Whats the best hydrofoil

[Buster57]

Have a 17ft bass boat with 09 200ho etec, bow wants to rise to high when taking off, will hydrofoil help me

 

[GA_Boater]

Are you setting trim to full down?

 

[roscoe]

A 17'er with 200 hp should pop out of the water if propped right.

Trim full down, 3/4 to full throttle, touch the sky for 2 or 3 seconds and then it should come down.

And no, hydrofoil ain't gonna do carp for you.

Jack plate maybe, or trim tabs.

Oh, and this would be the best hydrofoil. Has a nice canopy to keep the wife's hair from getting messed.

 

[Scott06]

May want to try a prop with more stern lift vs bow lift generally have gotten this result running 4 blades

 

[JimS123]

Personally, I prefer the Doel Fin. It was the first on the market and has been copied but not duplicated. After having over 50 boat year's experience on multiple boats I won't own a boat without one.

The caveat is that performance on an I/O is iffy, and to optimize the performance on an OB the engine must be raised so that the AV plate skims the water on plane. All the urban legends about AV plates breaking off, collecting trash and losing top speed are only true for those that don't set up the fin correctly.

Yes, it will definitely help. A 4-blade with stern lift may help too, but that approach is not comparable.

Talk about Chevy vs. Ford, or 'Rude vs. Merc and you will hear arguments. But no topic will cause more controversy than the "fin". I can only relay my own personal experiences, supported by real data.

My current boat came from the factory with awesome performance. Nevertheless, the Engineer in me made me want to customize it. An Enertia prop, a Doel Fin and an adjusted motor height reduced my prop slip, increased my fuel economy and added 3 mph to the top end. When the throttle is punched the boat comes on plane with not even a hint of bow rise. Certainly, the package accounted for the improvement, but the fin was an integral part.

 

[roscoe]

Does the boat need any modification, or do we have an inexperienced boater?
There are lots of new boaters out there that don't know what is "normal" for a boat.
What we need is more info.
What the poster needs, is an experienced bass boater to assess the situation.

Jack plate, trim tabs, foils, props, can add up to lots and lots of $$$$ wasted. When all that may be needed is a little adjustment and instruction.

 

[alldodge]

Have had the stingray on my Rinker shortly after buying it. Don't need it for take off (454) but like it for slower speeds running level. Its very stiff and has a hook so top end is reduced by can still hit 60 mph

 

[JimS123]

Does the boat need any modification, or do we have an inexperienced boater?
There are lots of new boaters out there that don't know what is "normal" for a boat.
What we need is more info.
What the poster needs, is an experienced bass boater to assess the situation.

Jack plate, trim tabs, foils, props, can add up to lots and lots of $$$$ wasted. When all that may be needed is a little adjustment and instruction.

Back in the day Trailer Boats Magazine had very informative articles geared toward guys with boats just like ours. I was already an "experienced boater" at that time, having experimented with different props, motor height, etc.

Their "shootout" article on fins was what made me try one. That was all it took. I have been a confirmed user since 1984.

I considered my boat to be optimized at that time. The fin just made it better.

I DO admit that trim tabs are a viable alternative, though I never tried a pair. I can't get used to drilling 16 holes in the back of my boat below the waterline....

I just wish TBM was still in print. I guess nobody reads any more. They were incorporated into Boating Mag. No more reviews of 14' tinnys any more. Last month's feature article was about a cruiser with list price of $1,300,000.00. After reading about it I think I might buy one......LOL.

 

[H20Rat]

I DO admit that trim tabs are a viable alternative, though I never tried a pair. I can't get used to drilling 16 holes in the back of my boat below the waterline....

My current boat, a 2011 19' Hurricane deck boat with a merc 4.3, came with a fin from the previous owner. It performed OK, not great. I tried seeing what it was like without the fin, and a relatively short and heavy boat with a 4.3 and 52 gallons of fuel made for a very slow pig to get moving. And the minimum cruise speed was 23 to 24 mph.

Installed a set of smart tabs, and it transformed the boat! Far more impact than a fin, and a much slower (down to about 17 mph) minimum planing speed.

Like you mentioned, depends on the boat. I've used smarttabs on jetboats and I/O's, and fins do probably have a place on small lightweight outboards.

And yeah, drilling is never fun, but that is what 5200 is for!

 

[roscoe]

Ah, drilling is fun.
Realizing you drilled in the wrong location is not.

 

[bruceb58]

I had a Doel Fin on an I/O once. It would cause me to almost spin out in a high speed turn and reduced my speed by a couple MPH. I took it off and would never put another fin on a boat.

 

[JimS123]

Yup, there's 2 more reviews of fins on I/Os. The problem is that the outdrive is stuck on the transom where the manufacturer put it. Can't optimize that.

Actually, the only boats I ever owned in the past 53 years that did NOT have a fin were the small lightweight outboards. They really didn't need improvement.