hydrofoils???????

NSBCraig

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Aug 21, 2007
Messages
1,907
Re: hydrofoils???????

Do you mean the ones you bolt on your motor?

They lift the back of the boat, gives you quicker plane times and your boat will stay on plane at slower speeds.

They claim to give better fuel mileage but anything that causes more drag can't do that.

There are a bunch of threads on here of people debating wether or not there good, search around it's some good reading.

I personally don't like them and plan on putting smart tabs on my boat.
 

SNye45

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jan 22, 2008
Messages
113
Re: hydrofoils???????

It acts like a wing and pushes the hull of the boat out of the water, thus causing less drag, and allowing higher speeds with less thrust.:)
 

roscoe

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
21,657
Re: hydrofoils???????

Usually they do the opposite of what they claim.

Often installed by inexperienced boaters, usually on underpowered boats.
 

rdnk_4_lf

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jun 10, 2008
Messages
93
Re: hydrofoils???????

so it wont hurt to put on a small motor like a 50
 

tashasdaddy

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Nov 11, 2005
Messages
51,019
Re: hydrofoils???????

i would like to know what combination you have, boat and motor. i personally hate foils, smart tabs are a much better bang for the buck.
 

ondarvr

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Apr 6, 2005
Messages
11,527
Re: hydrofoils???????

They don't do half of what's claimed on the label and you can't just bolt one on and expect some magical improvement in performance, this is where the negative opinions come from. There are things they will help with, but you need to make changes in the set up to to make any gaines and that's only if you do need one to begin with. Tabs are what's needed most of the time and if you don't have a problem, then neither will do anything.
 

edthearcher

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Sep 22, 2007
Messages
116
Re: hydrofoils???????

had hydrofoils on my 17 ft. 140 hp bass boat, took them off and put on smart tabs, wow what a diffrence
 

rdnk_4_lf

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jun 10, 2008
Messages
93
Re: hydrofoils???????

what is a smart tab anyone please post a pic they sound good :):)
 

ziggy

Admiral
Joined
Jun 30, 2004
Messages
7,473
Re: hydrofoils???????

what is a smart tab anyone please post a pic they sound good :):)
search it on iboats. or, they is in the marine store here on iboats.... http://www.iboats.com/Marine_Store/...607538--submit.Search--submit.x.0--submit.y.0
google it.... theyz the ticket. forget the foil (whaletail) idea. smart tab is where it's at. bet ya can't find one person that don't like them after install on a search here.......

no i don't have them.
no i don't have a whale tail either....... but i've had one in the past. all it did for me was break my vent. plate....

i would have them if i thought for a miniute that i needed a lift at the back. or wanted to drill holes in my boat. which i don't want to do.....
 

rdnk_4_lf

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jun 10, 2008
Messages
93
Re: hydrofoils???????

thanks my next investment instead of a hydrofoil will be a smart tab thanks for all your help
 

rdnk_4_lf

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jun 10, 2008
Messages
93
Re: hydrofoils???????

yeah how do they mount on do they go on the outboard or on the boat
 

nlain

Commander
Joined
Nov 17, 2005
Messages
2,445
Re: hydrofoils???????

Something like this.

2005_1016Image0017.jpg
 

Jarhead44

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Sep 7, 2007
Messages
44
Re: hydrofoils???????

The guys on this site steered me to the smart tabs also when I asked about a hydrfoil. I installed them at the beginning of this season. They do everything that that Nauticus claims. Needless to say I'm very pleased.
 

Pierutrus

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 25, 2007
Messages
721
Re: hydrofoils???????

I too changed from the foil to the smart tab's. Man what a difference.
After I worked the bugs out of the placement. I too had a difficult install because of the "custom" platform/seat the previous owner installed to get his butt out of the water. And after a couple of outings, decided to keep it, so I had to mount the tabs a little lower down on the transom. Needless to say, it worked out perfect and they to work as described.

IMAG0028.jpg
 

rdnk_4_lf

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jun 10, 2008
Messages
93
Re: hydrofoils???????

but it looks like that if you going at any speed at all and hit a stick or some object on the waters surface it would tear on off ??
 
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