i've looked through a ton of old posts about waxing a boat...some say don't use regular car wax...others say there is no difference. some say "they heard"...others say they were detailers. is there any difference between a regular wax like turtle wax and a marine wax of some kind? after using a rubbing compound for the last two weeks to get some of the color back...should i polish it first, then wax?

Get the Driven to perfection products. It is great. They have a color restorer and a great boat wax. In between us Hot Sauce by Boat Bling. <BR> <BR>http://www.driventoperfection.com/ <BR> <BR>(Message edited by oaf on May 04, 2006)

ryan it depends if you like the finish you currently have. i would have stayed away from the rubbing compound and tried polishing compound initially. polishing compound isnt as abrasive(doesnt take away as much of the gel coat). with that being said id you are pleased with the color then go ahead and apply the way. i use meguiars nxt wax. i wax once a month and apply eagle wax as you dry after every ride. i live in arizona and have to store the boat outside. meguiars is a synthetic wax. if youre not going to use a synthetic wax use something that has a high carnuba content for best results. sorry i havent heard of a difference between marine wax or regular wax. good luck

btw ive tried 6-8 different wax products before deciding on the nxt. i found it generates the highest shine and is easy to work with(doesnt take a ton of work to get on or off)

is the nxt a boat-type wax or can you buy that at an auto parts store? we have no boat stores within a 100 miles...so i'm relegated to what i can find at Napa or Checker... <BR> <BR>my boat was pretty heavily oxidized so thats why i went with the rubbing compound...i've done it all by hand so it's taken awhile - i wish i could get the original color/shine back, but without wet sanding (i don't want to replace the graphics) i don't know if that's possible or not...

There is no difference between the waxes. I would recommend Meguires though as they have on of the better products on the market. If your boat is oxidized though, you will need to use rubbing compound first to remove the oxidation, followed by polish, and finally wax.

Ryan, <BR>You need to use an electric buffer (not an orbital) to generate the required heat to remove oxidation and scratches. It should be capable of 1400 to 3000 RPM. You don't have to wet sand to get great results. You can buff around your graphics. It will make a huge difference that is impossible to get by hand. <BR> <BR>Jman <BR> <BR>PS: 3M and Meguires make some great products.

ryan its available at walmart and probably any autoparts store. if you can a 7 1/4 polisher thats the way to go for removing your polishing compound(i got mine for about 20 bucks at harbor freight) i think they have an online site too.