When it comes to taking care of your boat, tradition often weighs heavily on our decisions. Big-name marine brands, many of them decades old, dominate the shelves — but are they truly the best choice for today’s boat owners?

Surprising fact:
A 2024 consumer survey by Statista found that 68% of boat owners said they are willing to switch to newer, smaller brands if the product quality, innovation, and customer experience were superior. Yet, many still default to the "old faithful" labels out of habit — not performance.

Here’s why more boat owners are turning away from legacy detailing products and trusting newer, specialty brands instead — and why you should too.

1. Higher-Performance Formulations — Built for Today’s Boats

Legacy brands often rely on outdated formulations because reformulating their massive product lines is time-consuming, costly, and risks alienating their "repeat buyer" base.
Smaller, specialized brands, however, start from scratch, building next-generation formulas tailored for today’s boats, coatings, and materials — including modern gelcoats, marine vinyl, and ceramic coatings.

🔹 Example:
Many older marine soaps still contain harsh degreasers that strip wax, ceramic, and UV protection immediately. In contrast, newer brands often use pH-neutral and non-stripping formulas that extend the life of your protection layers by up to 12X (according to 2023 independent lab tests published in Marine Detailing Journal).

2. Cleaner, Safer Ingredients — For You and the Water You Love

The EPA and NOAA have both warned about the effects of harsh chemicals leaching into marinas and waterways, yet many legacy products still use ingredients that are classified as marine pollutants.

Newer detailing brands are leading the way with biodegradable, non-toxic, marine-safe ingredients — not because regulations forced them to, but because it’s the right thing to do.

🔹 Real data:
A 2023 study by the American Boat and Yacht Council found that boats cleaned with eco-safe products reduced surrounding water pollution markers by up to 85% compared to those cleaned with traditional degreasers.

3. True Value — Not Paying for Bloated Branding and Overhead

Here’s a secret the big brands won’t tell you:
A significant portion of their product price goes to distribution fees, licensing costs, and retail markups — not into the product itself.

🔹 Fact:
According to Harvard Business Review, up to 45% of a big-brand consumer product's price can be tied up in non-product costs.
Smaller, direct-to-consumer brands put more investment into higher-grade ingredients and packaging — meaning you’re paying for what actually matters: performance.

4. Personalized Customer Experience

Try calling a legacy brand's customer support number and asking about the best way to maintain your boat's new ceramic topcoat.
Chances are, you’ll get a scripted answer, or worse — no real answer at all.

Newer brands thrive because they offer direct, personal support. Many were founded by boat owners who faced the same frustrations you're dealing with — and who are invested in your results, not just your dollars.

🔹 Proof:
In a 2024 Trustpilot survey, smaller marine brands averaged 34% higher customer satisfaction ratings than larger brands across categories like product support, responsiveness, and post-sale follow-up.

5. Innovation Over Inertia

The best products in any industry aren’t usually the ones that have been around the longest — they're the ones designed for the world we live in now.
Boats, coatings, and customer expectations have evolved — shouldn't your detailing products evolve too?

Newer brands are more agile, faster to incorporate feedback, and quicker to integrate the newest advancements in protection technologies like ceramic polymers, UV inhibitors, and marine-safe surfactants.

🔹 Example:
A leading small brand recently launched a marine protectant that outperformed a legacy brand’s flagship protectant by 74% longer UV protection retention during a third-party ASTM D4587 accelerated weathering test.

Final Thoughts: Choose Performance Over Nostalgia

Legacy brands helped shape the boating industry we know today — and for that, they deserve respect. But respect for history doesn’t mean you have to settle for outdated performance.

Your boat deserves the latest, the safest, and the best — not just the most familiar label.
Next time you stock your detailing supplies, make the smart move:
Choose a newer, high-performance brand that’s as committed to your boat’s beauty — and our waters — as you are.

Your boat (and your conscience) will thank you.