I just got finished painting my Hobie 16 hulls and I have to tell you it was not nearly as bad as I was expecting. The sanding was the worst but with a better electric sander it would have been much easier.. I used a paint by Interlux called Toplac. I settled on this brand after doing a great deal of research based on the fact that it is a combination paint and Lacquer that comes in one can rather than having to mix and it is a marine paint. I wanted something that would hold up in the elements .. even though my cat is not always in the water it does sit on the beach for 7 months out of the year.. and I also wanted something that would be somewhat scratch resistant. which the paint is. Plus it has a great shine on it and should last years... it can be applied with a sprayer or a brush although, if you spray, it won't go on quite so thick thus reducing the weight you will add in paint. The drawbacks are it is a little hard to find because it is a new product and it costs about 30 bucks a quart but I covered both hulls with less than 2 quarts.. so it is really all about how much you want to spend on paint.. Hope this helps you out good luck.