Bottom Paints

About Bottom Paints

Defender offers a wide selection of antifouling bottom paints. We regularly stock copper-based bottom paints, copper-free paints and water-based anti-fouling bottom paints as well as bottom paints with anti-slime protection. The following brands are available and ready to ship: Interlux, Pettit, Aquagard, Flexdel, Sea Hawk, and MDR.

Bottom Paint Definition


Boat bottom paint is a specialized type of paint used to protect the hull of a boat from the damaging effects of saltwater, barnacles, and other marine growth. These paints work by creating a barrier between the boat's hull and the water, which helps prevent corrosion and other types of wear and tear. Many different brands of craft bottom paint are available on the market, each with its unique features and benefits.
One popular brand of boat bottom paint is Interlux. Interlux offers a wide range of bottom paints, including options that are specifically designed for use in freshwater and saltwater environments. Some key features of Interlux bottom paints include excellent adhesion, durability, and resistance to algae and barnacles.
Another well-known brand of boat bottom paint is Pettit. Pettit offers various bottom paints designed to provide long-lasting protection for the hull of your boat. Some of the standout features of Pettit bottom paints include their ability to provide UV protection, as well as their ability to resist abrasion and wear.
Aquagard is another brand of boat bottom paint that is highly respected in the marine industry. Aquagard bottom paints are known for their ability to provide excellent protection against marine growth and withstand the harsh conditions of saltwater environments.
Flexdel is a newer boat bottom paint brand that has recently gained much popularity. Flexdel bottom paints are known for their excellent durability and resistance to wear and their ability to withstand the harsh conditions of saltwater environments.
Sea Hawk is a well-known boat bottom paint brand known for its high-quality products and excellent performance. Sea Hawk bottom paints are designed to provide long-lasting protection for the hull of your boat and are known for their ability to resist the growth of barnacles and other marine organisms.
Overall, boat bottom paint is essential to maintaining the health and longevity of your boat's hull. Whether you choose Interlux, Pettit, Aquagard, Flexdel, or Sea Hawk, you can be confident that you are using a high-quality product that will provide excellent protection for your boat. So you can select the best one for your boat according to your needs and budget.

Antifouling Bottom Paint

Defender offers a wide selection of antifouling bottom paints. We regularly stock copper-based bottom paints, copper-free paints, and water-based anti-fouling bottom paints as well as bottom paints with anti-slime protection. Soft and hard paint that leaches antifouling properties plus epoxy-based bottom paints that are long-lasting will protect your hull from growth that can slow you down.

What's in this paint that keeps the critters away?

Marine bottom paints include Biocides that release from the paint deterring marine growth from adhering to the hull. Ablative paints wear away or polish which releases biocides to provide protection against fouling growth. These Ablative paints can be single or multi-seasonal allowing for many options and price categories. Hard, modified epoxy paints leach biocides, require sanding and application between seasons to achieve the expected performance.

Will painting the bottom of my boat affect the value?

On the contrary, a good bottom paint job actually protects your hull from barnacles and other crustaceans that can cause damage. Bottom paint is available in several colors and can coordinate with boot stripes on the hull. Marine antifouling paint even makes cleaning the bottom quite a bit easier during haul out.

How do I know which paint to choose?

Defender Marine offers several options for marine antifouling bottom paint. Typically, the higher the copper content the more effective the paint will be against marine growth. Fiberglass boats can typically use any type of bottom paint. Aluminum boats and rib hulls are best painted with copper-free paint in order to prevent electrolysis this also applies to Aluminum underwater metals, such as trim tabs, outdrives, and lower units.

Most of our brands now offer both copper-based and copper-free paints to suit all your applications.