Sea Deck

Grey56

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Afternoon all -

Wanted to get the pulse from folks on the idea of Sea Deck/Marine Mat. Have seen several Grady's do it - and in cases it looks great. I honestly wouldn't even mind doing the custom plotting that Marine Mat offers to save on the labor cost.

My question is for those of you that have it: how does it hold up? This is a fishing boat after all - and I didn't know if having blood all over would easily wash off or if it just didn't hold up long enough to justify the cost.

All opinions - aesthetic or otherwise - are welcome!
 

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I love SeaDek. Getting it put in the new 235 next week. I am not a fisherman, so I can not attest to how it holds up to blood and guts....but I had it in my previous boat for 4 years and it still looked new. I recommend it. Looks awesome, feels great on your feet, and makes the interior look very clean. I do not recommend cheaping out on labor and trying to do it yourself. Mine will cost $2400 installed. Keep in mind this will generate a lot of controversy. A lot of people hate the stuff. But from what I have seen most of the disaster stories on-line are not really SeaDek but knockoff stuff from Ebay.
 
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I kicked it around and decided to try it on the cheap . $268 for 4 strips. Lots of leftover because of where I put seams. Started today after lunch mostly done by dinner. Needs some black silicone when I seal up the hatches. No it’s not a professional job. If I like it then someday maybe pay for professional CNC cuts. Makes me feel like I'm on a 38 sporty...

IMG_2176.jpeg
 
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Grey56

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I love SeaDek. Getting it put in the new 235 next week. I am not a fisherman, so I can not attest to how it holds up to blood and guts....but I had it in my previous boat for 4 years and it still looked new. I recommend it. Looks awesome, feels great on your feet, and makes the interior look very clean. I do not recommend cheaping out on labor and trying to do it yourself. Mine will cost $2400 installed. Keep in mind this will generate a lot of controversy. A lot of people hate the stuff. But from what I have seen most of the disaster stories on-line are not really SeaDek but knockoff stuff from Ebay.
I know - a lot of the time it boils down to who likes it or not. Given the choice - I'd like to have it professionally done as well; but the quotes I got for the areas we asked about was over 4K. As much as I liked the specs - having an extra 4K just laying around is a tall ask. Be sure to share photos though!
 
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Grey56

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I kicked it around and decided to try it on the cheap . $268 for 4 strips. Lots of leftover because of where I put seams. Started today after lunch mostly done by dinner. Needs some black silicone when I seal up the hatches. No it’s not a professional job. If I like it then someday maybe pay for professional CNC cuts. Makes me feel like I'm on a 38 sporty...

View attachment 29144
You did all this in ONE afternoon? It looks great!! And for the cost - I'd say you'd more than got your money's worth!!
 

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I know - a lot of the time it boils down to who likes it or not. Given the choice - I'd like to have it professionally done as well; but the quotes I got for the areas we asked about was over 4K. As much as I liked the specs - having an extra 4K just laying around is a tall ask. Be sure to share photos though!
$4K seems a little high, but then I see you are in LA. Honestly, you won't miss the money once you get it in. Buy once, cry once. It really dresses up the boat. No more dirty foot prints on the deck. No more slipping on wet flooring. And it's so comfortable to stand on.
 

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I have little experience with any of the EVA foam products, though I did do a little research about it, and concluded that it wasn't for me. I think that the biggest reasons would be that it's something you'd likely have to change up every 5-7 years or so and at $2,500 for the install, that's roughly $400-$500 a year that you're spending on the product. On top of that and probably the biggest reason would be the pulling up of the old stuff and having to get it ready to be prepped to put down whatever you're going to do with it next. I've heard from some that the adhesive will just destroy the non skid floors on your boat, or that it'll leave a sticky residue behind that you have to spend hours and hours cleaning and getting right before you can put anything else new down on top of it. Which to me, sounds like a lot of money, time and effort over something that I don't absolutely "love" the idea of having in the first place. The last thing is that I leave my boat out on a mooring buoy during the summer unattended for days and/or up to maybe a week at a time. My concern would be staining and discoloration from the sun, seagulls crapping on it and leaving dead fish heads or other fish guts on the boat and just destroying it. With nothing on the boat currently, it's not too bad pulling the boat in, pressure washing it and then putting it back out on the buoy. Though again, if there was seagull crap and dead fish guts on the product for a week with the sun beating down on it, I'm thinking it would get destroyed pretty quickly, which I wouldn't want to have after spending thousands of dollars on installing it. Just my opinions, of course. I think the better option would be the Marine Mat or whichever ones have the "semi-permanent adhesive with the snaps" so that you can remove it much more easily for cleaning, replacing a section of it and so forth.
 
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Grey56

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I had some installer come measure my 228 and he sort of set my expectations at around $2500. The quote came back at over $7000.
Not no, hell no.
Yeah - there seems to be a strange market for these fellas. The sales personnel push hard - and it stands in contrast to the fact that if you contact the factory direct (Marine Mat was great when I called for a color swatch - and that alone would make them likely get my business) who always seem behind demand.

But the prices for the material don't add up. It's not new material - and even with it being custom cut: none of it is new technology. Then there's the labor - which I'm fine with $50 an hour for skilled labor. Throw in a $200 trip charge to get the truck out there/have it mailed to where-ever you live. Custom floor carpet installs for this type of square footage isn't that expensive.
 

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I have little experience with any of the EVA foam products, though I did do a little research about it, and concluded that it wasn't for me. I think that the biggest reasons would be that it's something you'd likely have to change up every 5-7 years or so and at $2,500 for the install, that's roughly $400-$500 a year that you're spending on the product. On top of that and probably the biggest reason would be the pulling up of the old stuff and having to get it ready to be prepped to put down whatever you're going to do with it next. I've heard from some that the adhesive will just destroy the non skid floors on your boat, or that it'll leave a sticky residue behind that you have to spend hours and hours cleaning and getting right before you can put anything else new down on top of it. Which to me, sounds like a lot of money, time and effort over something that I don't absolutely "love" the idea of having in the first place. The last thing is that I leave my boat out on a mooring buoy during the summer unattended for days and/or up to maybe a week at a time. My concern would be staining and discoloration from the sun, seagulls crapping on it and leaving dead fish heads or other fish guts on the boat and just destroying it. With nothing on the boat currently, it's not too bad pulling the boat in, pressure washing it and then putting it back out on the buoy. Though again, if there was seagull crap and dead fish guts on the product for a week with the sun beating down on it, I'm thinking it would get destroyed pretty quickly, which I wouldn't want to have after spending thousands of dollars on installing it. Just my opinions, of course.
Agreed. Our situation is a little different with it being dry-dock + having a cover. But you are absolutely right in that if it's so much money up front - having to simply replace it in 5-7 years for a similar cost is a tough pill to swallow. While I don't necessarily think having it on the fighting deck is best - having it at the helm & stairs leading down to the birth/galley/head does have appeal since it is out of the elements almost at all times.

As much as I'd like to put down teak on the fighting deck - I can't even begin to imagine the cost.....
 

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Agreed. Our situation is a little different with it being dry-dock + having a cover. But you are absolutely right in that if it's so much money up front - having to simply replace it in 5-7 years for a similar cost is a tough pill to swallow. While I don't necessarily think having it on the fighting deck is best - having it at the helm & stairs leading down to the birth/galley/head does have appeal since it is out of the elements almost at all times.

As much as I'd like to put down teak on the fighting deck - I can't even begin to imagine the cost.....
What's your end goal here? To make the boat look nicer, to have something to stand on that's more comfortable? If you're simply looking for something that's comfortable to stand on, have you considered maybe an anti-fatiguing mat or something similar? I'd have to imagine that would be a fraction of the cost and not as "permanent" as the SeaDek would be.
 

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What's your end goal here? To make the boat look nicer, to have something to stand on that's more comfortable? If you're simply looking for something that's comfortable to stand on, have you considered maybe an anti-fatiguing mat or something similar? I'd have to imagine that would be a fraction of the cost and not as "permanent" as the SeaDek would be.
It's a bit of both, honestly. But to your point: had not considered the mat - that is a good idea!
 

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I have it on my 330 express. I paid $3800 including measure, install. Sounds expensive but I also opted for laser etched which is more money… and I also had them do the steps and the cabin floor as my teak/holly sole was pretty trashed.

Install:
I wouldn’t Recommend diy unless you are very good at template making and has to be cut by them or you won’t get the nice finished edges that have contrasting colors.
Also, don’t count on any pre existing template any manufacturer has for your model. Seadek had one for my model and the template didn’t fit correct. Installer still had to scan it and make changes. If you are having is measured and cut by a dealer, you will find out the actual installation is only a few hundred.

living with it:

looks awesome, feels even better. It’s been over a year and ot looks just as good as the day it was installed. I’ve spilled ring free in it, grease, dirt…. Cleans up easy. I’ve bloodied it only a couple of times as I don’t fish a lot. I made sure to rinse right away with the raw water wash down which I’d have done with nonskid anyway.
 

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Grey56

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I have it on my 330 express. I paid $3800 including measure, install. Sounds expensive but I also opted for laser etched which is more money… and I also had them do the steps and the cabin floor as my teak/holly sole was pretty trashed.

Install:
I wouldn’t Recommend diy unless you are very good at template making and has to be cut by them or you won’t get the nice finished edges that have contrasting colors.
Also, don’t count on any pre existing template any manufacturer has for your model. Seadek had one for my model and the template didn’t fit correct. Installer still had to scan it and make changes. If you are having is measured and cut by a dealer, you will find out the actual installation is only a few hundred.

living with it:

looks awesome, feels even better. It’s been over a year and ot looks just as good as the day it was installed. I’ve spilled ring free in it, grease, dirt…. Cleans up easy. I’ve bloodied it only a couple of times as I don’t fish a lot. I made sure to rinse right away with the raw water wash down which I’d have done with nonskid anyway.
First - LOVE the name of your boat: absolutely well done. You're not a Warhammer 40K fan are you??

Second - the cleaning intel is very appreciated: since this has been my primary concern with boating a fish & having it bleed after being gaffed.

Appreciate you sharing the experience!!
 

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First - LOVE the name of your boat: absolutely well done. You're not a Warhammer 40K fan are you??

Second - the cleaning intel is very appreciated: since this has been my primary concern with boating a fish & having it bleed after being gaffed.

Appreciate you sharing the experience!!

thanks for the kind words. I jump in on a lot of seadek threads because I’m so tired of people trashing it who have never had it in their own boat. As for the name, it’s a tribute to the ww1 class of battleships.
 

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I have it on my 330 express. I paid $3800 including measure, install. Sounds expensive but I also opted for laser etched which is more money… and I also had them do the steps and the cabin floor as my teak/holly sole was pretty trashed.
That looks great. Obviously the CNC cuts with the curves and borders are way better than my straight lines. My deck was well worn and getting a little slick from 20 years of sliding coolers. I had nothing to lose to try it. I'm not sure how well it would stick on brand new diamond non-skid.
It feels awesome. We'll see how it stands up to my crew and tuna fishing. I might put some of the extra on the foc'sul for better footing at the anchor.
 
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FREEDOM!!!

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I had some installer come measure my 228 and he sort of set my expectations at around $2500. The quote came back at over $7000.
Not no, hell no.

I love it at $2400. I wouldn't do it for $7K. That's crazy. Shop around. Find another SeaDek person. That sounds like someone's "I don't have time to do it" price.
 
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I have little experience with any of the EVA foam products, though I did do a little research about it, and concluded that it wasn't for me. I think that the biggest reasons would be that it's something you'd likely have to change up every 5-7 years or so and at $2,500 for the install, that's roughly $400-$500 a year that you're spending on the product. On top of that and probably the biggest reason would be the pulling up of the old stuff and having to get it ready to be prepped to put down whatever you're going to do with it next. I've heard from some that the adhesive will just destroy the non skid floors on your boat, or that it'll leave a sticky residue behind that you have to spend hours and hours cleaning and getting right before you can put anything else new down on top of it. Which to me, sounds like a lot of money, time and effort over something that I don't absolutely "love" the idea of having in the first place. The last thing is that I leave my boat out on a mooring buoy during the summer unattended for days and/or up to maybe a week at a time. My concern would be staining and discoloration from the sun, seagulls crapping on it and leaving dead fish heads or other fish guts on the boat and just destroying it. With nothing on the boat currently, it's not too bad pulling the boat in, pressure washing it and then putting it back out on the buoy. Though again, if there was seagull crap and dead fish guts on the product for a week with the sun beating down on it, I'm thinking it would get destroyed pretty quickly, which I wouldn't want to have after spending thousands of dollars on installing it. Just my opinions, of course. I think the better option would be the Marine Mat or whichever ones have the "semi-permanent adhesive with the snaps" so that you can remove it much more easily for cleaning, replacing a section of it and so forth.
Doesn't the snap-in matting get all kinds of dirty underneath? Also, you have to drill dozens of permanent holes in your boat for the snaps. I had SeaDek for 4 years on my previous boat which was kept on a lift with no cover in the Florida sun year round. It did not fade, discolor, peel, or show any wear. Still looked new.
 

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Doesn't the snap-in matting get all kinds of dirty underneath? Also, you have to drill dozens of permanent holes in your boat for the snaps. I had SeaDek for 4 years on my previous boat which was kept on a lift with no cover in the Florida sun year round. It did not fade, discolor, peel, or show any wear. Still looked new.
Probably, or you'd have to use some sort of adhesive to the "male sided" snaps to fasten them to the floor of the boat if you didn't want to drill holes in the floor. That being said, if you're putting the foam down anyway, I'm not sure why you'd do that but have any issue with potentially drilling 4 holes into the corners of the floor panels. Idk, I don't have any first hand experience with any of these products, I just watched the below video and it seemed like a bit better of a product than the SeaDek. And if you didn't want. to go with the snap it series or whatever it's called, it looked like their adhesive is more of a medium bond that will come up in one piece and is somewhat removable, instead of breaking off into small pieces when trying to remove it.