SX-230 SeaDek Install (Note: Pix Heavy)

[GTBRMC]

Pix of my 2008 SX-230 with Storm Gray over Midnight Black "Two Color with Border" SeaDek kit from @JetBoatPilot

I went full monty with swimdeck kit + cockpit kit + optional pieces. Very happy with results. The Boss is very happy, too!

While the install was straight-forward, a couple thoughts for those considering this mod:

• Watch JetBoatPilot's install video on his YouTube channel (more than once), he tells and shows you everything you need to know
• I am soooo happy I did not go with the "teak" look mats - this install was challenging enough on my OCD tendencies as it was
  • I was able to gently "steer" my mats as I tacked them in place a couple of times that likely would not have looked good with the teak's parallel lines
  • I like this look vs the teak, it is not as "busy"
• Goo Gone did a great job taking up the old glue residue, but...
  • I used a medium-stiff nylon scrub brush to work the Goo Gone in until my triceps screamed with little visible effect
  • When I finally got frustrated and began rinsing with water, the glue residue started to magically release
  • Lesson: apparently Goo Gone needs a bit of water to activate before it really attacks this residue
• The adhesive residue from my starboard side small corner piece of Hydro-Turf was about 3x more difficult to remove than any of the others and left a noticeable yellowish stain on the gelcoat even when completely gone
  • Apparently Hydro-Turf and/or Yamaha used more than one type of glue for these mats (at least when mine was built)
  • The SeaDek kit piece completely covered this yellowish area, so no harm done
• I had a tough time getting my lower swimdeck mats to line up with each other, the boat's centerline, the upper swimdeck mats' gap, and the table mount
  • Found the perfect locations for all the mats, taped them in, stood back for eyeball test, failed test, repeated a couple times
  • Cause turned out to be my table mount was installed slightly to port of centerline
  • Once I realized the mount was slightly off, I stopped fighting it, adjusted the mats' pattern to compensate, and completed with a great looking result

A couple of times, I had to reposition a mat after I started tacking it down. The adhesive is truly pressure sensitive; as long as you lightly press the first edge in place, you can eyeball and then reposition if necessary. When firmly pressed in place, the mats are not going anywhere!

If I can do this install, anyone can. Do take your time, there is no rush.

Very curious to see how it wears over time. Love the look and feel. Very happy with both the SeaDek product and the kit from @JetBoatPilot - thank you!

Congratulations and thanks, also, to whoever did the template work on this kit. It is nearly perfect!

Edited to add: While the swim deck is not too bad as much of it can be reached from the ground while the boat is on its trailer, you will spend considerable time on your knees on the fiberglass floor installing the interior mats. Make sure to wear some knee pads and save yourself some bruising.

 

[jcyamaharider]

I have the teak but I am liking the solid as well!!

 

[PolarXJ]

That looks great! I think this may have made me want the solid more than the teak kind now.

 

[Jim Robeson]

Looks great!! I do like that solid color too!!

 

[Zarrella]

Looks great!
@GTBRMC is the last picture inside the storage closet?

 

[GTBRMC]

Looks great!
@GTBRMC is the last picture inside the storage closet?

Yes

 

[smthng]

Ok, I gotta ask... what's the deal with the stripes on the "solid" pieces? I'm leaning towards the teak cuts just because of that. It looks like they were manufactured on a machine with dirty rollers.

Don't take that the wrong way, your install looks great, but I think that the striping would drive me crazy.

 

[PolarXJ]

Ok, I gotta ask... what's the deal with the stripes on the "solid" pieces? I'm leaning towards the teak cuts just because of that. It looks like they were manufactured on a machine with dirty rollers.

Don't take that the wrong way, your install looks great, but I think that the striping would drive me crazy.

I can see how not everyone would like that, but that is actually what I like about it. I don't know why, I just do.

 

[robbo3]

Nicely done, that looks great.

 

[jcyamaharider]

I can see how not everyone would like that, but that is actually what I like about it. I don't know why, I just do.

I like it because it gives it the raw look.

 

[ToddW850]

Man that looks great!

 

[SCSTWG]

Love the color. Looks great.

 

[GTBRMC]

Ok, I gotta ask... what's the deal with the stripes on the "solid" pieces? I'm leaning towards the teak cuts just because of that. It looks like they were manufactured on a machine with dirty rollers.

Don't take that the wrong way, your install looks great, but I think that the striping would drive me crazy.

I am not sure, but I will assume you are referring to the brush marks that run in parallel on all the mats.
There are two SeaDek finishes available: Brushed and Embossed. I believe most that have bought SeaDek kits from JetBoatPilot and posted their results here have purchased the Brushed finish.

Clipped from JetBoatPilot.com photos (https://jetboatpilot.com/seadek.cfm) to show the two different finishes:

 

[JetBoatPilot]

@GTBRMC That is a great looking install!!! Thanks for posting these! We will put them on our website so others can see and help them with their decision making process.

As for @smthng question. You are looking at the brush strokes and those vary from sheet to sheet. When installed on the boat they are much less noticeable than in the images. I have the brushed on both of my boats currently and it does not bother me at all.

 

[smthng]

@GTBRMC Thanks... I didn't know there was a single color option. That might be what I'm looking for!

@JetBoatPilot I've been looking at this ever since I got the new boat and been kind of dreading it... I thought I'd have to go with brushed or teak and I wasn't overly thrilled about either based on the pictures. I'm glad the single color option is available, but now you have me wanting to see the brushed in person. Is there any chance I can get a couple scrap pieces of the brushed and embossed so I could see them and run them past the wife? Or, if you know a local installer who has both, that would work too.

 

[MOA_Chaser]

I found that Xylol/xylene did a much better job than acetone or Goo-Gone for me. Goo-Gone stays kind of oily and needs to be cleaned up itself. Acetone wasn't quite as powerful as the xylene. The xylene really released the glue and took all the stickyness out of it. Just be careful with it around any other plastics. I didn't have any trouble on my boat, but I was careful to keep it on the gelcoat. It attacked my shop vac nozzle though! Also, I used a fairly stiff stainless-steel wire brush (the little toothbrush kind) and it made quicker work out of removing the glue. I didn't go outside of the factory tread and whatever little scratches might have happened weren't really noticeable. I used a big wire brush to knock as much glue off as I could, vacuumed it up, let it soak with xylene, then used the big brush again, and finished up with the detailing brush.

 

[itsdgm]

Looks awesome @GTBRMC great write up too!!

 

[buckbuck]

Looks great GTBRMC. How long did it take to install?

 

[GTBRMC]

Thanks for all the compliments.

@buckbuck Total install time is a bit hard to pinpoint as I spread the work over three different sessions.

Like many such tasks, the actual installation time was less than prep time. As most of the work was done over the holiday weekend, I also had a number of interruptions including BBQing (2x), rain showers (3x+), neighbor mowing lawn and blowing dust & clippings into my work space, etc.

Guesstimates:

• prep - peeling old Hydro-Turf & stripping glue residue from swimdeck, approx 3 hours
• prep - pulling carpet screws & filling screw holes with 3M 5200, approx 30 mins (not including cure time)
• installation - includes final dusting and acetone wipedown just before each mat section, approx 4 hours

Note: my interior was still clean, excluding some dust, from a thorough deck scrubbing I did last fall, so that saved about an hour plus dry time... As I said above, I took my time, others could probably do the mat installs quicker, but it would be hard to shorten the prep time

 

[Andy S]

After two boating outing with the Sea Deck on the swim platform, the wife is now think of having me do the interior. @GTBRMC with your great work and pictures I see another purchase from @JetBoatPilot and another project for me. The forum is darn expensive for being free to join.