HydroFoil or not

[Brian Tunney]

Will a Hydrofoil settle down my 882 Nitro?

Chopping water or at medium speed (20-30) I get the porpoising or I plow water. I love the boat (wouldn't own anything else) but it only has 2 speeds slow or FAST.

I only know of one other boat with a HydroFoil, a Dynatrack with a 175 Evinrude, and it settled it down but I think it slowed it down also.

 

[Gary Hunter]

Hey Brian, take a look at the SE SPORT 300 thread on this board. "The Foil" sure works great for some of us.

 

[THOMMO59]

Go the SE300, you won't be dissapointed!

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

I know a lot will disagree with me but I am of the opinion that a foil is a band-aid fix for a bad setup (Quote credit to Pat Goff). Most all symptoms a foil corrects can be eliminated when you get the boat set up right. Not to mention on the bigger hp motors it is a "hook" concern when you corner at high speeds. Big Dan has a couple of stories on that. Yes, I know it is out of the water when running and yes Bob B has said that they are useful and I'm not debating that they are, but personally, I would take the few negatives that they correct and that cannot be overcome with prop/motor height/weight distribution and a few other adjustments like a Jackplate, etc., and live with them. Smaller HP motors and for those that run on slow plane, they might help.



My question is this, if they are necessary and solve so many problems why are they not dealer items or even better yet factory installed. If I had to answer my own question I would say it is due to liability issues.



TOXIC

 

[Rusty C.]

I am a fan of the SE 300, but as Toxic said, I would check your prop and engine height setup first. Where I disagree with Toxic is that buying a jackplate over a foil. Jackplates are expensive and then you have to pay to have it put on, unless you have all the tools and neccessities to do it yourself. A SE 300 is $60 and can be installed yourself in under an hour if that. They even make an adapter so you don't have to drill. It's nice to be able to cruise at a low speed and keep that bow down and have a much smoother ride. My two pennies.



Rusty

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Our prop guru we had stated that very fact that Tox talks about...bandaid.

 

[Bob Bourget2]

I could debate "bandaid". Most all hi-perf applications benefit from a bolt-on planing device. Not because they are set-up poorly OR improperly, but because the primary focus is top-end. If that is not your primary concern, you can adjust weight distribution accordingly and get ANY boat to plane quickly, with little bow rise......but.......something has to give, and it is usually at the expense of top speed. Take a HydroStream, Allison, Laser, Mirage, etc. ALL should / do utilize an after-plane. Most of the higher end bass-boats likewise. Let me put it this way.....if you set-up a boat for blistering top end, and you don't use an after-plane...your boat may be considered set-up...."poorly".... Have a look-see in my library at my Allison.....that had an afterplane...:blink:

 

[D Buch]

I personally love the SE300, the lakes i boat in have speed limits, heavy boat traffic and allot of chop. Improves low speed planing, overall control and a much smoother ride in heavy chop.



And, I have seen them installed on new boats in the showroom of my local bass pro shop, so i don't think there is any liability concerns.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Bob, Bob, Bob, ok let me clarify.....Bass Boat:lol: :lol::lol::lol: This (from your library) aint no bass boat and does not corner too well:lol::lol::lol:

Let's keep our perspective:lol::lol:



You have to admit that "most" all of the bass boat problems, excluding the 80 mph club, can be corrected with proper setup. No?



I have worked my fair share of BPS stores and have never seen any boat rigged with a foil. What HP motor was it on Doug?



TOXIC

 

[Bob Bourget2]

Doesn't corner well???? You don't want to be next to me in a roundy-round...they corner awesome...nearly as good as a tunnel.....:blink:

 

[D Buch]

I think a 115 or 150, Don't remember, i will try to go in tomorrow and see what they have, try to get a pic. I have to get my winterizing crap anyway.



Lakes in my area are not that big and most of them 40-45mph speed limits, allot of traffic and chop. For most people there is no point in buying a 60mph lake boat, could never use it. Maybe they set up boats different here because of that, don't really know.

 

[Scott Randolph]

Lets face it, bass boats are one step from being race boats and come setup that way. They are expected to be gunned out of the hole and ran WOT from one point to another. Chine walk is the setup problem most of these users are concerned with.



There is however a group of users who want an 18+ 150hp+ rig solely for the size and comfort and storage and stable fishing platform. They want to ease into the throttle to come up on plane. 40mph is all this group cares about and would prefer spending most of the time around 25mph if the thing didn't keep falling off plane at that speed. For these people a foil works wonders.

 

[TOMMY RICH]

I still can't catch a bass going that fast...what am I doing wrong?

 

[Brian Tunney]

Thank you all for your input,

I tend to agree with NOT altering the boats standard set-up. I will check out the SE300 (I like the no drill adapter feature) --thanx Rusty



good thing its October fishing time, no pleasure boats = calmer water !



Brian T