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Gel coat is pourous to the expoxy sealer/paint is a good idea over any sanded areas. Believe it or not it gelcoat does aborb water over time but will not be as susceptable to absorbtion if you dont sand it. The Awlgrip system uses an epoxy based system that includes an epoxy sealer/primer before you paint with the topcoat. The expoxy paints kinda flow out as they dry leaving a very smooth finish.