Topside Non-skid paints

[billyg]

I am looking for information/advice. Time to redo the topside and new non-skid paint. Is anyone familar with using ground up rubber as an additive to topside paint and is there such a paint product already out there with rubber as an additive?

[Boasun]

Well when I was in the Navy and on those STEEL decks of the ships I served on, we would use carbonated sand. Sprinkled thickly on wet paint, let dry over night, then gently sweep off the loose sand then top coat that walk way with another coat or two of paint.
You don't want to slide on it. Safe to walk on in the roughest of seas but had the surface of about 24 grit sand paper.

But for your fiberglass decks use crushed walnut shells mixed evenly into the paint you are using to paint your walk ways...
Be sure that those walk ways are carefully masked off before you start.

[Faster]

Awlgrip sells a product called 'griptex' to add to the paint for a non skid surface. It is available in several grits (ie coarse, med, fine). The general idea is to add it to the paint pot, and also add a couple of ball bearing or marbles. Keeping the pot agitated between sprays keeps the grit in suspension.

The result is a nice, uniform looking nonskid esp if you take care in masking off the non skid pattern. However it's not as effective as I'd like, though it did improve with time as some of the paint wore down a bit.

Interlux Interdeck is another product, it's a one part poly paint that has the grit in it already.. we've used this on the cockpit sole of our present boat and the non skid characteristics are excellent, it's wearing well through 3 seasons and rolls out quite nicely. With proper surface prep it seems a stable coating and I'll probably use it again. The coverage is not great, it's a bit thick so it doesn't go far but it's not real costly either.

And of course, one can add sand, silica beads, walnut shells etc to pretty much any paint, or 'sprinkle' it on a wet layer and then repaint. Another technique is to mix up a real thick mixture of epoxy with pigment and use a roller that will pull it into a rough pattern. This type can be very aggressive and painful to kneel on.

[PeterSailer]

Interluxe also sells a product to add to your paint.

But if you don't have a lot of $$$ you could use some sand.
The only thing with sand is that when your paint will wear off you will see
brown grain of sand all over your deck.

[sailingdog]

Another option is to use a purpose made non-skid deck coating, like KiwiGrip or Durabak.

[tager]

Does anyone else have experience with durabak? My dynel over ply decks are due for a paint job. I was thinking white duraback, right over the old paint, sand granules and all. I really want to avoid scraping sand granules. No amount of heat is going to make a scraper, or the person weilding it enjoy sand.