Vinyl Boat Floor: Slippery When Wet?

[MickinMO]

My boat search continues. Have noticed quite a few vinyl floors in both used and new boats. Not sure I have ever been in a boat with a vinyl floor.  Is the vinyl slick when it gets wet or is it made rough enough to maintain traction when walking around?

[jdmidwest]

I want to see how this goes, I wonder myself.  I hate carpet, especially light gray and muddy banks or worm fishing.

[fishinwrench]

The textured step pad stuff is good footing but drys out and begins curling up at the edges after a couple years.  If you can tuck all the edges under then it might last 4-5 years.  

It doesn't add much sound-proofing.  Drop a pair of pliers on the floor and you'll spook every fish for 50 yards.

 

[grizwilson]

A boat salesman friend tells me carpet will outlast the vinyl.  When you drop the pliers that @fishinwrench mentions above spooking the fish, if they land point down it gouges a small hole in the vinyl, then your shoe catches that small hole it grows larger and larger......couple of my friends have opted for spray in bed liner.  a cheaper route is @Stein trick of sprinkling sugar on a coat of wet paint then rinsing the sugar off, made a nice floor in his johnboat.  

[dan hufferd]

I am doing something to my floor this summer. Not carpet, I hope, unless someone makes paint on carpet. I am still fretting over what to do???.

[rps]

I have had the vinyl in both an Alumacraft and a Lund. In six years the Alumacraft never curled and peeled, nor did it suffer gouges. The Lund boat will be three years in the summer. Still looking brand new.

No, the vinyl I have tested is not slick.

On the other hand, I cannot vouch for vinyl in boats less well made.

 

[Basfis]

Our pontoon (G3) has a vinyl floor. It’s not slick when wet. Under shoes, flip flops or barefoot. Clean with a hose or whisk broom. Love it. 

[DChance]

I am contemplating replacing the floor carpet, not the the decks yet, with seadek or something similar

[JohnP]

7 hours ago, DChance said:

I am contemplating replacing the floor carpet, not the the decks yet, with seadek or something similar

I've just recently started adding SeaDek to my Crestliner nut had to put it on hold due to the weather, cold.  Needs to be atleast mid 60s to 70s for proper installation.  Went with the DIY 5mm sheets that were half off for there fay after Thanksgiving sale.  So pleased with it.  Not going to as pretty if I'd had them precut but saving quite a bit of money and I'm not worried about the looks as much as I am being able to walk barefoot or kneel down during the middle of day and not burning myself on the metal ;).  Plan is to do the lids in solid pieces and then square tile pattern the rest of the flooring which should make it easier to fit in and around corners without chancing screwing up a sheet.  It does have a good strong 3mm adhesive backing to it so no glueing it down and will say the pieces I have set their not moving ;).

[JohnP]

Got a little more of the SeaDek flooring down, still have a little more to go.