One of the primary reasons why people go out on boat rides in the first place is to enjoy a sunny outdoor outing on the ocean. The issue is that the sun is often damaging to all aspects of your boat. Here are some technologies you can use to keep yourself and your boat from incurring damage because of ultraviolet rays in sunlight.

The Dangers of UV Light While Boating

UV light is at its height between 10 PM and 3 AM, so avoiding boating during these hours can help to mitigate the dangerous effects. There's still danger at other times as well, however. There are two different types of ultraviolet rays. UVA rays can cause long-term damage to your skin with wrinkles and spots. There are also UVB rays, which can cause sunburns and cancer.

Sunlight can also damage epoxy binding parts of your boat together, fade your hull, and erode other components in your boat.

Tinted Windows

One way to avoid damage to yourself or to components of your boat while driving is to use modern window boat tinting. They key to this is first cutting the tint in the shape of the glass you want to tint, and then washing the actual glass. You have to get all of the residue off, and using a squeegee is one effective way to do this.

You can also use a straight razor to make sure the surface is completely devoid of residue from soaping as well. Next you need to put the tint on the glass as evenly as you can. Bubbles can make the tint less effective. Go nice and slow in order to keep everything even.

Smooth it out afterward as well. If you use tint on your boat glass windows, you can limit your UV exposure during the worst hours while still getting some sun. Using sunscreen is also important, but the added protection from glass can help make it a sure bet. The tinted glass will also prevent UV sunlight from hitting areas underneath the window and windshield.

Hull Protection

Another important approach for avoiding sun damage is to use protective gel. This gel is essentially like sunscreen for your boat. It works in a similar way with the gel burning off under sunlight instead of your skin absorbing the rays.

First, you need to wash your boat, just like you'd wash your face before applying sunscreen. Your hull won't take the gel completely unless it's clean first. Then, you add your wax gel. It's important to find wax seal that has polymers in it that guard against the UV rays. Ideally, you should be doing this at least a few times per year.

For parts attached to your hull, such as vinyl seats, there are special protections you can use for these as well. Certain products have a light wax that can universally bind to surfaces like plastic, rubber, and fiberglass.