Best Paint For Kayak for 2023 – Check Our Ultimate Guide Now!

“What kind of paint can I use on a kayak?” If you are painting a kayak for the first time, these queries might have made you crazy. Take a breath of relief as we have reviewed the best kayak paint to sort all the issues.

In ancient times, people loved to paint their kayaks to bring aesthetics. Nowadays, professionals prefer painting their surf kayaks to repair potential damage & scratches. 

In order to assist all beginners, we have chosen the best paint to use on a kayak by going through all the top products on the market in 2021. We have also appended a buyer’s guide to provide a better concept. So, all the kayak riders out there, be ready with brushes to feature some amazing colors in your kayak.

Best paint for kayaks: A Quick View With Comparison Table

Top 4 Best Paint for Kayak Reviews

Check our detailed review on every item. We have highlighted all the necessary features a buyer would need to know. So, hurry up and dig inside now!

1. Rust-Oleum Marine Topside Paint: 

If a kayak rider owns fiberglass, metal-framed, or wooden kayak, Rust-Oleum marine paint will be an excellent choice. Every rider wishes to ensure an appealing look for a prolonged period. Due to its unparalleled performance, customers have rated it 4.6 out of 5 for superb longevity.

Specifications:

• Brand: Rust-Oleum. 
• Paint type: Oil.
• Size: 1 Quart.
• Dimensions: 9″×9″×5.3″
• Weight: 2.1 lbs.
• Color: Black.
• Coverage: 100 square feet per quart 

Features: 

• ideal paint for fiberglass, aluminum, or other metals and wood.
• The paint will dry quickly within an hour or two.
• It offers high abrasion, salt, and moisture resistance. Thus, we would recommend it as the best kayak paint.
• The robust coating can bear rough weather and UV light.
• The anti-skid technology ensures a better grip on the surface.

What Does the Customer Say? 

Rust-Oleum oil paint provides protection against scratches and damage. When it comes to longevity, protection, and appearance, this oil paint is incomparable.

Rust-Oleum paint stinks a bit.

2. JD Select Bottom Paint Of TotalBoat – (Paint For Bottom Painting)

Whether it’s a wooden or a fiberglass kayak, TotalBoat JD bottom paint will perform well. It will minimize marine buildup at the bottom. The hybrid paint film is quite convenient to apply. 

Specifications:

• Brand: TotalBoat.
• Finish: Flat.
• Size: Gallon.
• Material: Water-based component.
• Dimensions:10″×8″×8″.
• Weight: 15.77 lbs.
• Color: Black.
• Coverage area: 500 Square feet per gallon.

Features: 

• ideal paint for wood, fiberglass, and metal kayaks that sail in both fresh and salty water.
• This anti-fouling bottom paint contains copper biocide.
• It minimizes marine buildup at the bottom. So, we would suggest using it for painting the bottom of the kayak.
• It’s easy to apply and clean. 
• The paint doesn’t come with any toxic fumes or bad odor.
• It is highly compatible with most bottom paints. Thus, a buyer can use it over existing hard paint below the waterline.

What Does the Customer Say?

TotalBoat JD Select paint is highly suitable for bottom applications due to its copper components. However, as the company has promised, cleaning up the paint is too easy. 

The paint takes a bit to dry completely. In addition, some customers didn’t like its ashy film after the color had dried up.

3. TotalBoat Wet Edge Marine Paint – (topside kayak paints)

Wet Edge marine paint offers a glossy finish with abrasion and scratch protection. After painting the topside with wet edge paint, the user doesn’t need to worry about rough weather. He can also keep the wet edge in a wide range of temperatures (50°-90°) F.

Specifications:

• Brand: TotalBoat.
• Finish type: Glossy.
• Size: Quart.
• Dimensions: 4.8″x 4.4″x 4.4″.
• Weight: 2.74 lbs.
• Color: Aqua mist.

Features: 

• The Wet Edge paint is compatible with fiberglass, wood, metals, and even previously painted exteriors.
• It protects the kayak with its superior scratch resistance, UV resistance, and chemical resistance.
• The paint is quite appropriate for the kayak hull, RV exterior, and doors.
• The smooth polyurethane finish is easily cleanable.
• The company has promised abrasion resistance along with no peeling or cracking.

What Does the Customer Say?

The durable Wet Edge offers a smooth & glossy finish with high scratch protection.

The pigments are quite thick. Therefore, a user would need xylene spray to make a thin mixture. 

4. TotalBoat Inflatable Bottom Paint: 

If a kayak rider owns a kayak of PVC or rubber, TotalBoat Inflatable paint will be an incredible choice. Its anti-fouling technology made the paint exceptionally suitable for the bottom. In addition, a user can use water to thin the paint up to 10% before application. Moreover, soapy water is enough for cleaning the paint when needed.

Specifications:

• Brand: TotalBoat 
• Size: 1 Quart.
• Dimensions: 5″x 4.33″x 4.29″.
• Weight: 1.88 kg.
• Color: Gray.

Features: 

• TotalBoat Inflatable paint is compatible with both saltwater and freshwater.
• It offers a durable and flexible coating.
• water-based formula with no toxicity or nasty solvents.
• One quart of paint can kayak covers 125 square feet.
• The paint coating will dry after being at 70°F for 3 hours. Also, the rider needs to wait for 6 or 7 hours before launch.
• A 25% copper coating prevents barnacles’ growth at the bottom.

What Does the Customer Say?

The affordable TotalBoat Inflatable paint is easily applicable on the bottom side of PVC. It is also incredible in minimizing bottom growth.

Some customers have complained about its longevity. However, most customers showed positive responses.

How To Choose the best kayak paint? 

What kind of paint to use on a kayak? Choosing the right paint is essential as a wrong choice might leave you with huge regrets. That’s why we have focused on several major key points to choose the best ones now!

Type of paint: 

After going to market, buyers will come across multiple types of points. For instance, let’s suppose paint is suitable for wood. However, it might not be suitable for painting rotomolded plastic, metal & fiberglass. So check the manual properly to see if the paint is compatible with your craft. 

Water Compatibility: 

Checking water compatibility is necessary. For example, a rider can’t take his kayak to the seashore if the paint doesn’t have high salt resistance. 

Can You Apply It Below the Waterline? 

All paints are not appropriate for bottom applications. It is better to avoid painting the bottom of the kayak with a specialist in Topside Painting. Otherwise, the paint might peel off within several performances. 

Special Features: 

Modern paints come with many incredible features like high abrasion resistance, moisture resistance, and UV protection. Moreover, such quality of the paint makes it quite premium. 

Can It Prevent Marine Growth?

Subaquatic organisms can damage the hull over time. So the kayak may become slow and less durable. Choosing an anti-fouling would be awesome for painting the bottom of a kayak. The paint you purchase must prevent marine growth if it’s for bottom-side painting.

Which plastic paint will be best for a kayak?

When choosing The best plastic paint for a kayak will depend on the type of kayak and the environment in which it will be used. For kayaks that will be in freshwater, one-part polyurethane or two-part epoxy-based plastic paint is best. These types of paint are designed to be more resistant to water, and they will provide the best protection against ultraviolet rays. For kayaks that will be used in saltwater, acrylic-based plastic paint is best. Acrylic paints are designed to be more resistant to salt water and will provide better protection against corrosion.

How do you paint a polyethylene kayak?

In order to paint a polyethylene kayak-

• Brush the surface to remove the previous sheen.

• Pat the entire surface with rubbing alcohol or any other plastic prep solvent.
• Utilizing a polyethylene promoter would be a great idea as well.

• At last, choose a spray paint that is specifically suitable for plastic. The Best paint for polyethylene is flexible elastomeric paint or latex house paint. In addition, we would recommend using Krylon 1311 after painting for better color protection.

How to protect the bottom of your kayak

Before painting a kayak

FAQ: 

Final Words: 

When a kayak rider decides to paint his kayak, he wants to choose the best kayak paint. In this article, we have picked the best paints for 2021. I loved Rust-Oleum Marine Topside Paint among all of our recommendations due to its marvelous abrasion and moisture resistance. However, all of our picks are worthy of investment. After reading this article, I hope you got an overall idea about which paint will suit you the most.