Painted Graphics vs. Vinyl Graphics
 

I would like to hear some opinions about paint vs. vinyl graphics. I realize that the vinyl will be much less initial cost, and if a future buyer doesn't like my graphics the boat can be easily changed to their tastes. What I don't know are what are some of the negatives of vinyl graphics, if there are any. Thanks for the input.

Paint looks better...hands down. Vinyl is not as "shiny" as paint and It's pretty difficult to get dock rash off of.

Pluses would be paint jobs become dated, vinyl is easily replaced. You can do pretty cool graphic stuff with vinyl. And of course you could change the vinyl graphics every other year for 20 years before matching the cost of 1 high end paint Job.

I was going to say go with vinyl in your other thread but didn't. I'm going with vinyl on my next boat!

Agreed, when I get tired of my current paint it will be sanded off and get vinyl.

I was thinking the same thing put some nice vinyl on it, and in five or six years you can just pull it off and have nice white gellcote. Just my .02

I think vinyl for cost and ease

In 5 or 6 years you will see whatever graphics you had in the gel - they won't be coloured but the outline will be there if it spends any time at all in the sun.
i see the pros and cons of both:

vinyl -- cheap, fairly easy, changeable, harder to fix, don't look as good, can't get too crazy, most of the time you will see the outline of old vinyl on the gel

paint -- easier to fix -- depending on graphics, more money, can get as crazy as you want to spend, if you repaint you can't tell there was anything different before. way better looking --- shine---

Vinyl is smart...if you get tired it's easy to change. Also in today's and probably the near future's market it will be easier to sell if they graphics are removable. It should appeal to a wider range of buyers.

Personally many of the boats I look at I wouldn't buy based on the graphics alone. I tend towards the simpler graphics which negates many of the boats out there, but if I could remove the graphics it would open a whole new world of potential purchases.

The guy that does vinyl by me sprays it with clear coat before it goes on, looks more like paint and lasts longer without fading. Something to look into.....

Generally anything you think looks super cool, many others will think looks retarded. I had some simple vinyl stripes on the hood of my Z06, the new owner couldn't wait to remove them. If it was painted, I may not have got it sold over the stripes.

I'd definitely go with vinyl.