this stuff has worked like a charm. Easy to put on and looks great.

Minimal sanding required because the base is solid and wears well. Boat is stored in brackish river leading to saltwater sound. Was good at keeping river yuck to a minimum. Could be a little cheaper but I won’t be switching.

Happy with the product.

I bought this for the first time and unfortunately I read these write ups after I purchased it but I figured I would give it a try. After shaking the can for a full 3 minutes I went to spray it and the paint would only come out in 2 second bursts.

Then after a short time the paint came out under the nozzle and left a huge mess on my hands and the ground. I was only able to get half the out drive done and still had over half the can left when it stopped working all together.

I drove 20 miles back to the store I bought it at and he said he has had others return it also. He exchanged it for me and I drove 20 miles back home and shook the can as the directions stated. I tried it again and the same thing happened, the paint would only come out in a 2 second bursts.

I had to continually shake the can every two seconds to get that even to work. Then the paint started to come out under the nozzle again. I decided to twist the nozzle and give that a try. I got full pressure coming out of the nozzle as well as under the nozzle.

Being the paint was coming out with good pressure I painted the whole outdrive quickly. Needless to say half the paint ended up on my hands and the ground. Such a waste of time and money. I am surprised with all the complaints Interlux still puts their name on this product.

I have used this product for several years. I think the addition of Biolux slime inhibitor has made the product even better. I use it on a Bravo One outdrive. My boat is moored in a salt water creek from mid April till early November and the water temperature gets very warm during the summer.

When I haul the boat in November a few minutes of power- washing cleans up any minor growth on the outdrive. Follow the prep before spraying the drive, wear a respirator and you should get excellent results with this product.

Bought the product for the annual outdrive reconditioning. After cleaning, acid wash, base coat was ready to apply the product. The nozzle froze up after about 15 seconds and I could not get it to work again.

Tried cleaning it, upside down spraying, etc to no avail. Had to travel 20 miles each way to find another can which set me back a full day for launch. The second can I bought started to have problems with the nozzle as well but was able to get a full coat but not able to use the whole bottle.

I read online that others had similar complaints. You would think West Marine would have pulled the product from the shelf and sent it back to the manufacturer for a recall.

This paint does a great job keeping slime and weeds to a minimum. My boat has twin sterndrives and is in water 6+ months a year. The drives are usually exposed to sun and warm water, perfect conditions for growth.

This past season was a test run, I purchased two new sterndrives and DIDNT paint them. Couldn’t bring myself to paint stuff that was brand new. Anyways, I did paint the trim rams & gimbals w/ Trilux brush on, 2 coats, not thinned.

I also did the props with Trilux spray. The results were staggering. The drives were bright green with growth by the end of the season and the components painted with Trilux were much cleaner. Application was easy, I’m lazy so I didn’t sand or prime anything.

The components I painted were already roughed up from corrosion anyway, just I just went right over them. After pressure washing upon haul out, there’s only a few tiny spots were the paint let loose.

If you have nice new stuff you’ll probably want to sand and prime. I’ll give them a quick coat in spring before launch and it’ll be good to go.

This is a great product. I use it on the pontoons on my boat which is docked in brackish water. After several months, some barnacles have to be scraped off the pontoons but nowhere near as many as without the paint.

The pontoons are very slippery and they don’t stick as much. Have used this product on several boats over the past few years.

I finished coating the bottom of my boat last week and this product was easy to apply, has good adherence and coverage. The coating is harder than typical ablative and doesn’t have the chalky feel or appearance.

I used a brush and a roller withou any issue. So far the white coating has remained just a little off of a bright white.

This stuff is still effective if you leave your boat out of water for a while. After applying, you need to wet-sand it until it is as smooth as a baby’s bottom. Be careful not to over-sand edges and outer corners of keel & rudder.

When you wet-sand, the color will change from blue to copper, but don’t worry, after it has been in the water for a week or so, the blue color will come back. I have used this paint for about 15 years.

This is supposed to be a hard racing paint, and it is, but in a sense, it acts a little bit like an ablative. Over time, the paint will wear off very slowly as you clean the bottom between races. If you apply several coats, you can go 2 years without repainting.

(in southern Chesapeake Bay) After 2 years, the bare hull shows through in a few spots. The paint is so effective that even these small bare spots don’t develop barnacles. This “slow wear-off” characteristic is nice because there is no long-term buildup of paint that needs to be sanded off before repainting.

I just scuff it well to get a clean surface with a little texture before repainting. I am a perfectionist, and I like this paint. I never ever have any barnacles, and only have a bit of slime to clean off every two weeks or so.

If you never have your bottom cleaned, maybe this is not the paint for you. But if you are really serious about having a slick racing bottom, and if you are willing to dive on the boat yourself every 2 weeks during racing season or have someone do it for you, you might like it too.

I prefer the blue color because you can see slime and algae easier, and you can easily tell when you have removed it. For that reason, I don’t like the brown/copper “Baltoplate” color, or black. If there is slime on the bottom, I want to see it.

Have used this VC Offshore for 10+ yrs on my 34PC Formula cruiser on Lake Michigan. Boat sits in slip all week long and only has about a 1/2′ of lite mossy grass at the waterline. Take boat out for a run and most washes off.

At end of season haul boat and pressure wash the bottom, lite (1/4″) scum comes off real easy then in spring I take a small 4″ roller and part of a qt of VC Offshore and touch up where the straps or the hydraulic trailer pads touched and it looks like brand new.

My hull would out run any other boat in my class, ie: 33+ Sea Rays, Rinkers, Four Winns etc I attribute the great speed to my VC Offshore bottom paint w/ teflon (vs their ablative paints) and my outdrives vs the others w/ v-drives.

Excellent product but make sure bottom is clean prior to applying.

I have gotten two years of good service on the VC Offshore coating my boat’s belly. It’s time for a bottom job and, after two seasons of trophies and winning MYC’s Boat of the Year, I wouldn’t consider anything else.

This coating can be burmished to a mirror like finish and man, is that fast! I would say this is a racer’s finish, because you’ll need to give it regular bottom scrubbings to keep the scum off. We look for every way to squeeze a little more speed, so we’re cleaning the bottom before every race anyway.

I’ll pay a real pro to spray this on. At this price, you want it perfect. SAIL FAST! (but stay behind me).

I applied this on my outdrives after first applying 2 coats of Pettit Barnacle Barrier. The paint went on smooth and looks decent, at least as decent as flat black can look. I did note that the Econea percent is listed as 6% on the Pettit website, but the can shows a lower level.

I’m not sure if there is a difference in the spray vs. the traditional can. Boat isn’t in the water yet, so the real test is coming.

Just painted yesterday so not in the water yet. I put on a signal coat in green and two coats of blue over that. Used 12 oz of brushing thinner, it made the paint go on thin and smooth. One gallon covered my 420 sq ft Whitby 42 full keel sailboat bottom with just about 11/2 cups left over (hopefully enough to get the boat stand areas and keel bottom tomorrow.

Both green and blue are really nice colors, they look great on the boat.

I used Hydrocoat on a 2006 Bayliner 285. I had the bottom blasted and I prepped the bottom with solvent applied two coats of barrier coat and two coats of Hydrocoat. Two years later I applied a third coat.

It really didn’t need it but I had almost a full gallon from my first application. It really didn’t need it I was just trying to use the paint before it became unusable. This all started seven years ago.

The boat is a freshwater boat used on eastern Lake Erie. I sold the boat four years ago and it is still docked at my same marina. The bottom still looks great. I will be applying Hydrocoat to the boat I own now.

I have used this paint for several years. I power wash and apply. I do this every two years. A diver periodically wipes down the bottom to remove slime. This is needed with the same frequency as with Micron 66,which I previously used.

Hydrocoat gives a smoother finish, and requires very little sanding.

This particular either had an improper formula or had been setting on the shelf for 10 years +. This particular can of paint had a little over a quart of oil (vehicle) and the rest was just a solid mass.

Extremely hard to break up and what a mess. Never did completely break it up. Somebody was asleep at the wheel when this was manufactured or at the distribution site. Very poor quality control or shipping policy.

Dana.

Goes on super easy and covers very well. Used on a 21′ catamaran build. Will be mostly trailered, but wanted option of leaving in the water for extended periods.

I loved the shade of blue. I used this over existing bottom paint and the results were great.

I put this in over intermix last year. I only did one coat and it was fine for a season in Maine but a fair amount came off on haul out and there was some algae/slime that stuck. This year I am preparing the bottom better and doing two coats.

This paint is very inexpensive and easy to work with. It goes in easy and the cleanup is easy also. It’s a good value. Probably not the best paint you can get but for DIY on a budget it is awesome. Wholesale Marine’s price was the best as usual, delivery was fast.

We’ve been applying Aquaguard bottom paint on our aluminum hull for 3 seasons now, and each year the color of the blue paint has differed. They used to offer a separate “Horizon Blue,” now there is just one blue tone listed, but it is different than any of the previous blues.

We have appreciated the performance of the bottom paint, it really has kept quagga mussels to a minimum (we are in fresh water). Our hull looks better than any others we see. This batch of paint was thicker than previous ones, not sure why, perhaps it has been sitting awhile.

We did receive a completely hardened gallon of aqua guard from a different vendor last year, and had to have it replaced. Our advice would be, once you receive the bottom paint – apply it! Don’t leave it sitting around, as it may degrade.

We are installing a new counter in our kitchen because the old counter sagged — due to water damage. We wanted to take steps to prevent that from happening again, so we painted Aquagard Waterbase Antifouling Bottom Paint on the underside of the counter before we installed it — two coats.

We used the water-based formula. The product does not smell bad. I was concerned about that, but the smell wasn’t bad at all. The product went on easily and coated evenly. I hope it works! I hope it seals out moisture.

I figure if it works on boats, it will work on a counter top. plus we’ll never need to worry about barnacles!.