I am new to ceramic coating, but my skiff will soon be getting ceramic-coated using Starke Ceramic products (applied professionally). I am hearing that certain soaps / products should not be used to preserve the life of the ceramic. What is everyone using? How has your experience been using those products?
Feel free to share any other tips/tricks or the do’s/don’ts of maintaining ceramic coating.
Check out Griot’s Garage’s site. They have a ceramic infused wash. Also, their ceramic 3-in-1 is a good product I use and like. I pair this with their foam cannon wash. Also, Their water spot remover works well for stubborn saltwater spots. Griotsgarage.com
Thank you! I will give their site a read.
Starke replenish when you feel like it is not beading up like it should. Keep in mind anything below the waterline will be toast after running.
But if it makes you feel better, go ahead!
I have Starkes Kraken on my Chittum. Do not use anything except these for your Starke coatings..
This is your “daily” wash- Starke Ultra Clean SiO2 Soap – Starke Yacht Care
This is your maintenance spray- Starke Replenish Silica Spray – Starke Yacht Care
Use a foam cannon for the wash and then a leaf blower to dry….water will shed right off. I don’t recommend using other peoples products as a soap unless it’s this, Undrdog Soap: Ultimate Car & Boat Wash
Remember, if your soap isn’t approved for ceramic coatings, it can remove it eventually.
I’ll add a little bit from my experience with these coatings. After a day out on the water my wife and I will load back up at Angler House (Islamorada) and move up to one of the wash stations and just rinse her off (my skiff…not my wife LOL). The water at Angler House is so hard and full of minerals it will spot up in minutes….we rinse her off and then get up to around 45mph right out the gate and by the time we get home (less than a mile) the boat is completely clean and slick. I’ll use the “wash” about once a month to condition the coating. That’s it. Once a month we wash the boat. I’ll add the spray from time to time because it makes everything so dang shiny. Like most of us…I’ll take a leak off the back of the boat and you can watch those dribbles of pee bead up and roll off 
Wonder what’s worse for a wax job, Dawn or a golden shower?!
Great info, thank you!
How does this coating hold up to sunlight exposure? Unfortunately, I have to store my skiff outside under a cover. Parts of the hull will be exposed to UV.
It’s made for it
I take it you like the Kraken coating? I’ve heard mixed reviews on Starke’s ceramics.. I’ve used other products of theirs which I do like, though.
Contemplating what to use on the new boat.
I put Glidecoat on my center console and it has held up for two years, with the occasional replenish application. It stays on a dry rack with a full cover to chine.
So far I’m impressed, but haven’t owned this boat very long. I had a different product on my East Cape EVO and it held up great, got a solid three years out of it until I sold it recently. The Kraken is extra shiny if that makes sense. The replenish spray is probably the culprit for that….
They applied some other type of basecoat ceramic from Starke then the graphen coating. When I do wash the boat I also use an Adams Water Deionzer, especially if I don’t want to dry it/blow it off. I’m pretty OCD with the keeping up of my boat and car. The water deionizer makes life a lot easier on the back. I’ll keep you posted on how I like the coating.
Interesting… curious what that first step was. I am sure it is all the same one way or another. I swear replenish smells just like a quick detailer I have used in the past.
And yes! I am the same way. DI tank, pressure washer, foam cannon, etc…
I use either starke pure clean boat soap mostly, this is just a regular soap that will clean dirt very well without damaging the coating. The ph and ingredients used are designed to work with the starke coatings. every 5 or so washes i use the ultra clean soap which is si02 infused to aid in the further protection of the coating. Again, its all designed to work with starke products. Very seldom do I have to do a contact wash, the results I’ve been getting doing a touch-free wash have met my ocd standards.