I am getting a keel guard this spring and was wondering if anyone has any experience with the ones you apply yourself, or if its better to have it professionally done?

Thanks

If you are a little handy you can do it yourself.  You will have to use a scotch brite pad and rough up the gel coat in order to get hood adhesion.  Pick a warm day and take your time.  If you have a creeper, the job is a lot easier.

 I wouldn't consider myself handy and I easily did it.  Would be a waste to pay someone to do it.

Thanks for the advice. I've read how to do it, I'm just a little hesitant about doing stuff like scuffing my boat with a scotch brite pad, (I freaked out when drilling holes in it for the depth finders myself), and wasn't sure if it was as easy as they made it sound.   Thanks

It isn't bad if you mark the area to scuff.  You can hold the unit up and mark around it with a pencil.  Be sure you get a good seal as you apply the guard.  I had a friend hold mine as I applied it.

Apply it urself. Just make sure you have it exactly where you want it before scuffing.  I did mine w/ a friend and it only took about 15mins.  However I do regret not putting it a little bit farther down the keel.  Otherwise to have it professionally done ur looking at $300 for the keelguard and labor which is outrageous.  

If you have a fiberglass boat, I would suggest you purchase a keelguard for a longer boat. If you have a 17 ft boat buy one for an 18, 19 or even a 20 ft boat. This would allow you to apply it higher and further back as well. No penalty for being to long, but there certainly is for being to short. This would allow you to beach the boat without concern of the bank angle. Just a thought.................Al