For most of us it’s a great dream to go and live by the ocean. The attractions are many and powerful. Amongst them – marvellous views, fresh air & lots of social, cultural & outdoor amenities.

However, on the downside, there are also strong salt laden winds which decimate turf, kill off lots of other garden plants, start corrosion on cars and anything else made of metal, abrade paintwork and by and large give a fairly effective, source of abrasive material which penetrates any moving parts.

On top of that there are the high levels of ozone which are welcome for purifying the air, but regrettably, they also attack any rubber seals around the house or vehicles.

And finally, because the sand, rocks & water at the ocean are many times more reflective than many inland or city surfaces, they don’t absorb so much of the ultra violet light which is present naturally in daylight. Consequently, there’s a much higher level of ultra violet light by the ocean.

Now, ultra violet light in small regular doses is actually of benefit to our health, just like ozone, there’s nothing it seems to like better than going for any natural rubber parts it can find.

All told this makes clear why rubber Wiper blades have an even shorter working life than normal when they are used on a vehicle which lives at the ocean. The salt particles abrade the rubber and act as grinding particles between the wiper blade and the windscreen. The ozone attacks the rubber twenty-four hours a day, whether the Windscreen wiper blades are being used or not, indeed, whether the vehicle is being driven or not. This attack causes the rubber to become weak, and its structure to break down. Additionally the higher levels of Ultra Violet light also attack the rubber and speed up its stiffening & break down.

Because of the above I always suggest Silicone Windscreen Wiper Blades to anyone living or regularly visiting the seaside, especially people with boats or other interests that take them into closer contact with salt water & ocean air. Silicone Wiper Blades are completely impervious to salt, ultra violet and ozone, as well as atmospheric pollution and many solvents contained in cleaning products.

A silicone blade in a classic wiper blade goes a long way towards solving the problems caused by lifeat the ocean. Nonetheless, classic Windscreen wiper blades have a metal frame with joints which are also liable to attack by the salt, causing rapid wear and corrosion of the joints. Therefore the best Windscreen wiper blades for use on the ocean would be silicone Flat Blade Wipers, which brings together a one piece jointless frame and a long life silicone blade.