Re: Does Waxing Bottom of Boat really help Performance???
I would not wax the pad. Let me qualify this in that I have no data to back this up, but I am an engineer with some fluid dynamics background. Here is why I say not to wax the pad. When fluid flows over the surface at relatively low speeds, (speeds that a typical boat would run are relatively low compared to many other applications such as air over a jetliner wing), it flows in what is called a laminar flow pattern. Essentially it flows smoothly and evenly over the surface. This smooth flow has a particular drag coefficient. When the flow reaches a high enough speed the flow pattern changes to what is known as turbulent flow. <br />Under turbulent flow conditions the drag coefficient is significantly reduced as compared to the drag coefficient under laminar flow conditions. Here is where waxing comes in: Turbulence at the surface/fluid interface can be induced at lower velocities by roughness of the surface. In other words, a smooth surface would facilitate a smoother flow pattern and thus higher drag than a rough surface. As JB mentioned one of the best practical examples of this effect is golf balls. The first solid golf balls were smooth with no dimples. It did not take the pros of that day long to figure out that a ball that had been hit several time, scuffing up the surface, would fly farther than a new ball right out of the box. Pros began to use their practice rounds to hit all of the balls that they would use in the actual tournament rounds to scuff them up before the tournament began. Once the manufacturers understood what the pros were doing they began to produce balls with the pre-made "scuffs" and thus the birth of the modern dimpled golf ball.<br /><br />My conclusion is that I would not wax the pad on a boat. I do not know if a typical boat's speeds are fast enough to take advantage of this effect of the surface roughness, but if so you will gain. If not, you will lose nothing.
