You may enjoy being at your boat, but it’s an environment that can be hard on your speakers and other accessories unless it’s designed for marine use. Your wakeboard tower is built to withstand harsh environments, but it doesn’t mean that you don’t need to take care of it.
Sunlight contains UV rays that break down plastics and adhesives that are not designed for outdoor use. You might tolerate some dirt and mud, but your speakers won’t. If houses and electronics get unprotected, it may cause damages. Water spray does the same, and if you’re on saltwater, the damage happens even faster.
Here are some tips on how you can maintain your boat’s wakeboard tower and accessories:
Make sure your boat speakers, lights, and other accessories are marine-rated.
To better maintain and keep your wakeboard accessories in their best condition, make sure that the speakers and the lights you buy are marine-rated.
When it comes to wakeboard tower speakers and lights, you have to determine if they are marine-rated before buying and installing them on your boat. If you’re going to do wakeboarding or other water-based sports with your boat, the speakers in your wakeboard tower might get splashed with water, even if it’s in a high position. Speakers that are marine-rated are acceptable for use when in the water and are designed to withstand a marine environment’s conditions. If your speakers aren’t marine rated, they will likely break or fall apart while in use.
It’s important that your wakeboard speakers are at least water-resistant – or better yet, waterproof. A lot of the time, these two terms are used interchangeably, but there are real differences between the two. Water-resistant devices can resist water like rain and light ocean sprays, but it can be damaged when fully submerged in the water. They may survive when they come in contact with the surface of the water, but they aren’t designed and built to keep water out.
Meanwhile, waterproof devices are designed for that. These devices are created with high seals that won’t let water in. If you were to fully submerge a waterproof speaker in the water, it would still work. Just don’t forget to take note of their limits, as waterproof devices are only waterproof to a certain depth. While it’s unlikely that you will submerge your boat speakers in the water, the more protected they are, the better. A wave may hit and cover the device with water, and waterproof devices will be able to hold up to this.
Marine-rated audio speakers and lights also have UV-resistant components that won’t crack or dry out from long-term exposure to sunlight. Most likely, you’d want to go on an adventure with your boat when the weather is great, and the sun is out. If you’re looking for the best wakeboard speakers, check out this list.
Regularly cleanse and wash off your wakeboard tower.
Proper cleaning and maintenance of your wakeboard towers and accessories will go a long way to keep it good-looking. No matter how pretty your boat is, if the accessories and parts installed in it are grimy and dirty, it will affect its look and appearance. And more than the aesthetic value, keeping your wakeboard tower clean will keep it from corrosion and damage.
To do this, it’s recommended that you torque down all the bolts, nuts, set screws, and other components of your wakeboard tower regularly. Over time, the forces and movement you apply on the tower from wakeboarding can cause the hardware to loosen. It happens with all towers, so you can ensure that your tower is as solid as possible by tightening things down.
Over time, your then-shiny wakeboard tower can accumulate watermarks and dirt, which you need to remove. To do this, you must be mindful of what finish your wakeboard tower has. Most of the time, it’s finished with polished aluminum or a powder coating.
1. Polished Aluminum
Aluminum is what most wakeboard towers are made of, even speaker canisters, racks, and other accessories. It’s light, strong, and doesn’t rust. Polished aluminum is a more forgiving surface than an anodized finish, so you have to make sure it’s polished or anodized. Even the most neglected polished aluminum products can be buffed off the metal to remove any affected area.
The best way to clean polished aluminum wakeboard towers is by regular rinsing of the surface using clean waters. It’s best to completely dry off the entire surface with a cloth every time it gets wet. When left neglected, surfaces with many cycles of built-up saltwater and minerals are more stubborn to remove.
Here’s what to keep in mind when cleaning polished aluminum wakeboard towers:
- Do not use abrasive cleaners and other abrasive materials such as hard sponges, steel wool, and abrasive brushes to scratch and harm finishes.
- Do not overly clean or rub the surface – a mild cleaner and a wipe of microfiber cloth will be fine.
- Remove rundowns as soon as it happens.
- Avoid temperature extremes when you’re out boating. And clean in the shade or in a spot with moderate temperature.
- To avoid marring, make sure the cleaning cloths or sponges you use are grit-free.
2. Powder-coated finish
This type of coating is applied as a free-flowing, dry powder. The main difference between a powder coating and a typical liquid paint is that the powder coating doesn’t need a solvent to keep the binder and filler parts in a liquid suspension form. Powder-coated finishes are applied electrostatically and cured under heat to form a skin. It can produce thicker coatings than a liquid coating.
To maintain a powder-coated wakeboard tower, wash it down with a solution of warm water and mild detergent.
Here are some general cleaning tips:
- All the surfaces must be cleaned using a soft cloth or sponge, and don’t use harsher tools than natural bristle brushes.
- Avoid using strong solvents and strong cleaner solutions.
- Do not overly clean or rub the surface.
- Do not use abrasive cleaners and other abrasive materials such as hard sponges, steel wool, and abrasive brushes to scratch and harm finishes.
- To avoid marring, make sure the cleaning cloths or sponges you use are grit-free.
Clean your marine lights.
Maintaining your marine lights, especially those mounted on your wakeboard tower, is essential for nighttime boaters. Make sure you clean out the front lights with a glass cleaner like Windex so the lights won’t’ be dimmed up by dirt and water build-up. Marine environments and saltwater splashes can cause residues and other water sports to blur out the lights from your device.
Protect your wakeboard racks.
Your racks for kneeboards, wakeboards, surfboards, skis, and more need the same tender loving care. When transporting your boat, use its quick-release clamps to take the racks down to prevent potential damage, as bugs will often collide with these racks. If you have swivel racks, rotate them inside the boat when not in use.
You can also use wakeboard rack covers made of outdoor polyester to keep the surface protected. After each use, rinse it and dry it to avoid saltwater build-up. Wash it with water and mild soap at least once a season.
Clean out your mirrors.
When water splashes out in your boat mirrors, it can get harder to remove once you keep it there. Ensure you rinse and dry it after each boating session (if it got splashed) to avoid stubborn water spots. Use Windex or other glass cleaners for cleaning out your boat windows.
Mirrors are vulnerable, so it’s best to fold them down or use quick-release mechanisms during transport. You can also protect it with a mirror cover, also made of outdoor polyester fabric, to further protect it during transport or storage.