:they taught me how to properly prepare the mold
: surface itself to nothing less than a mirror finish and properly wax said
: surface, each release agent has its own way to be worked with.

That's the way I have experienced it as well. I made a fibreglass kayak quite some years ago at a kayak club, but couldn't stay to break it free from the mould. Other members did it for me. The comment they all gave was how easily it came out. I had spent about an hour preparing that mould polishing it with floor wax until it shone. I copped a fair bit of abuse because everyone wanted to get on with it, but the end result proved the point - prepare that mould well and you will be rewarded.