Fresh, brackish or saltwater, there's always something that finds the bottom of a hull an irresistible place to live. Even with bottom paint, growth will develop that's not only unsightly, but robs the boat of its speed and fuel economy.
For owners, there are three options: pay a diver to tackle the job, jump in the water prepared for backbreaking work or use the Davis Scrubbis Underwater Hull Cleaning Kit from Davis Instruments.
The innovative system is simple to use, won't scrub off expensive ablative, hard or hybrid coatings, and easily pays for itself in one season.
Davis Scrubbis is a buoyant 40cm wide foam-like cleaning head attached to a 1.1 – 3.2m telescoping handle. From the deck, a dock or dinghy, it's pushed down the side of the boat. An angled tube and extension allow it to reach strakes, steps, keels and rudders. Its 2kg of flotation brings it back. As it rises, the pressure pushes it against the hull, removing scum. For problem areas, the head can be flipped to expose a stiff cleaning fin.
Optional attachments are available that address the really tough jobs. Scrubbis Groovy removes tenacious barnacles and worms. For nasty waterline scum, the Waterline Brush has soft cleaning fins on one side and a replaceable scouring pad on the other. Both snap onto the telescoping handle and fit the angled tube.
What makes Davis Scrubbis so unique is that it's so easy to use. There's no need to apply pressure, the flotation does the work. It's also fast and convenient. A 9m boat can be completed in about 20 minutes, with weekly touch-ups in a fraction of that time. With Scrubbis, there's no more working around a diver's schedule or racking up cleaning bills.
A video is at bit.ly/Scrubbis.
