Thoughts on PropSpeed?

I haven't seen any fuel consumption reduction with it. It surely isn't lasting 5-6 years...... more like 1-2 years in saltwater. It makes it easier for the diver to remove growth, I haven't seen it stop growth. On your boat, my choice would be tri-lux white......or just the right primer and bottom paint......before I'd do prop speed.

If your a dock queen it may last a few years with diver service.
If you operate in high silt or shallow water, it will wear away.

Please review the many threads already on this subject.

We use prop speed and are very pleased with it. We haven't tried any of the competitor products. We find with prop speed, the diver can easily remove growth from all metal (We use it on all underwater metal, not just props). As we value speed and our boats are all either planing or semi-planing, keeping the props clean is very important to us. We could probably get two years out of each application but reapply when doing a routine haulout so more frequently than that, 12-18 months.

+1 / No empirical data on fuel savings, no out of the hole quicker etc. Prop speed = Big budget for marketing. Nice big kiosk's with pretty girls at the boat shows to bury any upstarts marketing $$ wise but there's plenty of ceramic coatings out there for running gear in lieu of the 30 yr. old technology of Prop Speed. Tri Lux or Sea hawk will last about as long at a fraction of the price . There's enough info online concerning the latest ceramic coatings being used on running gear and other areas.

Are you seeing the ceramic coatings used much in the US? If so, which ones?

I used PropSpeed for the first 7 yrs of ownership although last year changed to Prop Coat by Pettit. Have had good success so far. What I found from Propspeed was if you got a full year you were very fortunate. If you run anywhere that's shallow and stir up mud it will wear off quickly. Yes it is slightly easier for a diver to clean but he has to be careful not to scrub it or it will come off. They should just wipe off. It is expensive to put on and must be applied properly. If not it will only last a very short time. You will not see any fuel savings difference. If there is any its not measurable. I can't speak for PropGold and have not heard of it.

I do see Prop Gold being used more and more in yards. I personally use Pro Pel Maxx on running gear and stainless sea strainer baskets with great results. It'll be a hard up hill climb for any upstart ceramics coating company to make inroads on Prop Speed as their marketing and ship yard incentives are going to be hard to overcome no matter what new Nano silica ceramics come to market regardless of their performance. Prop Speeds parent Corp. is a well run machine that knows its market.

Talk to me about this Pro Pel Maxx and stainless strainer baskets. How long does it work on an a/c strainer basket? Does it come in a spray can? How long does it last in that application and is it totally effective on growth? What do you have to do for prep?

Prop Gold is making inroads with greater incentives and pricing.

Do you use other Glass-On products or just Pro Pel Maxx? Their claims under Features and Benefits are that they'll cure all the world's ills except perhaps hunger. If their products do even half what they claim, they're incredible. I'd love to hear any actual reports from people who have used any of the products including the Pro Pel Maxx for an extended period of time. They have a shield for everything from gelcoat to hull to lights to props and running gear to tenders and to wood, even pavers for your home.

It would be natural to suspect a "snake oil salesman" with all of the claims that Nano silica ceramic companies make that their products can cure. Ceramic Pro , Rokoat, Cera -shield all have "Home Products" and commercial products from fabric protector to glass coatings etc. I was dubious five years ago when these hybrid coatings started filtering down from aviation & military applications to the retail markets and after experimenting with several I sealed a marble foyer entrance in my home with Rokoat four years ago and its just as good today as when applied. I have with two dogs and tons of Florida foot traffic over it. To answer J's question, Prep work is the name of the game when applying this technology. Clean it, Clean it and then do it again. the surface has to be perfectly clean for ceramics to adhere. Some systems have short to medium dry times whilst others have unrealistic times like 24 to 48 hours. I soda blast the stainless strainer baskets to clean them and apply two coats and it lasts two years in Fl. & the Caribbean before it starts breaking down after repeated cleanings and such. We use a cheapo electric pressure washer and just spray the baskets down and everything just releases back to clean stainless perforated. No biological or calcified growth . You could just use a water hose and bristle brush but I found it easier to just hit them with the washer.

Definitely some of the products I find most interesting. I'm just not much the pioneer type so looking for those like you with experience.

This was the claim I found most over the top and yet I can very well see it being partly true.

Greatly reduce the spread or outbreak of highly infectious, transferable, and contagious pathogens and diseases among the visiting public touching common vulnerable host areas like hand rails, door handles, seats, tables, bathrooms, safety harnesses and belts, and the passenger compartments of various rides. An example is the recent Measles outbreak. Eliminate the cost and time for alcohol-based disinfectants, which are actually ineffective against killing or preventing viruses like the Norovirus, which plagues cruise ships.
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I don't see it stopping Norovirus as typically it's spread by someone in food service and as long as they're handling plates and silverware and glasses and speaking to people at the tables, you've got a problem. It doesn't take must to spread it. However, to say it enhances cleanliness of some areas seems reasonable.

That's quite the blurb. Certainly cant or wont stop it. Just makes it so slippery that it couldn't adhere or become imbedded in pores or cracks. just makes it very easy to wipe away clean but it has no hidden antiseptic formulations so lets bring in some snake oil on this one...

I was thinking of trying it on a new a/c s/s strainer basket that should eliminate a lot of the prep work and basically just worry about degreasing it.

I looked into it a few years ago and the price was way too high. We run in shallow water a lot, mud or sand, and it wouldn't last long

Monthly diver is a much better option.

As to making it easier for the diver... are you getting a discount ?

Sorry , I didn't answer your question. Pro Pel Maxx comes in pints quarts and gallons. Its a single part product. Can be applied by HVLP or Pre valve but the wet film thickness isn't adaptable for brushing as it will go on to thick. This product contains zero Chromate unlike Prop Speed and Prop Gold and a few others. (zink chromate is where the " Yellow Gold" color comes from) Its only a matter of time that they'll have to reformulate as chromate is toxic in any form be it strontium or otherwise. The federal clean waters act will sweep it up (chromate) sooner than later in a ban. If you ask for Pro Pel to be applied @ shipyards like Derecktors etc. they'll be more than happy to apply it. Most if not all of the repair yards have used it but the manufacturer just doesn't have deep enough pockets to incentivize the yard to push it.
A quart is around $200.00 and two will cover all of the running gear on a 40 meter vessel do to its nature of being sprayed 2 mils thick for wet film thickness.

I have used it a few times and the clear coating was pretty much worn off at the end of each season. The effort needed to apply it in my opinion isn't worth how long it lasts. I'm also in fairly shallow water in the north east...

I run the boat every weekend and discovered that I don't need anything on my propellers and it's easy to just get under there occasionally and knock off the few barnacles if any that show up on the props. As for the shafts/struts I use Petit Prop Coat Barnacle Barrier and it lasts entire season. The guy next to me uses rust-oleum flat gray cold galvanizing spray and he gets the same results for $5 per can.

For me propspeed was a waste of time and money and as others have said all of this product's success is proportional to the effort during preparation.

I used the Petit Prop coat with good results. The local prop shop informed me that they charge extra to recon propellers coated with Propspeed. Last year I did an experiment, one prop with Petit and the other with spray cold galvanizing. I'll report back when I short haul in the Spring.

What was your findings of the Petit vers Galvanized spray?

The cold galvanizing spray worked just about as well. Of course nothing will work in a high fouling area if you don't run the boat often!