Non-Skid Products

Why Non-Skid Coatings Matter on the Water and Beyond

A wet deck is a dangerous deck. Whether you're navigating a pitching sailboat, stepping onto a rain-slicked dock, or moving around a powerboat at speed, a slip-resistant surface can be the difference between a close call and a serious injury. Non-skid products — including paints, coatings, and textured finishes — are purpose-built to restore or create high-traction surfaces on boat decks, cabin soles, swim platforms, and other areas prone to moisture and foot traffic.

Unlike a standard topside paint, non-skid formulations incorporate texture-producing agents or are specially engineered to grip footwear, bare feet, and rubber-soled boots alike. They also have to hold up to harsh conditions: UV exposure, saltwater, constant cleaning, and physical abrasion. The best products strike a balance between firm traction and long-term durability, while still offering an appearance that complements the vessel's finish.

What to Look for When Shopping Non-Skid Products

• Coating chemistry: Two-component urethane coatings tend to offer superior hardness and chemical resistance, while water-based acrylics are easier to apply and clean up. Each has its place depending on the application.
• Texture customization: Some products let you dial in texture aggressiveness from a mild pleasure-boat finish to an industrial work-boat grip, depending on how the product is applied.
• Surface compatibility: Good non-skid coatings should adhere to fiberglass, aluminum, wood, epoxy, and more — though proper priming requirements vary by product and substrate.
• UV and weather resistance: Coatings loaded with UV stabilizers resist fading and color degradation, which is especially important in tropical or high-sun environments.
• Ease of repair and recoating: Over time, all non-skid surfaces wear in high-traffic areas. Products that can be spot-repaired or recoated without stripping the entire deck save significant time and effort.

Top Brands in Non-Skid Products

SEM Products is a well-established American manufacturer with decades of experience across automotive, aerospace, marine, and industrial coatings. Their flagship marine non-skid offering, the GripTide™ Non-Skid Deck Coating, is a two-component urethane system engineered specifically for boat floors, decks, and other marine surfaces. GripTide delivers a grip-enhancing, textured protective finish and is noted for its fast cure time compared to competing products.

KiwiGrip has earned a devoted following among sailors and powerboaters for its uniquely user-friendly approach to non-skid application. As a homogeneous water-based acrylic polymer, KiwiGrip achieves its texture entirely through application technique rather than relying on fillers like sand, walnut shells, or rubber flecks — meaning there are no aggregate particles to fall out or trap dirt over time. By varying roller pressure and technique, applicators can produce anything from a subtle pleasure-boat texture to an aggressively grippy work-boat surface.

Pettit Paint is a longtime leader in marine paints with a broad lineup that includes the popular EZ-Decks non-skid deck finish. EZ-Decks is a super-tough polyurethane formulation containing a polypropylene grit that creates a slip-resistant surface on all decks and cabin soles, backed by UV filters for long-term color retention and weather resistance.

PYI Inc. is the North American distributor for KiwiGrip non-skid coatings, making them the source for the full range of KiwiGrip colors and application accessories, including the brand's proprietary roller covers designed to achieve a consistent, customizable deck texture.