VALUING BOAT WRAPS
By Curtis Niedermier
A boat( or truck) wrap serves multiple purposes, including protecting the finish from abrasion and sun fade, but more than anything it’ s a very valuable tool for anglers to market their sponsors or personal brands. The American Trucking Association and 3M have researched the effectiveness of ads and marketing on wrapped vehicles and found that, depending on how many miles are driven, it’ s possible to generate tens of thousands of impressions per day and more than 10 million impressions in a year. That’ s a lot of eyes, and a lot of awareness, which reinforces the promotional potential of a professional bass angler who travels the tournament trail all season long.
What You Get
In general, bass boat wraps can be counted on to be pretty rugged, considering the craft they cover often exceed 70 mph on the water. Certified installers know their trade, and the last thing they want is to perform repairs. In addition, most boat wraps do not come with a warranty, as finding the exact reason for failures is tough, so having it done right is important. Most often, damage is caused by a careless captain. In the event of any major tears, usually the entire wrap must be replaced.
Bass boat wraps offer moderately good protection to a boat. They’ re 4.5 mils thick( by comparison, gel coat is about 2), and easily safeguard against the bumps and bangs of tying up to a dock or glancing off other boats in a lock.
Care and Removal
Once your rig is wrapped, it’ s important to take care of the vinyl coating. Thanks to superior inks, today’ s wraps don’ t really fade, but they can get scratched. Many waxing compounds can help remove minor scratches and will add life to a wrap. General cleaning should be done with dish soap, after which a protectant and sealer should be used.
A quality boat wrap should last about three years, and most graphics companies advise against pushing past that timeframe. If left on for longer periods, a boat wrap will likely crack from sun exposure, and has the potential to damage or stain the underlying gel coat.
Removing a wrap is fairly simple and requires nothing more than basic tools, strong fingers and a heat gun. Most owners easily remove their wraps themselves if need be, but wrap companies will also perform the task for a nominal fee.
The Cost
Perhaps the biggest question about boat wraps is the cost. Again, it depends. Some bass boat wrap companies offer pricing as low as $ 1,000. However, buyers should go in asking questions to make sure none of the important steps are being skipped. For the most extreme wraps with the best laminates and quality custom work, buyers may need to fork over in excess of $ 4,000.
But, like just about everything else in bass fishing, nothing cool is cheap.
It takes a skilled hand and careful procedure to get the details of a wrap just right.
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