Restore Sea-Doo Plastics Better Than Factory: The Watercraft Journal Ep.89

[@jasonstewart1135]

Thank you Kevin for putting in the time to figure this out. I too had the unfortunate experience with my sure-can while attending the Mudbug rally and had a spill on the plastic. Your cocktail worked like a charm. This morning my 2020 GTX 230 has taken a huge step back towards looking brand new. Thank you very much for this insight and for putting in the time and effort!

[@watercraftjournal]

Glad it helped!

[@johnkotara8697]

Any links/suggestions on where to get the blue and wool pad setup as used in the video? Thanks!

[@markusplatzer8300]

Thank you for the info. I appreciate your hard work researching and experimenting with these products.

[@watercraftjournal]

You are so welcome!

[@Stratocaster-2112]

After all this is done, don't you still have to apply some kind of wax with UV protection? If so, what do most people recommend?

[@RiptideTechnologies]

Ceramic coating

[@ussmillerco]

Wool pad with cut grit.....then final with foam pad and light grit fine scratch remover.....never use wool on final applications, it’s too coarse. Only foam on polishing to achieve best luster. Also buy multiple pads for specific grits and stick to that grit for that individual pad (wool or foam). Lastly, use higher speed, extreme light pressure (very important, don’t burn surface) and extra fine polish for final polishing, then wipe with microfiber cloth when done. Extra tip: if like in the video, your doing a specific piece, cover the surrounding area with cheap plastic painters plastic to mask area from compound/wool fibers that gets thrown everywhere during buffing phase, don’t make extra work for yourself.

[@watercraftjournal]

Good tips!

[@deviuss8416]

Nice video. The Meguiars ultimate polish and wax works well on them as well. I Did it on a lava red rxtx300 that is not well taken care of and in salt water all the time. I will have to say, Seadoo shiny plastics and finishes are better than my Yamaha GP1800R. I am constantly detailing mine and his ski cleans up well with a lot less upkeep.

[@watercraftjournal]

Good to know!

[@tracyenlow8344]

Kevin, You mentioned that you purchased the shiny mirror top, but did not want to mess with removing the panels. I had to do mine this weekend to tighten the bolt that holds the same piece on. It was very easy should you need to replace in the future. Remove the two T30 bolts on the panel around the cluster and D/C the DESS plug. Then remove the two T30 bolts under the hatch cover that holds the mirror assembly on. Preload by lifting up on one of the mirrors from underneath and then hit it with your other hand straight up. It will break loose on that side and the other side will simply come out. Remove the single 8mm bolt and replace your part.

[@watercraftjournal]

Hmm. You sure you didn't break anything in that process?

[@tracyenlow8344]

@@watercraftjournal This is the correct way. There is one molded panel clip on each side. Knock it straight up underneath the mirror of your choice. It just snaps back into place when you assemble.

[@SAM.EIGHTYFOUR]

Kevin, have you heard of the 2021 GTR plastics cracking? I noticed hairline cracks in the foot wells on the left side when I pulled the ski out of the garage to clean it. I use maguires and 303 plastic and vinyl restore to clean and wipe down my ski and it stays in the garage when not in use. Not sure how these cracks happened but I did not have them last year.

[@espritmike]

Thanks Kevin for doing all the legwork to see what works. I myself am very particular about the condition of my Skis and the black on my TX at the bow is hard to keep the finish perfect. I’ll try these

[@conpoulos7233]

Good informative vid, well done WCJ, I been detailing for 10 years as a hobby on Cars, bikes, PWC and meguiars products are excellent for a product available to the everyday consumer... I gotta be honest though, I have no experience with Kawi so won't include them,,,, but I've had new Seadoos and Yamaha's over the last 8 years and tbh for what you pay for a new ski here in Australia even when you calculate exchange rates with US dollar we still pay a large premium more but for what you pay both seadoos and Yamaha's fit and finish of deck plastics and paint/expoxy resin etc leaves a lot to be desired tbh there build quality is very average in regards to cosmetic fit and finish, I've ceramic coated my PWC which does help a lot but the plastics are pure scratch magnets not mention other issues and I take care of my Stuff I'm fastidious...

[@watercraftjournal]

Oh boy, we know exactly what you're saying! Yes, you're not really getting your money's worth in the build-quality department, but as long as people keep climbing over each other to buy them, the OE's will have no reason to change. It's a sad fact - and none that any of us are too happy about.

[@conpoulos7233]

100% agreed, as long as we keep buying em and we don't complain they keep making them cheaply, they could at least make sure they had colours matched properly between plastic and fibreglass,, but hey what can ya do,, prices are out of control now though back in 2015 FX SVHO with tax trailer rego etc AUD 21k now to get an FX with same trailer etc is 28k in 2021 why such a substantial increase? Inflation hasn't moved that much nor is there that many additional features to justify price hike...... supply and demand if we keep buying they'll keep selling haha

[@philby1979]

@@conpoulos7233 yep we get ripped off here :( 28.8K for the Limited with a Dunbier roller trailer, rego for 12 months on both as well then add the cover, jackets ect and insurance I at 30k real quick. after reading a bit about the paint issues starting to question it a little

[@conpoulos7233]

Life jackets should be included in sale price and I've had price of 28 with a good Quality trailer every bit if not better then dunbier so try push for slightly Better price.. but tbh Yamaha usually run a sale on the skis 3k off towards end of winter but bcoz of covid and large demand low stock there's no incentive for them to do so this year..... try get a low hours used unit or wait until covid is over bad time to be buying a ski

[@philby1979]

@@conpoulos7233 they are throwing 1 jacket in, I will try to push more, yea I know its bad timing. this year, last year was the same as well, been waiting 14 years lol finally in a position to get a new one. :) its like everything else though. the spa we got was the same issue with delays and shortages. + I see that with work every day on stock shortages ( in IT ) so its not unique to just the jet ski market

[@lafayetteultras2890]

Thank you for the info - I had 93 gasoline spill on the mirror and hood trim the yellow part and it’s just ate all the color I have the same ski and year , do you think it will be ok to use it On the yellow hood trim ?

[@watercraftjournal]

The acrylic is different than the gloss plastic. You'll want to apply a little rubbing compound made for gel coat/marine applications and see how that spot looks before going forward.

[@jamesrollins8411]

Great video!

[@jackalusp45ify]

Looks great! What do you recommend for water spots those drive me crazy!

[@watercraftjournal]

A good cleaner wax (not spray).

[@jacklewis100]

So this is useful but my question is this: Is the factory finish 'bare' ? i.e. it's just polished plastic, or is there some coating/glaze that we're removing here and then not replacing - thus the newly polished finish doesn't have the same sturdiness/UV/Salt protection of the original finish?

[@watercraftjournal]

It’s bare plastic

[@1652ification]

Hi Kevin,does this method only restore the colour of the plastic or does it remove swirl marks also?

[@watercraftjournal]

It's only for gloss black plastics. And you can see the final result.

[@edwardbielewicz2998]

Thank you. I appreciate your channel a lot.

[@watercraftjournal]

You are very welcome!

[@jakewyler1945]

Looks awesome!

[@watercraftjournal]

It does!

[@ChadHughes_Rate_Ride_DIY]

This works AMAZING!!! MY SKI LOOKS BETTER THEN NEW!!

[@adamdotson9887]

what do you recommend? for bumper plastics that get dull

[@watercraftjournal]

We did a plastics treatment/restoration shootout. Make sure to check that video out.

[@jasontheworldtraveler]

@@watercraftjournal can you provide a link to the plastic treatments/restoration? Thank you, Jason

[@electricsinc432]

Hi ya Kevin cheers for the amazing channel. Would this system work on 2021 Yamaha SVHO plastics as well as nano cell 2?

[@watercraftjournal]

Not the paint whatsoever.

[@electricsinc432]

@@watercraftjournal Thanks for your reply, any recommendations for the paint? 😀

[@watercraftjournal]

Again, it's AUTOMOTIVE PAINT. So go to any auto parts store and get some Meguiar's Cleaner Wax. It's the mildest abrasive wax. If that doesn't restore it, step up to the next level compound, then polish it afterwards.

[@kellyodonnell2928]

I see you are shining up the plastic, but can you get the gas stains off the Matte black not the shiny black part?

[@watercraftjournal]

Thankfully, the flat black doesn't discolor as easily. As long as you're quick about cleaning them they won't stain as fast as the soft gloss plastic does.

[@gotmylk]

Have you tried Maxima SC1 "new bike in a can" silicone spray? Brings plastic to better than showroom shine.

[@watercraftjournal]

First time hearing of it. Sounds like a special trim option on a Nissan.

[@gotmylk]

@@watercraftjournal ahahaha! It does, but it’s not. Stuff is pretty fantastic. Works on all plastics. I buy 3 to 6 cans at a time.

[@gotmylk]

I use it on my 2020 GTX 230, quads and dirt bikes when I have them, auto engine plastics etc.. It can be a dust attractant which isn’t ideal but it restores color back to dull plastics and shines better than anything else I’ve ever tried. It smells amazing too, which is fun. WD-40 does a nice job of shining plastics as well but stinks like fish roe.

[@nikosgrigorakos]

Does it protect the carbon seal ?

[@watercraftjournal]

LOL, no only proper usage will protect it.

[@nikosgrigorakos]

@@watercraftjournal ln that case I'll use it on Sundays only with care😆

[@IMSCORPIONKING]

Thanks Kevin!

[@watercraftjournal]

Our pleasure!

[@mdr8ball]

Kevin, any advice on the textured black plastic which turns gray over time? Most products restore to black UNTIL they get wet, then look worse than ever.

[@watercraftjournal]

The textured black plastic is the worst. If it's REALLY bad, we've treated with a heat gun and Armor All Blast Restore, check out the videos.

[@jt7559]

Is the blue pad you are using a cutting pad?

[@watercraftjournal]

Sure. Whatever came with the kit.

[@jt7559]

@@watercraftjournal kit?

[@watercraftjournal]

Meguiar's Headlight Buffing/Restoration Kit. We mention it in the article.

[@jt7559]

@@watercraftjournal ok thank you. I didn't hear you say anything. My bad

[@ethannegas9674]

Does this work for Yamaha fx

[@watercraftjournal]

No, Yamahas are painted. Use automotive paint polish.

[@hernzo9798]

Is this a paid presentation I use mcguires on my auto car xps vinyl and plastics cleaner works great on ski even use it on car

[@watercraftjournal]

Not from Meguiar's no. But they're one of the best brands in auto detailing.

[@charlesedison8616]

Does the same combo work well for non-plastic parts of the ski? E.g. foot wells or side panels that are not plastic.

[@watercraftjournal]

No. This is very specific.

[@ZGP]

This looks great! Does it also work on the rougher plastic parts? I have a lot of fading on the main plastic parts that are the rougher type of plastic.

[@watercraftjournal]

No. Just gloss plastics exactly as Kevin says.

[@johnvandaele3282]

Nice video on how to do it, unfortunately the products you used are available here in thailand🙁

[@watercraftjournal]

Sorry to hear that.

[@rumnboats7612]

it's literally just polishing though, and it's painted so ur polishing paint. There is no 1 way to polish anything

[@1652ification]

I find the only way to stop swirl marks on the gloss plastic panels is to vinyl wrap them.

[@watercraftjournal]

Very good idea

[@srt4b]

Meguires 91 is now $35 on Amazon

[@watercraftjournal]

We found it cheaper. Keep looking.

[@rumnboats7612]

That's just polishing paint tho.

[@watercraftjournal]

There is ZERO paint on a Sea-Doo. Zero. Zip. Nada. None. Even the engine block isn't painted. It's powder coated.

[@rumnboats7612]

@@watercraftjournal That's interesting because seadoo offers touchup paint , has paint codes available and the fiberglass hulls are certainly gelcoat. I've even seen a ding where the primer layer is visible on various pieces. A spark is a different story was hoping to see a method that doesn't involve a torch to make the plastic look good again.

[@Breakitjake]

Refueling while engine running? Seems somewhat unsafe

[@watercraftjournal]

Fortune favors the brave.

[@andreabta]

I believe if you spend so much money on a brand new ski you should protect it before taking it out.... I bought mine and righ before weekend... It was hard do keep it in garage for the whole weekend and not taki it out on the water but I buffed and ceramic coated the whole ski..... No need of much care since....

[@watercraftjournal]

Sadly not all do what you did. Ceramic coatings are a very good move.

[@andreabta]

@@watercraftjournal after all. The money spent to have a nice ski i think is the best move protect it a bit more... Is like not having insurance on you ski 😂😂 is a mad thing to do

[@cosmonaat7797]

That's what I'm doing to mine now, do you avoid all the stickers when buffing?

[@andreabta]

@@cosmonaat7797 I removed some stickers and buffed around others than protected them with coating as well

[@cosmonaat7797]

@@andreabta makes sense, I figured as much but doesn't hurt to confirm. Thanks!

[@michaelcarton3299]

This stuff works, BUT it makes the plastic so incredibly slippery. It is like dangerous getting in and out of the ski because how slippery it is.

[@watercraftjournal]

Good tip! Don't stand on your mirrors. They'll be slippery.

[@michaelcarton3299]

@@watercraftjournal I used it on my sea Doo spark. The whole thing is plastic

[@matttorma6787]

By the time the 2nd ad popped up and I hadn't learned anything yet, I hit pause to make this comment and now I'm dipping. Get to the point

[@watercraftjournal]

If only you'd spent the time watching instead of leaving a comment. You might've learned something valuable.

[@jackalope501]

You should NEVER buff anything in direct sunlight. You need to restore a cool surface as buffing generates heat anyway... Buffing a hot surface is the fastest way to damage it

[@watercraftjournal]

Agreed

[@SaltyDogPerformance]

Should have done the light test in a garage.

[@watercraftjournal]

The presentation works fine, particularly as the reflection of the GoPro and sky can be clearly seen.

[@PotatoeJoe69]

I would personally recommend just not buying Seadoo's as a superior solution to the many, many issues Seadoo's have. 😅

[@nijzimmerman]

Seadoo’s market share says good luck with that

[@scotthooper4170]

A little late for that here. Since 199something. 3rd one now. I have been lucky with all my skis (Since 1979). Kawasaki first, Sea Doo of late. Remember, mechanical things break. That’s just the way it is. With proper maintenance & a little care for keeping you vessel (or vehicle) keeps them around for a while. If you just beat it & put it away…… Well, you can plan on giving it away or throwing it away!