Game Changing Sonar Technology Protected by Industry Leading Foul-Release Coating
Auckland, New Zealand – Propspeed, leading innovator of underwater foul-release coatings, announced today it has received an endorsement from Electronic Navigation Ltd. (ENL). The innovator in wide-angle sonar technology relied on by anglers and oceanographers alike, ENL has tested the Propspeed Foulfree foul-release coating and found it to be effective for keeping their transducers clean and free from marine growth.
“We installed our new WASSP wideband transducer on a 48-foot Riviera in March 2020 and applied Foulfree,” said Gareth Hodson, managing director, ENL Group. “On the 4th of December, 2020 we hauled the boat out for hull maintenance, and there was no growth on the transducer. After a quick fresh water wash down the transducer was as good as new. We applied Foulfree to the entire transducer including the face of it. The performance of the WASSP worked as expected mapping the ocean at 20 knots! I have no hesitation in recommending the Propspeed product for all WASSP transducers.”
WASSP Multibeam Sounder technology can profile the seabed 100 times faster than single-beam echo sounders. With WASSP 3D mapping in real-time, users can accurately profile the water column and seafloor with unparalleled precision. Designed to satisfy the needs of New Zealand lobster fishermen, WASSP’s success and potential was soon realized by a growing number of commercial fishermen. WASSP is wholly owned by ENL Group, New Zealand’s leading marine electronics company. Founded in 1945, ENL Group has earned a solid reputation for outstanding service, innovation and supply of quality marine electronic products worldwide.
“We are proud to have received a glowing recommendation from such a prestigious customer,” said Chris Baird, CEO, Propspeed. “The WASSP Multibeam Sonar technology is the pinnacle of underwater profiling and Foulfree has proven once again to effectively protect transducers with no degradation in performance.”
Designed by industry-leading engineers and certified by Airmar to result in no loss in transducer performance once applied, Foulfree releases marine growth, reducing the maintenance needed to keep transducers clean and streamlining water flow. Foulfree is a specialized foul-release coating that is biocide-free and does not poison marine growth. Once cured, Foulfree forms a super-slippery surface over the transducer, preventing marine growth from attaching to its surface. Offering a long service life – it lasts a minimum of 12 months, with an even longer life span in cooler climates.
Propspeed products include Propspeed for running gear and any underwater metals, Foulfree for transducers and Lightspeed for underwater lighting. For more information on Propspeed or its premium coatings, please visit www.propspeed.com/commercial.
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About Propspeed
Propspeed develops high-performance products that make marine craft more efficient and economical to run and maintain, with an eye toward doing the least harm to humans and the marine environment. Propspeed manufactures and distributes Propspeed, recognized globally as the leading product for preventing marine growth on underwater metals. Biofouling – the accumulation of marine life on ships’ hulls – increases drag and costs the global shipping industry an estimated $7.5 billion a year in wasted fuel. Based in New Zealand, where sailing excellence is culturally ingrained, Propspeed has become a worldwide phenomenon throughout the marine industry.