RoyalTouchDiving
Registered
Well, I am new here to the site...brief history, just retired a year ago from the Navy (nuclear engineer). Started my hull cleaning business here in Charleston, SC and things are going well. Most of my business I get is from people who were getting charged for work, then unknowingly (to the diver) pulled the boat out of the water and it being totally fouled. The current here moves at nearly 7 knots with the water temp getting to 90 (87 currently today), so it makes for some of the largest growth in the US. In fact most paint companies test their paints here. If your boat has no paint on it, it will be a reef in 2 weeks.
I charge $2 / ft for less than 70 ft, $2.50 70 - 80, $3 80 - 90, $3.50 90 - 100, >100 is $4 / ft.
I like laguna diver use: a 5 in one paint scraper from Lowe's for props, rudders, shafts and trim tabs. I use a 12 in taping blade to clean the hull (paint manufacturers actually recommend this vice a brush, as a properly used blade you will take off no paint, and just the growth), while using my hands on the strakes so I don't scrape the edges and thus remove the paint. I use the softest brush I can find on the waterline, as this is where the paint will go bad the quickest, due to using the brush, and clean very lightly.
From April thru October, cleanings are twice per month (in the months of may thru sep 10 days after cleaning and your boat will not plane), and once per month Nov thru March.
It is very cutthroat here, with several companies having less than ideal morals and ethics if you will.
One last note...it got down to 41 degrees here last winter...normally gets to around 48. I wore my Body Glove 5 mm suit with a 3 / 6 mm hooded vest the whole winter. I could do about 2 hrs in the water at 41, and about 3 hrs in water easily below 50. This year, I will be getting a 6.5 mm semi dry and using my hooded vest again....and should be fine.
I dive about 7 hrs a day in summer, and 3 in winter, and leave myself about a day for calls from brokers / companies needing emergent dives, and other items such as zinc installs, and prop removals, etc.
Later fella's!
I charge $2 / ft for less than 70 ft, $2.50 70 - 80, $3 80 - 90, $3.50 90 - 100, >100 is $4 / ft.
I like laguna diver use: a 5 in one paint scraper from Lowe's for props, rudders, shafts and trim tabs. I use a 12 in taping blade to clean the hull (paint manufacturers actually recommend this vice a brush, as a properly used blade you will take off no paint, and just the growth), while using my hands on the strakes so I don't scrape the edges and thus remove the paint. I use the softest brush I can find on the waterline, as this is where the paint will go bad the quickest, due to using the brush, and clean very lightly.
From April thru October, cleanings are twice per month (in the months of may thru sep 10 days after cleaning and your boat will not plane), and once per month Nov thru March.
It is very cutthroat here, with several companies having less than ideal morals and ethics if you will.
One last note...it got down to 41 degrees here last winter...normally gets to around 48. I wore my Body Glove 5 mm suit with a 3 / 6 mm hooded vest the whole winter. I could do about 2 hrs in the water at 41, and about 3 hrs in water easily below 50. This year, I will be getting a 6.5 mm semi dry and using my hooded vest again....and should be fine.
I dive about 7 hrs a day in summer, and 3 in winter, and leave myself about a day for calls from brokers / companies needing emergent dives, and other items such as zinc installs, and prop removals, etc.
Later fella's!