good wakeboard prop for family boat?

[fishinrado]

98 bayliner capris 3.0 liter with alpha one gen ll stern-drive. currently 3 blade aluminum but can't take the prop off to report pitch because I have it on a stand doing the seals and have the shift shaft out.

sooooooo

new to this boat last fall. primary use is wakeboarding ( just bought a tower ) at about 20 mph.
not concerned in the least with top-end speed.

Just want a "good" 4 blade aluminum prop for under $ 150

Anyone use this for a similar application and report they are stoked?
Solas RUBEX 4 Aluminum Boat Propeller #9513-143-19 for Mercruiser Sterndrive Alpha One 3.0L 125 - 140 HP - iboats

Thanks!!!!!

 

[steelespike]

Re: good wakeboard prop for family boat?

The conventional Solas Amita and the Rubex with a removable hub are excellent al props.
With good predictable performance.
They are the same prop but for the hub.

 

[rallyart]

Re: good wakeboard prop for family boat?

It's worth exploring a 'ventilated' prop that can let your prop spin faster at startup but stops ventilating as you get up to speed. With a less powerful engine this will let the boat accelerate faster. Usually you can tune the size of vent holes to get the right performance for your boat.
For boarding you might want a 2" lower pitch than your stock prop if it is set right for your boat. However, if you go even lower in pitch it is easier to control speed when you are trying to optimize your wake.

 

[jestor68]

Re: good wakeboard prop for family boat?

Once you determine the 3 blade size, just get a 4 blade one size lower in pitch.

For example; if your 3 blade is a 19", get a 17" 4 blade. The 4 blade will be better at holding a constant speed at wake boarding speeds, as well as accelerating out of the hole a bit faster.

You will impressed at how smooooth the 4 blade runs compared to the 3 blade. The engine will even sound different, due to the lack of vibration.

I do not recommend a ventilated prop for water sports. Since the Solas prop(s) you are interested in are not ventilated, no worries there.