Kiwigrip Slippery w/ barefeet?

[Freerider]

I applied kiwigrip over old gelcoat nonskid yesterday, after replacing a bunch of balsa core. I sanded the old diamond non-skid just enough to flatten the ridges. I read that this stuff really doesn't go that far when put over old diamond gelcoat, but i was hoping to do my 35' boat with 1 gallon. I ended up skimping too much in the beginning, but found my groove as i went on, still staying on the conservative side.

The results were mixed for a few reasons, not using enough kiwi grip and the weather started heating up to around 29c or 30c by the time i was finishing up.
I found the paint started to clump on the roller as it heated up leaving large clumps in random areas. Not a huge deal but not ideal.

Not counting the areas where there's not enough non-skid applied, I find the surface fairly slippery in barefeet when wet. I almost bailed off the boat this morning stepping off the ladder on onto wet dew.

The port side deck turned out great mainly because it was shaded by trees. Even still its more slippery that my old gelcoat.

Has anyone had issues in bare feet?

[SF Bay Dude]

Reviving this baby… I wanted to like Kiwigrip, but in the test patch I made, it worked fine with deck shoes and bare feet when dry. But when I wet it and walked around, jumped, and slid in testing, I was slipping all over the place. I haven't really found many reviews or first-hand experiences with it from cruisers over the long term.

Anybody out there with a some cruising time in wet conditions want to add something? Please

[donradcliffe]

We just had Kiwi grip applied this week to the cockpit floor in a boat I race on. Last night's experience was good. Much less slipping, but less likely to take your skin off than rolled gelcoat. Looks good, but I noticed it picked up some dirt by the end of the evening. I'll spill some beer on it next week and let you know how it goes when it gets wet.

[gilgsn]

I think you might not have used enough. I used 1.5 Gal for a 26ft double ender (small cockpit). Don't think of it as paint, it really isn't. The stuff needs to be laid on THICK. No problem bare footed..

https://youtu.be/d1SD9tsGq1s

Gil


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[SF Bay Dude]

gilgsn-

I put it on properly. Just not impressed when I wet it down. Maybe it's different when the boat is heeled over and one's body weight helps your feet firmly attached? Have you sailed extensively with a wet deck heeled over? If so, I would love to hear some input. Thanks!

[Dulcesuenos]

Did you guys scrub It good after a week or 2 once it really sets? The directions say soaps or something. Rises during the curing process and needs to be well scrubbed to remove. We also added a very very light due to g with some silica before ours cured and we love it compared to our old painted over non skid.

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[gilgsn]

Hello,

I haven't tried barefooted in very wet conditions yet...

Gil.

[Sandibar]

I don't have problems with the grip, but with the application you need to really watch the weather. I did the whole deck last spring and parts are coming off now, big time. I assume those parts got wet before curing properly, either from condensation or rain. Anyhoo, planning to fix those spots this coming spring. No biggie, since the actual application, including prep work is a breeze.

[Jim Cate]

Can't comment directly on Kiwigrip, but we used a very similar industrial product called "Acrylmeric Sportscote", made in Oz. It was simple to apply over LPU/grit anti skid. It is far and away the best anti skid we have ever encountered, wet or dry. Now about six years old, still going strong. Hard to keep clean (very hard!), but easy to recoat if it gets too ugly. Best part is that because it isn't a yottie product, it was quite inexpensive: ~180 Australian dollars for 15 litres. We used about 7 litres to do the whole deck on our 46 foot boat. The remnants, kept in a plastic tub, are still usable for touchups or renewal.

Jim

[groundtackle]

Kiwi grip is $184 / Gallon here
So far we've gone through 2.5 gallons on about 2/3 of my deck (cal 2-46)
Seems ok but the side decks will need redoing as they got too wet before they had a chance to dry



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