help on doelfins/tigersharkvg/gullwings etc

which one's are the best for speed and stability? anyone any ideas?

Re: help on doelfins/tigersharkvg/gullwings etc

Depeands on the hull design i do believe and set up,they help on some boats and hurt on others,its basically a crapshoot in my opion.i ended up taking mine off.

Re: help on doelfins/tigersharkvg/gullwings etc

anyone any ideas?

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1)Try a different prop<br />2)load you boat differently<br />3)tune you engine<br />4)check out trim tabs<br />5)If "doel fins" etc were so great, don't you think Mercruiser, or better yet, the exhaulted Volvo Penta, would design their drives with big wide ventilation plates?<br />6) Waste of time/money.<br /><br />there are my thoughts

Re: help on doelfins/tigersharkvg/gullwings etc

The Doel fin worked fine in my case and worked fine for a lot of people for a long time before trim tabs reached a price were a lot more people could afford them <br /><br />At this point with things like smart tabs only costing 200 dollars its not that hard to go with tabs which are better<br /><br />If trim tabs are so good why dont they come standard <br /><br /><br />tommays

Re: help on doelfins/tigersharkvg/gullwings etc

Depends on the boat and what you are trying to do. <br /> On "most" bass boats and similar, it's not even in the water when running WOT. (so, it's not hurting anything...or helping). BUT, it will make that type of boat plane at MUCH slower speeds, plane LOTS quicker, and set the back end down slower when stopping so as to help keep from "swamping" the transom with backwash water.<br /> Trim tabs do all of that also, and more...but, I can't install trim tabs on my boat and if I could, they wouldn't last a month before I'd have one torn up. (I can't even keep my transducer in place most days and I have to clean my speedo inlet hole out about once a week due to to wood or grass plugging it up).<br /><br /> Why don't motor manufacturer's integrate these into their lower units? Same reason boats hulls don't have integrated trim tabs. They perform fine without them. Aftermarket products are good for some, not needed or wanted for others.

Re: help on doelfins/tigersharkvg/gullwings etc

Trim tabs. I've used both, trim tabs hands down...

Re: help on doelfins/tigersharkvg/gullwings etc

If trim tabs are so good why dont they come standard

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They do, on many boats, especially cabin cruisers.

Re: help on doelfins/tigersharkvg/gullwings etc

5)If "doel fins" etc were so great, don't you think Mercruiser, or better yet, the exhaulted Volvo Penta, would design their drives with big wide ventilation plates?<br />

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Better take another look at the Volvos....compare it(new) to a 10yr old unit...the AV plate is twice the width of the old ones, in fact, all of the outboard, not just sterndrive manufacturers have done the same...they are all wider.

Re: help on doelfins/tigersharkvg/gullwings etc

many thanks to all who have tried to answer my question...but i still have to ask it again! let me explain. I know doel fins work, i just don't know if gullwings or tigershark fins are better.<br />many thanks to anyone that can answer the question, regards Tony <br />P.S. would like to try trim tabs but i have not got the room on my 15.5ft small v hull transom.

Re: help on doelfins/tigersharkvg/gullwings etc

12345;<br /><br />It is a matter or additional planing surface. The larger the surface the more effective the performance at the low end (Hole Shot). I personally do not think that there is much difference from one to the other, but I am sure the manufacturers would disagree.<br /><br />Your origional question was which one was better for speed, and stability. That is assuming that any of them provide better speed and stability. The problem is that they add additional "FIXED" planing surface to the craft. Because it is "fixed" the net result is that they change the hull design. It does not take much of a change to alter the handling characteristics of a boat when it is running at cruising speeds. <br /><br />Most users will tell you that the hole shot is better but the top speed was less.<br /><br />Let me suggest that you go to our site and down load the booklet on "boat handling and performance". Then do some additional research on Hydrofoils.