What do you use as a cockpit floor material?

[kmclemore]

I've got outdoor carpet in my cockpit and frankly it sucks. I was thinking that something like this would be great if I could find the proper size/shape...

[Mark Prouty]

Hey that would look sharp. I wonder how it would hold up?

[Jack O'Brien]

Not as pretty as the wood, and not as comfortable to stand on barefoot, but similar principal as the wood for keeping your feet dry and clean. I haven't used it in the cockpit but have lined the entire hull with it - needed 96 square feet = 96 squares. Comes in different colors. Much cheaper direct from this source than West Marine.

http://www.dri-dek.com/

[Frank C]

IMO, DON'T waste your money on Dri-deck tiles. They were a disaster, for me. They are made from a plastic that's too hard-surfaced, so its little foot pegs slip & slide on the gelcoat. Also, the tiles are so thin enough (maybe eighth-inch) that your shifing body weight during heeling will cause the tiles to bend and slide right up the curved edge of the cockpit seat.

After relegating the Dri-deck to the bilges, I bought a common rubber "bar mat" at Costco for ~ 20 bucks. It's the eggcrate style, about a three-quarters-inch deep. It comes in basic-brown, not too pretty and difficult to cut, but if you map it out carefully, that one mat covers the whole cockpit. The rubber material grips the gelcoat pretty well. It's a good choice because it is thick enough that it doesn't shift - well hardly at all. Water drains below.

[Jack O'Brien]

Frank is right - they do slip and slide on the gelcoat, even the non-skid. I tried a 4-square piece in the cockpit and it moved around but I thought it might be better if cut to fit. Their overall thickness is 5/16" or 3/8" because all the little legs stick out below the 1/8" thick main section. These are great for a wet area as they provide for very good air circulation and keep your goodies out of the slop, as well as protecting from the rough fiberglass.

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

Dri deck is terrible. We had it in our previous boat cockpit and it is murder on bare feet.

For a while we had some black rubber grate squares in the X cockpit which were fine on the feet, but got too hot in the sun. Stay away from anything black.

We just stick to the bare fiberglass now. Easy to sweep clean and easy on the feet.

I am thinking about trying some of that really heavy rubber non-skid liner material you can buy in rolls.

[Richard O'Brien]

http://www.tek-dek-international.com/ My dogs slide around on the fibreglass so I cut a 1/2" foam restaurant style mat, but this stuff looks way cooler?

[Rob Long]

I have used the Dri-deck material very successfully for 5 years. Perhaps it was because of the installation I did. I carefully cut it to fit around the 26x's cockpit sides and fit it snuggly to the base of the helm station. Once the pieces were locked together, there is just no where for the entire configuration to move. I can understand how some might find the surface too rough... its never bothered me and I like that it dries out fast beneath the tiles and serves to clean shoe/foot debris off before going below.

[Idle Time]

I tried some non skid for carpets. It was great for awhile. Nice on the feet etc. but after awhile it loses it's non skid properties and kinda sticks to your feet and keeps pulling up.. maybe if it were much heavier grade.