If a company is going to stand behind its product, they had better be sure that it is not going to get shot full of holes.
Case in point: KeelShield is simply the finest protection you can buy for the most vital part of your hull, the keel. More than that, it affords this quality protection for the life of your boat without detracting from, but rather by actually adding to the performance of the rig.
They didn't come to me because of my celebrity, I came to them, because I botched the installation, and they instantly made things right. You see, they obviously believe that they shouldn't sell me a product, if I can't properly install it. That's the definition of standing up for the number 1 guy, their customer. Try one and you'll be a KeelShield spokesperson like me.
"We recommend that every boat leaving our factory whether a flats or a bass boat , have a KeelShield installed by our factory team.For trailer mishaps, concrete ramps ,rocks or oyster bars, KeelShields are Storms first line of protection.
Rick Kornmeier President of STORM BOATS
My name is David Stancil I have won four Crappie National Championships in 1989, 2002, 2004 and 2006. I have had KeelShield on my Ranger boat since 2001. I would highly recommend this product. It has kept my Ranger hull looking like new, protecting it from dents and scratches. I would just like to say: don't get on the water without it! It is easy to put on and looks great.
I didn't have keel protection on my 2006 boat and I was asked, is a KeelShield to big a price to pay for the peace of mind of knowing if you should beach your boat, you'll be protected. It wasn't and I got a KeelShield.
After the weather finally warmed here, my husband, Larry, and I installed our KeelShield in our driveway. I was a little apprehensive about taking on what I felt was a major project as this. I didn't want to be responsible for doing it wrong. We carefully read the directions and we followed each step precisely.
Installation was a success! My KeelShield was put into play at Lake Neely Henry, AL recently on a boat ramp without a dock. I was able to ease up on the ramp to pick up and drop off my husband. That wouldn't have been possible without my KeelShield.
Would you spend $200 and about an hour of semi-hard work to make your boat look better and last longer ?
How about if that small effort helped you get far more for your boat when you sold it or traded it in?
Let's face it: Buying a bass boat is a big investment. One of the biggest most of us will ever make. We all know that, and we know the importance of protecting our big-dollar investments in our boats. Then why do so many of us forget to protect the most-exposed area on the hull? The keel is the one area where you definitely don't want to see premature wear, for any number of reasons.
The keel on your boat is the equivalent of a boxer leading with his chin. It's the one place on the hull that's continually exposed to hazards in the water, as well as on the beach. Plus, the force of objects contacting the keel is significant. At 50 mph, an aluminum soda can hits your keel with the energy of a 90 mph fastball. No kidding.
Fortunately East Peoria-based Illinois KeelShield Inc. has a hull protector that is both simple to apply (unlike some others) and 100 percent bombproof. In fact, KeelShield is so confident of its product that it offers a full no- questions-asked lifetime warranty against wear through and adhesion as long as the product is properly installed. We checked around: They back it up. And they should, because they were the first ones in the keel-protection business to implement a lifetime warranty.
The reason that they can offer so much piece of mind is that KeelShield utilizes the best raw materials available: urethane polymers (not cheaper PVCs or plastics) and a great adhesion package developed by 3M.
We installed a KeelShield hull protector in our shop. The installation is a snap, with easy-to-follow step-by-step directions. The shield installed tight, and had a uniform bond. We also tested the abrasion resistance, and found that it exceeds the ASTM specification for products like this.
Product Rating
Rating is from 1 to 4,
4 being the highest.
Design: 4
Construction: 4
Innovation: 3.5
Overall: 4
So how about it? Don't ignore your keel any longer. KeelShield has a simple-to- use and cost-effective protection solution that makes quick work of putting some protection where you need it most.
" I have a KeelShield keel protector on both my bay boat and my bass boat and you can count on your boat for your lively hood you will put it through some rigorous situations.
In south Louisiana, in salt water we have a lot of creatures growing in the water that can destroy your boat , such as barnacles, shell reefs and oyster beds. As a full time guide I have experienced all of them, however with the KeelShield I feel confident that I am not putting unsightly damage to my hull that could possibly put me down for a couple of days for repairs. THANKS KeelShield, you make getting to the fish a HOLE lot easier."
"I took my Triton TR21 down to the Cape Fear River last weekend. On my way back to the ramp I felt a couple thumps under the boat. I slowed the boat down to make sure it was running fine, everything seemed fine and gave her more throttle. What I didn't realize that whatever I had hit broke my skeg clean off.
I came to a bend in the river and when I turned the wheel I lost total control. The boat jetted towards the bank and all I could do was hold on and pray. Next my 21' boat was completely out of the water on this 70 degree incline. When I realized me and my buddy were OK, my concern turned towards the condition of the boat.
The boat was pulled off by some local fishermen and we headed straight to the boat ramp to get it on the trailer. I was expecting the worse from that impact and there was not even a scratch. I would have at least expected the KeelShield to get torn from the boat, but to my surprise the KeelShield did not move or even have a scratch. I can't even imagine what the damage would have been without your product.
Thank you for making a quality product for the consumer. KEELSHIELD will be the first thing I will put on any boat. Thanks again for saving my boat,and saving me money on what would have been a very expensive repair.
" Earlier this week I called the 888 number for KeelShield and spoke with a young man. I had called to find out how to take the KeelShield off my 2001 Lowe 170w aluminum boat.
I purchased the shield from Yowell's in Waco around October. During the last week of January 05 ,I was fishing with my partner on Lake Buchannan. After just fishing a cove we decided to go elsewhere, I hit the throttle and the boat almost immediately hit a rock that was submerged about 6 inches under the water. the boat was centered on the rock. It took me almost 10 minutes reversing the boat at full throttle and changing directions to walk it off that rock. We looked to see if we were taking on water and we were not.
After getting the boat on the trailer we noticed the KeelShield was damaged in a couple places. Other than scraping some paint off the keel the worse damage was a 2-3 inch section of my keel had been smashed flat. I wanted to remove the current KeelShield and replace it with a new one.
The young man then instructed on how to remove the old one and the residue from the adhesive that would be on the boat. He also said that KeelShield might replace it under warranty. All I had to do was to show that I was the original purchaser , which I did.
I am convinced that had I not had the KEELSHIELD, the damage would have been much worse. I also belong to the Fishers of Men organization and just received a flyer that stated you are a sponsor of FOM. Thank you for your sponsorship. I am an absolute believer in your product."
David E. Titus COL,SC
"I have purchased your KeelShield a couple of months ago and had to wait for what seemed an eternity to get it installed due to the unusually bad rainy weather we had for quite sometime here in the Boston area. Of course I wanted to install the KeelShield correctly thus waited until we had 70 degree temperaturesto do it.
Finally the KeelShield was installed properly on a beautiful fairly new Nitro Bass boat fully equipped.I had purchased the 7' length per your recommendation for a bass boat at 17' length. I did not want to be without it and a good thing at that.
My friend and I went to fish the Nashua River at sunrise.We had a great day,caught a good amount of bass and released and while heading back, I was cruising at approximately 35 mph when all of a sudden we hit a good size log in the water.We were lifted off our seats then bouncing back like ping pong balls,then all of a sudden the log must have hit the outboard thus lifting it also causing the the outboard to rev up at a hi RPM.
I immediatley grasped control of the boat shutting it down immidiately. We were shaken quite badly knowing we had damaged the boat for sure,my knees hit the inside of the dashboard due to the launch off the water, I was banged up but felt O.K.
We trimmed the motor up to inspect it for damage, it was quite challenging to inspect while in the water. We decided to head for shore to load the boat up on the trailer before we had any other problems,such as sinking.We hauled the boat out of the water and carefully inspected it only to be shocked that there was no visible damage at that time.
Since the dock was very busy we did no want to hold up any other boats from launching, as it was I was pretty upset at myself since I am a very fussy individual and extremely careful.When I got home I proceeded to wash the boat entirely so the damage would be more visible. I then got on my trusted creeper and visually inspected the entire hull of the boat front to back , including the KeelShield in its entire length.
Lo and behold no damage was found at all, especially after the severe impact.I OWE IT ALL TO THE KEELSHIELD WHICH OBVIOUSLY HAD ABSORBED ALL OF THE IMPACT.
The incredible part was that the Keelshield never seperated, IT HELD STRONG. I can not thank you enough for manufacturing such an incredible product. I am extremely happy that I had made a wise investment purchasing your product through Cabela's. I was reluctant at first knowing if the KeelShield would even hold, never mind saving my boat."
