This blog was updated in April 2022
Summer is almost here, and for many, that means it’s time to head outdoors. While going to the park or spending time in your backyard is great, if you own a boat, there’s only one place to be during the summer: on the water! Whether it’s a lake or the ocean, there’s nothing quite like spending the day on your boat fishing, swimming, and relaxing. However, when you first take a look at your boat after a long winter, you may be surprised at how it looks. Your pristine watercraft may not look as good as it did last summer. This is normal after a few months of not being used regularly.
Fortunately, your boat will clean up pretty quickly. This is a good time to give it an overhaul, too. You may want to repaint your boat before you take it out this summer, or you may want to add a little pizazz to it by installing a few boat decals. These decals can make your boat stand out, but they can have a practical application, too. If your own your own business, boat decals can work just like vehicle decals and help you advertise. You can even do a full vinyl wrap for your boat! If you haven’t thought about a wrap or adding decals to your boat before, here are a few reasons why you should think about doing so.
Show Off Your Personality
While your boat may have some color on it, most boats look pretty similar: they’re white with a few pops of color. Decals can help you show off your personality and add a little fun to your boat. After all, your boat was a major investment—it should reflect who you are and how much fun you have on it. If you have a business, having a well-maintained and good-looking boat will show your clients that you care about the small details. It can help with your overall brand perception.
Painting your boat is a major undertaking that involves getting it up into drydock. It’s not something you’ll want to do very often. However, adding a vinyl boat decal is much faster, and in many cases, it can be done at just about any dock. It’s also easy to install and affordable, while a new paint job can be quite expensive. A few decals can change the whole look of your boat, even if the decal is just in one or two places. You can add more color, different graphics, and even photos if you want. Every aspect of the decals can be customized, so you’re truly free to design your boat however you want. Even better, these decals can be easily removed and replaced later, so you can switch up your boat’s look as often as you like.
Make Your Boat Stand Out
Boat decals can make your boat stand out. This is especially important if you’re in any sort of boating event. You want people to be able to recognize your boat, and a few bright decals are an easy way of doing that. You can personalize these decals so they’re truly different from every other boat you’ve seen. Once that’s done and the decals are installed, you and everyone else will be able to instantly pick your boat out of the pack.
If you’re going to advertise your business on your boat, this is especially important. You need your company logo to stand out and be noticed. This is hard to do if your boat blends in with all the others around it. You’ll need to think about the best way of getting your company’s message across, especially since many people see boats from afar. A large, simple graphic may be the best. Take your time, and if you’re not experienced with graphic design, think about consulting with an expert.
You don’t have to put your decals on the sides of the boat, either. You can design decals to add to the back, front, or even the top of the cabin. Because decals can be cut into any shape, there’s truly no surface of your boat that you couldn’t put a decal on. This essentially makes every blank space on the boat a canvas for you to decorate. Allow your creativity to run wild.
How Easy Are Decals to Maintain?
You may be wondering what “don’t require a lot of maintenance” entails exactly. “Low maintenance” can be defined differently by different people. Fortunately, when it comes to boat decals, low maintenance really does mean next to nothing. You will simply need to hand-wash your decal with a mild detergent mixed in with water every now and then. This will help keep the vinyl and coating in good condition so the decal will last for years. You will want to avoid using anything that will scrap the decal, so no hard-bristled brushes or other abrasive products. You also will want to be gentle when washing it. Don’t apply a lot of pressure or pull at the edges of the decal.
Boat Decals Have a Great Return on Investment
Painting your boat is a lot of work, and it’s not cheap. Decals and wraps, however, are much easier to install and cost much less. Even if you go for large decals with a lot of different colors, the cost is still going to be less than painting your entire boat. It’s also one of the best returns on investment you’ll get for marketing. Decals don’t require a lot of maintenance, plus they can remain on your boat for as long as you want them there. Once they’re installed, they continue to advertise for your business for as long as you’d like. Even if your wrap or decal is damaged, it can be easily repaired or replaced.
In fact, that’s another reason why boat decals are such a great return on investment. They don’t damage the boat’s paint, so you can remove and replace them as often as you’d like. This means you can have a new boat decal for every new marketing plan or even for every new product. You can put new decals on each season or holiday if you’d like. Even if you’re not advertising with your boat, you’re still free to change up your boat’s look whenever you feel like it. Try out some funky geometric designs, then go for some sleek running stripes or a fun animal decal. It’s all up to you.
Protect Your Paintjob
Your boat is going to be out in the sun a lot, even when you’re not using it. This means its paint is going to be under direct sunlight. Eventually, that will cause it to begin to fade. Paint can also get scratched or damaged by the weather, collisions with items in the water, and other things. Repairing it is costly. However, adding a vinyl boat wrap is a great way of protecting the paint. These wraps and other decals are made to withstand years of direct sunlight. They’re also very durable and won’t easily scratch.
What Does it Take to Add a Boat Decal or Wrap?
Adding a boat decal or vinyl wrap to your boat is very simple. The first step is to decide what you want the decal or wrap to look like. For wraps, this typically means selecting a color and deciding how much of your boat you want wrapped. You may just want to do the hull, or you may want to wrap every surface. For decals, it means designing the decal. Since you have total freedom here, you can make it look like whatever you want. You could even hire an artist or graphic designer to create your decal for you.
The next step is finding a printer. You want to look for a decal or wrap printer that uses high-quality vinyl and ink that will withstand sunlight and water. This is especially important if your boat will be in the ocean since it will be exposed to saltwater. You need to know that the products you’re adding to your boat are going to withstand the test of time and the elements.
The final step is installation. Having professionally installed decals is important, especially if you’re decals are fairly large. If you try to install them yourself, you run the risk of getting bubbles in the vinyl or ripping the vinyl if you’re not careful. With wraps, you definitely want a professional to install them. If you’ve never installed a wrap before, you could easily wrinkle, bunch, or tear the vinyl. This is one of those jobs that’s best left to the experts, so your boat looks amazing.
TNT Signs is Here to Meet All Your Boat Decal and Wrap Needs
If you’re ready to add boat decals or vinyl wrap to your boat, you need an expert to print and install it. That’s where TNT Signs and Graphics comes in. Our team has years of experience in creating decals for boats and other vehicles, including cars. Whether you’re just thinking about adding a wrap or decal to your boat or you’re ready with the design, we’re here for you. Contact TNT Signs today to learn more.
