2005 Q6 - Smart Tab or Hydrofoil

sbnuggie · May 2, 2012

Howdy,

Where have I been? I just found this forum and holy toledo what have I been missing.... :facepalm: . Anyway, about a year and half ago we bought a used 2005 Q6 Tahoe 190 HP Mercruiser. It's my first boat and since I've never owned or driven another boat I think the world of it.

I was wondering what would work better to get this model on plane faster and a better hole shot. I was looking at the SE sport 300 hydrofoil but have been reading about these Smart Tabs. My kids are just learning to ski and wakeboard and figured either one of these would help. Any suggestions.

Barnacle_Bill · May 3, 2012

Re: 2005 Q6 - Smart Tab or Hydrofoil

Smart Tabs are the way to go.

jrampey · May 3, 2012

Re: 2005 Q6 - Smart Tab or Hydrofoil

Definitely smart tabs!!!

Scott Danforth · May 3, 2012

Re: 2005 Q6 - Smart Tab or Hydrofoil

I myself would jump straight to Bennett sport tabs. I like the ability to control things

BiggerDee · May 4, 2012

Re: 2005 Q6 - Smart Tab or Hydrofoil

Smart Tabs. I have used both on my Q7i. The Hydrofoil is a waste of time and money. Smart Tabs are pretty amazing, you'll regret not getting them earlier!

grendelsniper · May 8, 2012

Re: 2005 Q6 - Smart Tab or Hydrofoil

smart tabs they rock

Ready2fish · May 8, 2012

Re: 2005 Q6 - Smart Tab or Hydrofoil

SOOOO... I'm new here, and can't figure out for the life of me how to start a new thread, so I'm piggy backing on this one. I just bought a 06 Q6 SF with the 4.3 190 HP and so far it's okay. However, I don't like the slow speed handling at all...and I ain't reay crazy about the high speed turns while tubing.

As I understand it, the smart tabs will help with the meandering....will they do anything for high speed?? Is it just me, or will this boat flip right over if the water is a little rough and you turn too sharply? Several times I'm certain it would have flipped if I hadn't pulled the throttle back completely. It was scarey....and I've been driving boats for a long time. Other times it dug right in and turned like it was on a rail.....it's a hard boat to figure out!! Please advise.

mnypitboat · May 8, 2012

Re: 2005 Q6 - Smart Tab or Hydrofoil

Smart Tabs for sure. The issue you will find with smart tabs is, if you ski or kneeboard or wakeboard, you will need to remove them. They throw out a huge spray back there.

It also helps with the wandering you get at low speeds. It will help to keep the boat straight.

I am not absolutely sure about this, but I towed a tube a couple weeks ago with the tabs on, then last weekend I towed with them off, and I could swear it handled better in high speed hard corners. I wasnt paying enough attention to be certain, and will have to try it both ways next time I go out though.

Ready2fish · May 8, 2012

Re: 2005 Q6 - Smart Tab or Hydrofoil

mnypitboat said:
Smart Tabs for sure. The issue you will find with smart tabs is, if you ski or kneeboard or wakeboard, you will need to remove them. They throw out a huge spray back there.

It also helps with the wandering you get at low speeds. It will help to keep the boat straight.

I am not absolutely sure about this, but I towed a tube a couple weeks ago with the tabs on, then last weekend I towed with them off, and I could swear it handled better in high speed hard corners. I wasnt paying enough attention to be certain, and will have to try it both ways next time I go out though.

Is that to say you feel like it handled better WITHOUT the tabs?

I am rapidly regretting my purchase.

mnypitboat · May 8, 2012

Re: 2005 Q6 - Smart Tab or Hydrofoil

Ready2fish said:
Is that to say you feel like it handled better WITHOUT the tabs?

I am rapidly regretting my purchase.

I am talking about when I cut hard for a skiier or to double back when I dropped one(almost a complete 180 turn at 35 or above), YES it felt like it dug in better without them. But it may just be my hull or maybe my imagination. I no longer have my Q7, I have a Monterey now so YMMV.

Overall, you really cannot ski with the tabs. Every other aspect of boating was improved by the tabs. It gets on plane much faster, stays flat all the way up(almost no bow rise), handles better over rough seas, or other boats wake, steers better at idle speed, gains a bit of gas mileage, and I actually saw a couple MPH increase at top end. On a Tahoe, these things are huge. I never had an issue getting on plane, or mph with the 350 Mercruiser, but everything else was inferior in the Tahoe. The tabs help all of these emmensely. Just pop them off if you plan to ski. That is what I do.

will2kz · May 9, 2012

Re: 2005 Q6 - Smart Tab or Hydrofoil

Huh? I don't see a big spray behind my boat with the tabs. It is possibly because mine are mounted wider or have a different hull. Your results may vary. I don't know why you would install these to plane faster and NOT use them for watersports....

mnypitboat · May 9, 2012

Re: 2005 Q6 - Smart Tab or Hydrofoil

will2kz said:
Huh? I don't see a big spray behind my boat with the tabs. It is possibly because mine are mounted wider or have a different hull. Your results may vary. I don't know why you would install these to plane faster and NOT use them for watersports....

Could very well be the hull design. It really messes up the wake back there on my boat though. It sprays tubers and kneeboarders so bad they can barely see. My boat doesnt necessarily plane faster, just smoother and flatter I would say. Mine are mounted out as far as they can be. Almost at the edge, maybe a couple inches in. So when we ski I just pull them off. Just have to deal with the bow rise. I think a differant pitch prop might help me though.

Funny thing too, I can produce a rooster tail behind me with the tabs on, trimmed all the way out at top speed. It is kinda impressive. LOL. It porpoises with that much trim without the tabs. And for those thinking its trimmed up to high, I have been doing this for a long time. I know how to trim the drive.

Ready2fish · May 9, 2012

Re: 2005 Q6 - Smart Tab or Hydrofoil

I saw another thread on the same subject with pictures showing the tabs installed only 5 inches from the outside edge of the boat....others installed very near the center of the hull. Do the instructions leave those options......that seems pretty vague and could leave alot of room for getting undesirable results.....after having several holes drilled in your boat.

Sorry for all the questions, I just want to cover all the bases.....and the longer it goes on, the more I miss my outboard

mnypitboat · May 9, 2012

Re: 2005 Q6 - Smart Tab or Hydrofoil

Ready2fish said:
I saw another thread on the same subject with pictures showing the tabs installed only 5 inches from the outside edge of the boat....others installed very near the center of the hull. Do the instructions leave those options......that seems pretty vague and could leave alot of room for getting undesirable results.....after having several holes drilled in your boat.

Sorry for all the questions, I just want to cover all the bases.....and the longer it goes on, the more I miss my outboard

I dont have the instructions anymore, but if I remember correctly, the instructions said to mount them as far out as possible. So as close to the side as you can get them on a straight area.

Ready2fish · May 9, 2012

Re: 2005 Q6 - Smart Tab or Hydrofoil

I surely appreciate all of your help and responses.....reckon I'll go ahead and order them. I know I won't keep that boat through the summer the way it handles now.

Mordekai · May 10, 2012

Re: 2005 Q6 - Smart Tab or Hydrofoil

I'd install them as far out from the center as possible.
If in doubt, call Nautilus, they are very knowledgeable and will give you guidance.
I called them when I was installing them in mine, I made the mistake of putting it too close to the middle and they were not as effective as they were relocated outside.

will2kz · May 10, 2012

Re: 2005 Q6 - Smart Tab or Hydrofoil

I called Nautilus too, they recommended to mount them as wide as possible to make the boat as "big as possible." I get no rooster tails. I haven't played with trim much but I can say may wake looks very mellow with some rollers quite a bit out to either side but directly behind the boat it looks quite smooth at typical pulling speeds. I'm fairly certain the trim tabs did not make a difference here except to possibly widen the wake and give a smoother path, which will be good for the kiddos learning how to ski, tube, wakeboard and kneeboard this summer. I really wanted to get on plane at lower speeds as I wanted more flexibility to pull them while they learned and, as we have a busy lake, I need to see over the bow, so getting on plane quickly matters....
Since my trim tabs I can always see over the bow. Of course my terrova maybe weighing down the front a bit at the moment.

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