Some require substantial amounts of elbow grease some and I am thinking of the automotive industry products just require a very light buff / wipe and leave a protective coating that will last a season.
I used one and it was fine.
Good to hear! Did one bottle do your (I guess from username) 34ft boat?
Yes 34 feet. We bought 2 bottles. Used roughly 1 1/2 bottles for the recommended 2 coats. Second coat goes on much easier.
Yes, traditional wax. For a long time I have used ‘solid’ wax largely because there is no risk of spilling it but this seems to be hard to find in chandlers lately. I don’t find much difference between brands and choose any packaged as I want. I much prefer to wax my hull when ashore, but failing that, I have occasionally done it from a rubber dinghy. I think a pontoon would be very awkward for me, even with knee pads.
I think the job needed depends on the boat. My blue line needs cutting and polishing annually to retain its colour, but the rest of the hull only needs a coat of wax even after 24 years. The upper parts, such as coachroof and cockpit tend to get somewhat dirty through the winter and I use a strong detergent cleaner and then a wax polish, with a colour-restorer polish for the worst affected areas. I agree that an intensive job with mechanical help shouldn't be a necessity except for restoration.