Teak vs. Composite Platform

[ag4ever]

Why does everybody spend "so much" time maintaining their teak? I have oiled mine once since getting the boat, and it is in great shap.

My dad has teak steps on his boarding ladder, and he has never done any thing to it, and it is in great shape (over 25 years old now).

There is not that much maintance on the teak, and if you do a bone headed thing, like back into a dock, you can sand out the inperfection, but the composite witl just splinter apart. I know the wood will be fine, because I did that while docking the boat at a floating dock for dinner one day.

[Aarons01]

My 01 has been oiled once. Never will I do it again. It was so slick you couldn't get your ski on none the less stand on the dang thing.

[skijones]

I don't know about you guys, but my deck gets oiled once a year and I still think it looks great.

Composit would be nice, but I personally prefer the teak.

[Onthewater]

teak, even if it hasn't been cleaned or oiled in 5 years.

[MinnesotaNautique]

Teak for sure...

[Mikeski]

Teak...

It only gets oiled when Grant (bling-bling) is around... LOL

I use it like a bumper, after a few chunks go missing I take out the belt sander with 100 grit.

You will find that people that like me that tend to treat a boat less like a showpiece and more like a piece of equipment will tend to prefer teak. I have respect for both sides of the equation, just decide what's important to you; looks = composite, function = teak

[igkya]

I wonder... do skiers tend to prefer the teak and boarders seem to like the composite?

[Proud2BeCC]

Wow....Didn't estimate that this post would draw so... many opinions. Now I'm really wavering. Teak seems to be out numbering the composite by about 3 to 1. I primarily thought the composite would look good with my color combo. Midwest CC said they may offer a trade price. We'll see! They haven't quoted a price yet.

P2BCC

[AirNautique211]

Wow - had no idea so many love the teak. I personaly think the teak would look better if more teak items were available for the boat to balance out the "wood" look. However, just like my grandpa's old station wagon - the wood doesn't fit the application , hence the oiling and sanding. If wood is that much better it should be all over the boat, so we don't have to pay $900 fiberglass scratch repair bills (lol). I also perfer the look of a wood house, wood deck, and wood pier/waterside boat house, but at some point one has to consider alternatives - composites. I think your consideration of a composite platform is valid - both in looks and size. As far as repair goes, we have had no noticable damage to platform in our 3 summers and we sure don't baby it. And the rubber stomp pads - they look and work great - a little hot in the sun. The only teak platform I have sit on was very tacky and stuck to my shorts.

I know my family of riders spend alot of time on the platform preparing for a run or just shooting the bull. The kids live there - it's a well used extension of our boat.

Based on looks and size I vote COMPOSITE! Save the wood for the kitchen cabinets.

[surroundsound64]

Teak all the way.

[WakeSlayer]

my 1992 BFN had teak strips for traction on the step through windshield, and had three long strips down the bow. I do agree that that balances it out nicely with the deck. I oiled those once a year too. My preference is still teak.

[Cornut]

Another vote for teak here.

I'm surprised to hear that many of you teak owners only oil once a year. I have to oil mine at least once a month, or it starts looking bad. I've never had much of a problem with it getting sticky or tacky; I just give it a good wipedown with a rag after the oil has soaked in for a few minutes.

[Justin1933]

I wonder... do skiers tend to prefer the teak and boarders seem to like the composite?

ding ding ding...I see this trend...

This site is very skiier heavy...I am sure we all board, but most on here are die hard ski guys...Personally I have not been on a ski in a while...

But that what makes this so much fun..Each person can do their own thing...

I still vote Composite...Teak just looks so low tech on our nice composite boats...

[Cornut]

Interesting point about skiiers vs. boarders. Almost everyone in our gang only wakeskates, so the material doesn't matter much to us; it's just the last skate-shoe step before we jump in. So our teak stays virtually scratch-free!

I do have a buddy with a composite deck, and it started looking pretty beat up soon after he bought the boat; mainly from wakeboard fins.

[MHayes]

Teak here! I do wish ours was a bit larger, but that would be the only negative in my mind. It's beautiful with a coat of oil, which is only needed once a year.