How this Stuff Works...
Hydrophilic Overcoat
The technology behind our Sea-Slide Formula originates from medical coating research and development invented by our parent company Hydromer Inc.
Sea-Slide Formula has been derived from substances utilized in medical coatings used to protect and lubricate medical devices placed in the human body. Therefore Sea-Slide Formula is environmentalfriendly and safe to yourself, your watercraft and to our oceans, lakes and rivers.
Sea-Slide® Formula
Sea-Slide® Formula is a polymer overcoat formulated to be slippery when wet, reducing the friction between hull, bottom, foil surfaces and water.
Sea-Slide Formula coating absorbs water but is not dissolved by water and uses a unique bonded interpolymer complex to bind water to the hull. The coating is water-based polyurethane inter-polymer dispersion, which cures while drying to a durable, hydrophilic coating. It produces a surface with a low interfacial energy, which reduces the turbulence generated by a boat’s hull as it passes through water. Reduced turbulence means less hydrodynamic drag (the boat slides through the water with far less resistance) and therefore more speed using less fuel, or in the case of sail powered vessels, higher speeds in lighter winds.
Hydrophilic Coatings
Sea-Slide Formula is easy to apply with a standard paint-brush, roller or spray gun and dries in 3 to 4 hours (above 50°F) to a hard, nearly invisible nonsticky film. Once submerged, the Sea-Slide coating takes on a slight milky appearance and becomes very slippery as the coating swells. Since the Sea-Slide coating absorbs a large amount of water, the interfacial energy between the coating and the surrounding water is lowered, leading to reduction in turbulence in the boundary layers near the ship’s hull.
Sea-Slide® Formula is designed for watercraft owners to easily apply and maintain an overcoat on their watercraft for one boating season. If the watercraft is out of the water and once the Sea-Slide overcoat is dry, it may be touched up or reapplied at anytime.
What are hydrophilic coatings?
Technically, the word hydrophilic means “water loving” and refers to any material that associates closely with water. It is the opposite of a hydrophobic or “water replelling” substances, like silicone and wax. Hydrophilic coatings are extensively used throughout the healthcare field, but almost no one has ever heard of them.
Read more about “The Great Debate” between hydrophilic vs. hydrophobic coatings.