Hard or soft? Colored or white? Lots of copper or none? The challenge of picking a bottom paint these days is enough to leave even the most experienced maintenance guru staring blankly at the shelves in the paint aisle. Our aim with this update—PS’s 12-month review of bottom paints—is to make the world of antifoulants a bit easier to navigate.

The first step in choosing an anti-fouling paint is deciding between a hard or soft coating. Our Best Choice and Budget Buy paints in each of these categories are indicated on the tables listed in "Also With This Article." Where you boat can greatly effect antifouling performance, so these tables…