On a recent used trawler survey, I got into a conversation with the surveyor regarding the accuracy of moisture meters. The surveyor explained that he uses the device simply as a tool, but does not regard its measurement as one of absolute certainty.
To evaluate his theory, I placed the meter upon my hand; a reading of 86 was obtained because my hand is mostly water anyway. That makes sense.
Next, I placed the instrument upon dry fiberglass and a reading of 8 was given. We then placed the instrument upon an area of the deck suspected of having water intrusion, same result. We then splashed some water onto the deck, wiped it away and checked it again, a reading of 22 occurred.
So in theory a higher than normal reading suggests moisture within a deck but in reality, the higher than normal reading can be from air humidity or surface moisture. The suspect area must be tapped with a hammer to search for evidence of moisture; the only sure way to determine if there is trapped water is to drill a plug. A good surveyor uses his experience to make that final determination.
A good surveyor will not reply simply upon electronics to determine if there is hidden moisture. Be sure to ask a potential surveyor about this before selecting a surveyor to survey your used trawler.
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