Boat Wraps

Vinyl wraps and sea crafts may not go together in your mind like PB and J, but really, they should. That's because vinyl boat wraps are an economical alternative to expensive hull painting, interior fiberglass work and spray cosmetic upgrades.

What Is a Vinyl Boat Wrap?

Boat wraps are vinyl sheets that adhere to the surface of your water vessel. You can choose from a range of colors, textures and graphics to transform your entire boat or enhance different sections for a new look. Vinyl film gives a similar image to fresh paint, but with more benefits and an economical cost. They’re durable and built to last when you want to convert your old boat into a new and unique sight to revel in.

Types of Boat Vinyl Wraps

Recreational boat owners and marine professionals alike can benefit from installing boat vinyl wrap. The great thing is, you can pick and choose which areas you want to enhance. There are three different methods of wrapping your vessel, including:

• Full: A full exterior vinyl wrap protects your entire hull. It functions like marine paint but without the extra cost. You can opt for solid colors, as well as graphics and logo designs to fit whatever vibe you’re going for. Advertise your business or simply add a color that represents your passion.
• Partial: You don’t always have to cover your whole boat. Instead, you may be looking to add a few accents or partial wrapping. Leave a section of the ship how it is, then add a couple of eye-popping graphics to the side of your vessel.
• Interior: You may not have thought about lining the interior of your boat, but it’s often popular among fishing rigs. Vinyl is easy to clean and allows you to customize the interior with the right colors and graphics.

What Are the Advantages of Boat Wraps?

Why should you choose a boat wrap, as opposed to replacing your entire boat? What benefits can boat wraps offer that full boat replacements can't? The most significant advantages of boat wraps include:

1. Boosts Resale Value

If you’re looking to sell your speed boat, yacht or fishing rig in the future, vinyl wrap can maintain its life. Vinyl wrap keeps your boat in excellent condition by resisting scratches and UV light damage. It helps during the resale process because you can choose to take off the wrap and restore your vessel to its original color is needed.

Most boats come off the production line with a white paint job, so it gives your potential buyers more options. However, your vinyl wrap can also be a strong selling point if you have a revered design or unique color scheme. Either way, the wrap acts as a protectant to uphold the resell value of your hull, keeping it in pristine condition.

2. Allows for Complete Customization

The look of your boat says a great deal about who you are and what you’re all about. Do you enjoy a classic Sunday boat ride during the summer or own a fishing business? Does your yacht host special events, or does your speed boat compete in races?

No matter what you use your vessel for, you can customize it to match your personality, brand and passion. With vibrant colors and enhanced images, you can add a signature twist to your watercraft that no one else has. Pick from a range of options, including solid colors, graphics, logos and textures.

Instead of relying on expensive paint jobs that have a limited lifespan, you can depend on vinyl wraps for simple customization. It’s an easier way to control your budget when you purchase the material you need and perform a straightforward DIY installation. You can regulate each aspect of your boat’s look, whether you want a full, partial or interior change.

Customization even helps you advertise your brand with digitally printed logos.

3. Allows for Hassle-Free Installation

One of the most significant advantages of boat vinyl wrap is that it’s as temporary or as permanent as you want. If you’re looking to change the color in a few years — or even a few months — you can easily remove the vinyl and give your boat a different look.

Unlike paint that’s permanent, you can take off the vinyl at any point and start over or even revert to your boat’s original look. It’s simple to replace your logos, graphics and other designs when you’re ready for an update.

4. Increases Durability

Many boat owners wonder about the durability of vinyl versus paint. The durability of a vinyl-wrapped vessel surpasses that of a paint job and has a lifespan that requires less effort and skill.

For example, if the vinyl on your hull has a tiny nick, it’s a quick and easy fix. All you need to apply is a bit of patchwork, and you’re back to the waves.

While durability has a lot to do with the brand you choose to work with, it also depends on the correct installation. It’s a simple process that you can complete on your own when you follow the proper procedures. Done well, vinyl can protect your vessel and remain durable with little upkeep.

5. Costs Less

Compared to marine paint jobs, vinyl wrap solutions are more economical. Professional detailing can cost several thousand dollars, but vinyl makes more sense when you’re looking for quality and value. If you own more than one marine engine, wrapping can be beneficial for a more affordable solution. It also makes it easy to place the same graphics on different boats or follow a similar theme.

Avoid the high upfront costs of painting and rely on the long-term benefits and easy installation of a cost-effective vinyl wrap.

6. Minimizes Environmental Impact

The process of applying vinyl to your watercraft doesn’t involve harsh chemicals or solvents. Even when you need to buff your wrap, all you require is a bit of warm water and soap. Each aspect of a film is safer for a marine location.

Paint jobs emit toxic fumes into the atmosphere, and if the paint chips off into the water, the environment can become contaminated.

7. Expedites Installation Process

Place your vessel on a trailer and start the process as soon as it dries. If you choose to install vinyl to your boat in the driveway, at the marina or in a garage, it’s a quick progression. Depending on the size of your craft, it won’t take more than a few days to complete.

Even if you want to switch the color halfway through, it shouldn’t set you back days at a time. In some instances, you can complete the entire job in the time it takes you to prep the vessel for paining. If you mess up, you can start again or apply overlays to the existing vinyl for a faster process — just watch out for bubbles.

8. Requires Minor Maintenance

It takes constant effort to keep a boat paint job clean, repainted, buffed and polished. It’s skilled maintenance that demands time and energy.

But with vinyl film, the only supplies you need are soap and water. Maintenance is quick and straightforward, whether you’re getting ready to showcase your boat or if you own a charter business. Some tips include:

• Avoid sunlight when not in use.
• Rely on proper storage.
• Use a gentle polish formula to buff up the boat.

The ease of care includes marine-safe soap, warm water and a soft brush. Never use a pressure washer and try to stick to a regular schedule to keep marine and land grime off the wrap. If dirt builds up, the impurities can decrease the quality of your vinyl.

Vinyl Boat Wrap Factors to Consider

As you’re searching for the ideal vinyl wrap for your yacht, sailboat or another vessel, you may ask yourself:

What Are the Properties of Vinyl?

Vinyl film usually looks better than paint on a boat since the latter can show signs of wear over time and requires more upkeep. Our solutions can give you a freshly polished look or a more textured appearance, depending on the vibe of your boat.

Premium film is fade-resistant and can last several years without needing touch-ups. It won’t peel or lift if you’ve followed the correct procedures on your own. Also, joins aren’t visible if you’re looking at the boat as a whole. However, where two pieces meet, it may be easier to see if you examine the hull carefully and know where one piece starts and the other ends.

Always make sure you conduct proper cleaning techniques, so you don’t compromise the wrap’s longevity.

What Style Boat Can You Wrap in Vinyl?

Everything from a pontoon boat wrap to a fishing boat wrap, vinyl can accommodate any type of watercraft. Think about people who love water sports, enjoy leisurely rides, partake in competitions and uphold a business on the water. You can wrap vessels, such as:

• Barges
• Bass boats
• Fishing boats
• Jet skis
• Pontoon boats
• Racing boats
• Sailboats
• Speed boats
• Yachts

Many boaters place vinyl on parts of the boat that are above water. You can apply the film to most materials, such as plastic and polycarbonate, as well as fiberglass and aluminum. Cover areas of your boat from the port and starboard side to the transom, deck area and wakeboard towers. The only space you can’t wrap is any section that has a rusted surface.

How Much Does It Cost to Get Your Boat Wrapped?

Many factors will determine how much it will cost to get your boat wrapped. And while all the boat wraps we carry are made by premium brands like 3M™ and Avery™, they're still available in an almost mind-boggling assortment of colors, finishes and sizes. Here are a few points to factor into the cost of a wrap:

• Size of craft
• Complexity of design
• Duration of installation
• Vinyl brand and type

The time it takes to install film relates to several of the same factors. It depends if you need extra help, the design you’re going for, how much material you have and the size of your vessel.

How Much Vinyl Do You Need to Wrap Your Boat?

Closely related to the cost of wrapping your boat is the question of how much film you'll need. Here are the most common types of sea craft along with an estimate —in yards— of vinyl wrap required:

• Commercial wrap: 100+ yards. Owning a commercial boat means you must put your best hull forward, so use vinyl wraps to enhance, customize and protect your craft.
• Fishing boat wrap: 10 to 100 yards. Fishing boat wraps offer the greatest variance in terms of the sizes required.
• Sailboat wrap: 25 to 35 yards. Vinyl wraps can enhance the look of your already attention-grabbing sailboat.
• Speed boat wrap: 15 to 25 yards. Our vinyl wraps have a range of colors and styles that can even change under different light, which many speed boaters like.
• Yacht wrap: 25 to 50 yards. Yacht wraps are a bit bigger but can be accomplished with around two 25 yard rolls at a maximum.

You can estimate how much wrap you may need for your DIY or refer to the professionals for a more precise approximation.

How Long Does a Boat Wrap Last?

There will always be those who argue that marine paint is superior because it lasts longer. Still, they almost never take into account that paint needs to be regularly repaired and undergo yearly maintenance.

Maintaining a painted boat is more difficult than a vinyl-wrapped boat and certainly requires more skill. If, on the other hand, vinyl needs a fix, it’s quick and easy. In addition to being easier to repair, boat wraps are also fade-resistant, so there’s no trouble matching your repair color to the rest of the boat. Best of all, there’s no need to wrap the entire vessel again if one area gets damaged.

The durability of your boat wrap also depends on the quality of its materials and installation, which is why it’s crucial to choose a trusted company with an experienced professional team. Premium-quality vinyl can last up to seven years if applied by a professional, which is as long as some much more expensive marine paint jobs.

What Is the Best Vinyl Boat Wrap Brand?

The best brand of vinyl boat wrap to buy is the one that you like the best and offers the color and finish you've been looking for. So whether you choose 2080 Series Gloss Flip from 3M™ for a chameleon look, ORACAL® 975HC for the one of a kind look of Honeycomb or SW900 Satin Gray, you know you're going to get the performance and quality you need.

3M™ began replacing the 1080 vinyl film, but we offer both the 1080 and 2080 versions to accommodate your preferences. We also carry Avery SW900, Oracal 970 RA and 975 and Rwraps.

DIY Boat Vinyl Projects

Completing your own vinyl boat wrap is simple and gives you the reward of feeling accomplished. To make sure the wrap holds, you need to prep your boat’s surface, no matter if you’re working on the hull or interior. To prepare the surface:

1. Take off any graphics you don’t want.
2. Peel and scrape off any glue.
3. Clean the surface with soap and water.
4. Get rid of algae, residue, mold and leftover polish.
5. Ensure the paint isn’t flaky or chalky, as this can affect the film’s adhesion.
6. Repair any dents and nicks, making sure they are flush.
7. Remove any fittings.

Your DIY will go a lot smoother if you have an extra pair of hands ready to help you fit and stretch the vinyl over the boat’s surface. Work with the right tools, like a squeegee and a heat gun, to release any bubbles and set the vinyl into its applied position. It’s a process that you and a few of your friends can complete to form a fresh new look.

Shop for Boat Wraps at Rvinyl Today

Rvinyl can supply you with superior-quality vinyl wraps to renovate your vessel without the use of harmful paints. Our specialists will support you each step of the way and provide sound advice to help you find the ideal solution.

Talk to our customer support team through our live chat option or reach out to our experts online to learn more about our DIY vinyl boat solutions.