Non-stick antifouling

GBowerman

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I recently read about a new product called Pure Seal coating that rather than destroy hull growth, like antifouling, actually prevents the growth in the first place by preventing anything from sticking to the hull - like teflon on a frying pan. Has anyone tried it out - any good? Worth the additional expence?
 
I love the concept, but am reluctant to try it until it's proven. If not satisfied and it's only half as good as is claimed, I suppose it would all have to come off to allow antifouling to adhere! As I carry scuba gear anyway and an occasional wipe is no problem, any of these long term solutions would be ideal - when I find one I can trust!!!!
 
Never heard of this one but the BOATSCRUBBER folks are pushing their 'non-stick' stuff trouble is stuff still sticks to it and you need to get scrubbed regularly.

I looked into this and whatever you put on the botton dirt still clings eventually and then in that dirt stuff grows. It may be that you csn 'remove' the dirt easily but it still needs regularl scrubbing. Also needs removing to put obn conventional anti-fouling.
 
Better to use a high quality BLACK Anifoul! Why black, because any kind of marine growth prefers the light to grow! black cuts out the light so you far far far less growth!

Barry
 
Black is better as it contains a higher ammount of copper than the colours,

White antifoul is good on racing yachts which can be antifouled more often, synthetic coppers are used in white antifouls as it is impossible to have a high copper content in white, (which is sometimes why whites get green copper stains)

Teflon antifoul is very good but still in the developmental stages. The US Navy has been experimenting with trying to manufacture the oil which is excreted through dolpin skin, do you ever see dolpins covered in marine weed and barnacles??

Paint companies think of antifoul as being a little like soap. If it lasts too long, they can not sell more. However it is very easy to manufacture a long lasting antifoul, just not so profitable and economical for the manufacturers.
 
Well Brendan, I have spent more than fifteen years boating and used all colours and types of antifoul and I can tell you that it has been my experience that Black antifoul paint will collect less foul than any colour I have ever used! and I feel it always looks very smart as well!

Barry
 
nothing to do with light incidence levels. Rather than do this underwater, try this experiment.

Take a light level meter. In a room devoid of other light sources (ie close curtains etc) simulate a one point source like the sun.

Point the light meter at the light source with a black background. Now, without changing the position of the light meter, change the background to white. Do you see a discernable change in light meter readings?

No? what a big suprise

Feel free to try this experiment underwater, no change other than having waterproof light meter, or just putting it in a plastic bag which can take depths of a metre or so.

If you have seen a difference, it's not due to light levels
 
Hmmm...

I have not tried your experiment, But I did study photography many years ago and I know that a black subject has to be lit far more than a white subject! because the refractive qualities of black is far lower than white! It is well known that black actors for instance have to be lit with more powerful lights to achieve the quality level of photgraphy than a person with a white skin! not only that but I believe that certain makeup is used to achieve a higher refractive quality!

I can only come back to the fact that Black antifoul in my humble opinion does not collect anywhere near the same amount of foul than lighter colours!

Regards Barry
 
I can only come back to the fact that Black antifoul in my humble opinion does not collect anywhere near the same amount of foul than lighter colours!

As another has explained, that is because it has more toxicity and is nothing to do with light.

Growth relies on incident light not on the absorption of light by the substrate that the growth is on (except to the extent that a dark surface introduces warmth from incident infrared, but that is not an issue for a hull in water).

Still not convinced? I thought not /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif.

John
 
I was not aware that black anti foul was more toxic than other colours, however I bow to your knowledge of this.
A friend of mine made an interesting discovery during the summer, he was suffering from a large amount of growth on his outdrives. He made up a black neoprene cover and floats it across his drives and ties it up. Guess what no more growth on the drives. Cut out the light and not much will grow!

Best regards
Barry
 
As you can see I am a very black cat and that means I am much more toxic than other cats (and no growth either) /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

John
 
Yep, you finally got it. Cut out incident light, and you stop growth. The cover doesn't have to be black, or neoprene, just anything that cuts out light. Still very different to black antifoul, which won't have any light reducing qualities compared to any other colour.
 
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