Hull Pro vs HullMaxx: Which Bottom Coating Is Right for Your Boat? | BTH Marine
If you have been hauling your boat out every season for a fresh coat of ablative bottom paint, you already know the routine. It is expensive, time consuming, and the chemicals involved are not doing the marine environment any favors. A new generation of clear, eco-friendly hull coatings is changing how serious boat owners think about bottom protection, and two products are leading that conversation: Hull Pro by Armus Marine and HullMaxx by NASCO Worldwide.
BTH Marine in Key Largo installs both. The right choice depends entirely on how you use your boat.
Why Boaters Are Moving Away from Traditional Bottom Paint
Traditional antifouling bottom paints work by leaching biocides and heavy metals into the water around your hull, essentially poisoning the growth before it can attach. It is effective, but the environmental cost is real, and those same toxins that keep barnacles off your hull are making their way into the water column, the reef, and the food chain.
Beyond the environmental concerns, ablative paint is self-sacrificial by design. It wears away over time, which means you are back to hauling out and repainting every season. That is a recurring cost in both money and downtime, and it adds drag to your hull in between applications as the paint builds up unevenly over the years.
In the Florida Keys, where the water is clear, warm, and biologically rich year-round, these concerns carry extra weight. The reef system here is one of the most protected marine environments in the country, and the growth rate in South Florida saltwater is among the most aggressive anywhere in North America. Boaters here need a bottom protection solution that works hard and does not compromise the ecosystem they are out there to enjoy.
Meet Hull Pro
Hull Pro is a two-part ceramicized epoxy hull coating developed by Armus Marine. Originally used on commercial vessels, it has made its way into the recreational market and earned a strong following among serious offshore boaters, charter captains, and performance-oriented owners who want real results and are willing to maintain them.
The formula creates a hard, ultra-smooth barrier on the hull surface that reduces drag significantly. Armus claims up to 15 percent speed increases and up to 20 percent fuel savings in real-world applications, and independent boaters have reported meaningful gains consistent with those numbers. On a boat running hundreds of miles offshore, that fuel efficiency translates directly into range.
Hull Pro is not an antifouling paint. It does not kill growth, it releases it. The smooth, non-porous epoxy surface makes it much harder for growth to get a foothold, and when it does attach, it comes off easier than on bare gelcoat or traditional paint. Regular cleaning is still required, particularly in warm saltwater environments like the Keys, but the cleaning is easier and less frequent than with traditional bottom paint.
A single Hull Pro application lasts up to three years before recoating is needed. When the coating does need to be refreshed, a power wash and acid wash resets the surface completely without degrading the coating underneath. No stripping, no grinding, no starting over.
Hull Pro recommends a certified installer for proper application. BTH Marine is an authorized Hull Pro dealer and installer, meaning our team has the training and experience to prep the hull correctly and apply the product to spec.
Best suited for: lift-kept, trailer-kept, and dry-rack vessels. Charter boats and offshore fishing boats with a dedicated maintenance crew. Boats running in saltwater where fuel efficiency and performance gains matter.
Meet HullMaxx
HullMaxx is a single-component silicone-based foul-release coating produced by NASCO Worldwide. Where Hull Pro is a two-part epoxy system requiring a certified installer, HullMaxx is a more accessible product that can be applied with a foam roller without specialized equipment.
Like Hull Pro, HullMaxx is clear, biocide-free, and designed to replace traditional ablative bottom paint. Its hydrophobic surface reduces drag and makes growth easier to clean off, and it allows the underlying gelcoat color to show through rather than covering the hull in a solid color.
One of HullMaxx's practical advantages is its flexibility in application. It can be hot-coated directly over existing non-ablative bottom paint without a full strip job, making it a realistic option for boats that already have paint on the bottom and owners who want to transition without a major haul-out project. NASCO's latest version, HullMaxx 3.0, also eliminates the need for a separate primer coat, simplifying the process further.
HullMaxx is a softer coating than Hull Pro. In moderate growth environments it performs well and reduces cleaning frequency meaningfully over bare gelcoat. In warm, high-growth saltwater like South Florida and the Florida Keys, it requires more consistent attention to keep the hull clean, and owners who let the maintenance slide will find it less forgiving than the harder Hull Pro epoxy.
BTH Marine uses and installs HullMaxx, and it remains an excellent choice for the right application.
Best suited for: boats that come out of the water frequently, owners transitioning away from traditional bottom paint who want a straightforward application process, and vessels in moderate growth environments or with a consistent cleaning schedule.
How They Compare
Which One Is Right for Your Boat?
Choose Hull Pro if:
Your boat lives on a lift, trailer, or dry rack and comes out of the water regularly. You fish or cruise offshore and want measurable fuel efficiency and performance gains. You are committed to a regular cleaning schedule and want a coating that holds up in aggressive South Florida saltwater conditions. You want a product backed by an authorized installer who can apply it correctly from day one.
Choose HullMaxx if:
You are transitioning off traditional bottom paint and want a straightforward application process. Your boat comes out of the water frequently and growth management is part of your regular routine. You want a clear, eco-friendly coating that is easier to get on the hull without a full prep and certification process. You have moderate growth conditions or a consistent diver or cleaning crew keeping the bottom maintained.
If you are full-time in-water in the Florida Keys with no regular cleaning schedule, neither product will perform the way it should. Both coatings require maintenance to deliver their benefits. The difference is how hard that maintenance is and how long the coating lasts between applications.
Not sure which one fits your situation? That is exactly the kind of conversation worth having before you haul out.
Get the Right Coating Applied Right at BTH Marine
Choosing the right bottom coating is only half the equation. A coating that is applied over a poorly prepped hull, or applied out of spec on a day with the wrong temperature or humidity, will not perform the way it should regardless of how good the product is.
BTH Marine has the facility, the equipment, and the expertise to do this right. Our 80-ton travel lift handles vessels up to 70 feet in length and 24 feet of beam, giving us the capability to haul out and properly prepare hulls that most facilities cannot accommodate. As an authorized Hull Pro dealer and installer, our team is trained to apply the product correctly and stands behind the work.
Whether you are ready to make the switch from traditional bottom paint or just want to talk through your options, stop by at 97951 Overseas Hwy in Key Largo or call us at (786) 882-7969.
