Swim Platform Care

[dbsmith]

How often should one oil their swim platform and what type of oil should be used and what type of preparation work needs to be done?

[Morry Jones]

Great question, there wasn't much info about this when the boat was new. One of my boards is warped already and my boats only a 2001. I keep regular teak oil and clean it once a year with an A & B compound that takes all the old oil and scum off.

[Tip]

I use teak oil about once a month in the summer. Remember to also do the bottom and sides. -Tip

[Flying Tiger]

Originally posted by Tip
I use teak oil about once a month in the summer. Remember to also do the bottom and sides. -Tip

And make sure the teak oil gets between the boards too.

I use a spray bottle to get oil all over the bottom.
And every so often use a light sandpaper first,, then oil it.

Use lots of oil,, and oil it regularly.

I oil mine after every other trip.

[hanzj]

I use the 3 step kit from Star Brite. It has a cleaner, brightner, and oil. I do that at the beginning of the summer and keep oil on it for the remaining.

[blr]

i found that during the season i was "oiling" my platform every 2 weeks on my last tige. on suggestion of a friend i started using cooking spray rather than the platform specific teak oil, it worked just as good. i would spray on a really heavy coat, let it sit over night and then wipe it off in the morning, it worked well but got tired of doing it so often, so i rino lined it. this is really the best way to go imo.

[AZ21I]

I got some teak oil from home depot and use it every 2-3 trips to the lake. Our platform looks so good. Always shinny and looks great. I use a paint roller to apply it. Oly cost me $8.

[Matt Garcia]

I like the natural look of Teak but did not like the mainetance on it nor did I want to Rhino Line it. So instead I tried Sikkens Cetol Marine and I am pleased with the results. Sikkens is a protective translucent wood finish made for boats. After a month of heavy use it still looks like the same day I applied it. The only downfall is it is slick when wet. It did come out lighter than I wanted but I dont care since I dont have to keep re applying oil. My platform was grey and faded so I started with a very light sanding and then a teak cleaner. I also applied two coats of it as well.

[ssrgeoff]

slippery platforms are costly..... I slipped off my buddy's and lost my beer.

[David]

If it is too slippery and you get tired of oiling it everytime, would it work to stick like a rubber grip over it or something?

[hanzj]

I lost a beer one time....I still haven't fully recovered :(

[joe8395]

I lost a tall can once, I don't remember much but my friends tell me there was a lot of sobbing.

[ssrgeoff]

Corona w/ lime....:(

[Sandmoose]

Lets have a moment of silence for the beers that never made it..........

[ghollow]

I do the three step process as part of my winterizing process. During the season, I apply it abut once a month. I also use a wire brush instead of sand paper. It seems to develop small grooves in the wood that helps with traction.
The best thing for you other guys is to stay off the platform while you have a beer in your hand. Wasted beer is no laughing matter.

[xpjim1]

I'd rather see a wasted beer than a wasted driver:)

[ghollow]

You got that right.

[dyldebus]

I took the advice of this thread and got some starbrite oil and applied it to my 06 24ve deck today. Works GREAT! Looks brand new after only two coats. The boat is still pretty new (got it last July) but the AZ sun is pretty unforgiving on the teak. Anyways, I would also recommend it to anybody. It's a little pricey but I only used 1/10 of the bottle and applied 2 very heavy coats.

-Dylan

[dogbert]

The 3 step program is the way to go on the teak platform.

As for those with the lost beers, you might try the 12 step program :)

[bneub]

Do you mean bring an extra 12 pack just in case you loose one?:D

[jsz]

I just tried the Starbrite 3 step process and never made it to step 2. After 2 trys with the teak cleaner it looked like I never touched it. I decided to go with the belt sander as some others here recommended. After a thorough sand job w/ 120 grit and then oil, it looks great. Just like Matt's a few posts back but less slippery. The 3 step process might work better now that I'm starting from a like new condition.

[Tequilasun]

Originally posted by bneub
Do you mean bring an extra 12 pack just in case you lose one?:D


Always thinkin....always thinkin!!!!

[Tequilasun]

Originally posted by jsz
I just tried the Starbrite 3 step process and never made it to step 2. After 2 trys with the teak cleaner it looked like I never touched it. I decided to go with the belt sander as some others here recommended. After a thorough sand job w/ 120 grit and then oil, it looks great. Just like Matt's a few posts back but less slippery. The 3 step process might work better now that I'm starting from a like new condition.


Teak is so dense, that you need to raise the grain a bit before you apply sealers/oil etc. So a light sanding is almost always a must.