Swim Platforms

[tigeone]

Ok I have an 06 20V that we did not order,we bought it the day the dealer got it off the truck.The only thing we really did not like about it was the wood swim platform.So we opted to upgrade to the matching fiberglass platform.Well come to find out for 06 the brackets on the boat are different from fiberglass to teak.So the dealer tells me they will have to order new brackets then take mine off fill in the holes and re gel coat the back of the boat.Has anyone done this?It`s not that I don`t have confidence in the dealer but I just wanted to get some thoughts on this.

[Zacky]

Keep the teak platform. Re-mounting the brackets is a lot of work for a fiberglass platform. No matter how good the gel coat patch job is, you will always be able to see it. Teak is nicer anyways. If it starts to get worn down and scratched up, just lightly sand and re apply teak oil. It's as good as new every time...

[talltigeguy]

I would get the teak laminated (ask dealer to do it for cost since you are taking the boat right away) and go with the teak. Mounting new brackets seems like a lot of work. It just seems like an area that you don't want to mess with.

I had a laminated teak swimstep on my old boat and loved it. I liked it better than my current fiberglass one.

[Paublo]

I personally like the teak better, but get what you like best. Your dealer does excellent gelcoat work and you will not be able to see the holes. You make that kind of a purchase, don't have any regrets.

[Tip]

I have the teak platform and would not have anything else. Contrary to popular belief it's really not that hard to maintain.

[2kims]

A thought to consider. The teak deck will not crush or crack as easily as the fiberglass if you bump into anything. I should say when you bump into something.. there are those who have and those who will.

[tigeone]

Thanks

Thanks for all the input. I myself like the look of the fiberglass but when I was at the Tige reunion last weekend I saw one that was about 6 months old and it was spider cracking..I don`t know,I`m leary about changing the brackets at the back and re gel coating.Some say I won`t see it,other say I will.It`s a tough choice.Thanks again..I know it is easy to sand down and re teak because I have already done that..Laminated sounds good but how does that hold up to scratches from a wake board.?I saw one at the reunion that looked like it was coated with spray in bed liner!!

[xpjim1]

I had my Teak Platform Rhino Coated. Did not have any issues in the 3 years I had it. I had it sprayed black. Was not hot when using in the water. No scratches show up. Was not rough on feet and knees. Had many labs using it as a nap place when they got tired of swimming.

[Zacky]

A buddy has a fiberglass platform. It is all scratched up. Not because he is careless, things just happen when you have a wakeboard strapped to your feet. To fix the scratches, it will have to be repainted. To fix my scratches, I find a spare hour, sand and apply some teak oil. Stay with the teak. Especially if they are remounting brackets. Who knows what kind of cracking could result from remounting the brackets...

[tigeone]

xpjim1

Ok how do they fill the gaps before they Rhino coat it?

[xpjim1]

Not sure how they did it. The spray is pretty thick. All I know is it came out looking like a single platform, no lines where the separate teak pieces come together

[talltigeguy]

When I say laminated, I too am talking about rhinoliner. It never scratched in the 2.5 years I had it. I think they just sprayed it on thick enough to fill in the bigger grooves, and you could still see individual planks of wood.

I think you can get the idea in this picture:

[SummerObsession]

The rhino lined teak looks pretty good!
When I ordered my boat, I specified fiberglass instead of teak just because I don't like the "classical" looks of teak. However, in real world usage, it's probably the way to go. I plan on painting my platform to match the boat colors this winter, and I am thinking of using a clear "rock chip" protective coating on the colored part. It's clear, but still druable enough to resisit scratches. I'm stil researching the products, but I'm hopeful I can find something that works.

If I did it again, I would probably just order teak!

[xpjim1]

On my 05 I bought the Fiberglass platform. It already has scratches form the boards. If I was to do it again I would have got Teak and Rhino lined it again. I spoke to someone who just had the rhino line done this year. It seems they have a filler for the spaces before they spray the rhino. You cannot see the individual planks. The place he went has been spraying decks for years and told him they started using the filler in 03

[tigeone]

Ok so what would I pay ($) to get it Rhino Lined?