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Hydrofoil Advice

C

checkmate DOH!!

Member
Have a 17' Diplomat Bowrider that we bought and want to use for tubing and skiing mainly. the 170 hp 4 cyl has plenty of power but im cavitating badly out of the hole when pulling and getting on plane----i was running a 14.25x21 pitch 3 blade aluminum but it was damaged and i had to use the backup prop with a dinged fin that the owner had given me when i got the boat. the fins look smaller but i think the pitch is the same-----i'll have to play with some prop choices but for now a friend recommended a hydrofoil to help get up on plane faster and stop porpoising on take off which the boat does. the overtons catalog i have has a few different designs like the stingray and the se sport 300 and the cobra----anyone ever buy or use any of these?? do they work as well as they proclaim??---im going to get one regardless but figured id ask and see if i get some feedback----thanks again for the advice. :)
 
The best way to go (by far) is with the electric trim tabs. They'll set you back $500.

I like the se sport the best for the cheaper hydrofoils (but would never use one). I helped my neighbor install one two weeks ago. The narrower hydrofoils are better in my opinion because there's less chance of grabbing when in a sharp turn. I've witnessed handling issues with the wide hydrofoils.
 
Props first

I had one on mine until I bought the Mach 4 blade Sterndriver prop. I was able to take it off and throw it away... no more porpoising, planes fast and easy, rides much higher out of the water...
Daren34 says his Mercury Mirage 3 blade is better
he has the same engine as you with the 4bbl carb and is a little longer at 19ft....and no foil on his either.....14.75 x 21p, and he can turn it to 5200 rpm...they never do anything but ski and tube...he can go to the lake 3 times skiing on one fill up:bounce:, with the V8, I have to fill mine every time we go:brickwall:
 
look for a better prop first

i like my mirage but it might be too much if you have the 2bbl 470

i have heard people using a trophy or a high 5 but stay at 21 pitch max

daren
 
i tried a stingray on mine but i took it off

i have small fixed tabs and the boat would lean but not turn

daren
 
Do any of you have an opinion on the SE Sport 300?
The only reason I ask is because I already have one. It came with a boat that I bought and parted out...I currently have the stabilizer in my shed.
I thought I might put it on one of my boats if it would do any good...I just hate to drill holes in my 'virgin' motors!
 
it's a good hydrofoil, but I wouldn't mount it unless you have serious planing issues.
 
As Daren said get a good prop that won't cavitate while getting on plane before you waste money on something you may not need.
 
JW said:
it's a good hydrofoil, but I wouldn't mount it unless you have serious planing issues.
Click to expand...

Yep, I probably won't put it on because of the fact that I'd have to drill holes. If it wasn't for the holes, I'd just throw it on and try it out.
I have a cleaver prop. It's great for top speed, but it doesn't plane at low speeds very well...but it is nothing serious...just less than what I would like. Can't plane below 25mph and planes with the bow way up in the air between 25 and 29. Great prop for 30 and up.
If I thought the hydrofoil would give me the best of both worlds, I'd try it (since it is free)...it's just those damn holes in my lower that I don't want if it ends up not working for me!

Thanks for the advice.
 
hi all and thanks so much for the input/advice----havent gotten back into here to reply lately but here's what i have now----i bought the $50 stingray hydrofoil and we put it on (pretty simple install as well)---along with a brand-new michigan vortex 14.25X21p 3blade aluminum prop----it drives like a completely different boat as far as holeshots and planing----im up and out so fast its great-----the turning even seems more stable with it----and not to mention the increase in gas mileage----we did almost 7 hours of tubing, skiing, cruising and wot runs at the lake and from a full tank i was just under the 1/4 tank line when we put her up on the trailer-----:banana: -----so i would safely say im a happy customer----someone else told me about the trim tabs setup but then again someone else said the 17' boat was a little small for them and to try the $50 wing first and see----the 470 i have is a 2bbl and the gear ratio in the sterndrive is 1.84:1----cant wait til i get the 4.3L in her :bigthumb: ----should be fun...

steve
 
hey twright---if ya go to overtons online they have a stingray wing ----supposedly the best one yet that they have come up with-----the xpIII or something----anyhow it mounts to the drive with no drilling required -----maybe check it out and see---
 
OK, great. Thanks for the advice.
I think in my particular case, I could possibly benefit from a hydrofoil. I have the same 470 2bbl. I am running a 23p cleaver. Great prop for pushing the boat through the water, but I could use more lift. The combination of the cleaver prop for thrust and the hydrofoil for lift may be just the right combination.

What RPMs are you turning with your set up?

checkmate DOH!! said:
hey twright---if ya go to overtons online they have a stingray wing ----supposedly the best one yet that they have come up with-----the xpIII or something----anyhow it mounts to the drive with no drilling required -----maybe check it out and see---
Click to expand...
 
jeez i forgot about this thread once i had put that fin on and gotten a new 3blade 21p michigan vortex-----sorry havent replied in so long!!!----anyhow at top speed trimmed right out with a few people in the boat im hitting just about 5000 rpm----i know its on the high side by a few 100 rpms as far as the book says but she humms right along so nice at wot and being on lakes i just do it for a little bit and just basically cruise----i definitely am going to do some prop searching as i would like to find the nice combination that would allow me to remove the wing but am also looking at powerplant swap to a 4.3L v6 this winter----so for this summer i am more than content to use the current setup. to be honest, with how remarkably well that 50 dollar stingray foil has worked to solve the problems it is designed to, im surprised at how much negative feedback they get----but as i said i hope to get all things right once the engine is in and the boat goes on the water next year---and find the right combination---i know daren34 and his brother dave both have similar boats to mine and have some good insights into prop setups.
 
I would wait for the V6 too, the boat will change with the added weight in the back
I ran a merc vengence 21 with the 3.7l in mine the few times I took it out before the engine swap and did not have the porpoise problems that came about with the V8 in the back---the boat was not usable with the vengence with the V8
 
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