Deciding on bottom paint is a regional, sometimes section-of-the-harbor-specific choice. It’s based on lots of variables like water temperature, silt, substrate, pollution, water flow, biofouling organisms present, and the frequency and type of boating you do.

Making that choice is made even harder because a bottom paint that works in one part of the harbor may not be as effective a few hundred yards away in that same harbor–even on the same type of boat.

The general consensus is there’s more fouling activity in warmer water and still water, and less growth in water that’s colder or where there’s more current flowing beneath the hull. It’s also harder for biofoulers to attach to a moving target, so the more you use your boat, the cleaner the bottom should remain.

At any rate, it’s always a good idea to ask fellow boaters and local boatyard professionals to help pinpoint paints that work best where your boat floats.

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