# HydroFoil, effective or gimmick?



## cjric (Oct 30, 2004)

I'm talking about the wing shaped thing that goes on the cavitation plate. Are they effective? Or are they just a gimmick? I've got a 1980 fiberglass Monarch bass boat w/ a 40 horse Mercury on it. The motor has a 13 pitch prop on it. The boat takes a minute or two to get on plane and tops out eventually around 20 mph. The boat is rated for a max of 80 hp, so I know I'm under powered, but I think a 40 should move this boat a little better. Dry factory weight is 700 lbs. Loaded I'm guessing 1500-1800.

I'm not looking to scream across the water, but a faster plane and a few more mph would be nice. Will one of those hydro-foils help me out?


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## Quack Wacker (Dec 20, 2006)

They are not a gimmick. It will definitley help you get on plane quicker and ad some addtional control for you, but if you really want additional speed you need to look at your prop's pitch. The less pitch you have the slower you will go but the better the hole shot and faster plane. The higher the pitch will result in the opposite, faster speed but slower plane.


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## Willie Tippit (Mar 4, 2007)

They work well for outboards only.. I have one on a 40 merc on a 16 big troller smokercraft and it helps alot..... I think you would be able to go with more of a speed prop getting a mph of1 maybe 2 out of it, but the best solution to your problem would be to go to a bigger Hp motor for 2 reasons 1 get ya up there quicker and be able to back the speed down when ya get there....2 that 40 wont last long if you have it maxed out all the time something will give...


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## FERG 06 (Oct 6, 2006)

Willie Tippit said:


> They work well for outboards only.. QUOTE]
> 
> Mine works well on my I/O. ???? I never lose sight of the horizon whether I'm "hitting it" wot or throttling up gradually.


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## Greenbush future (Sep 8, 2005)

Willie Tippit said:


> They work well for outboards only.. I have one on a 40 merc on a 16 big troller smokercraft and it helps alot..... I think you would be able to go with more of a speed prop getting a mph of1 maybe 2 out of it, but the best solution to your problem would be to go to a bigger Hp motor for 2 reasons 1 get ya up there quicker and be able to back the speed down when ya get there....2 that 40 wont last long if you have it maxed out all the time something will give...


I had the same set up and type of boat/motor. I tried it with and without, it did help me get out of the hole better. Taking the 3 layers of rotted floors out helped too!:lol:


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## Quack Wacker (Dec 20, 2006)

Willie Tippit said:


> They work well for outboards only.. ...


 

Not true for I/O's , they work on outboard and I/O's, I have used them on both and noticed a diffenerce.


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## tdejong302 (Nov 28, 2004)

Effective out of the hole, slower on the top end. I love mine.


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## mi duckdown (Jul 1, 2006)

They are a bandaid for impoper set up. .02


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## FERG 06 (Oct 6, 2006)

mi duckdown said:


> They are a bandaid for impoper set up. .02


How so? How can my I/O be setup any different? I assume my I/O comes from the factory w/the engineers best choice of prop for the boat and it's power plant to give all around good performance. If I drop the pitch for outta the hole performance I'll be over revving at w.o.t. Don't think the manufacture would recommend that. Trim all the way down for outta the hole then gets bumped up/out as the wind, waves & speed allows. Is there something I'm missing?
Truthfully I don't need one as I have trim tabs but if I use them for everyday control up on plane I'll be dragging more resistance in the water burning more fuel since my hydrofoil is of the "gull wing" shape and rides out of the water most of the time. So my tabs are used to trim the side to side tilt or when in rough seas.


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## SeaRay (Jan 23, 2008)

FERG 06 said:


> How so? How can my I/O be setup any different? I assume my I/O comes from the factory w/the engineers best choice of prop for the boat and it's power plant to give all around good performance. If I drop the pitch for outta the hole performance I'll be over revving at w.o.t. Don't think the manufacture would recommend that. Trim all the way down for outta the hole then gets bumped up/out as the wind, waves & speed allows. Is there something I'm missing?
> Truthfully I don't need one as I have trim tabs but if I use them for everyday control up on plane I'll be dragging more resistance in the water burning more fuel since my hydrofoil is of the "gull wing" shape and rides out of the water most of the time. So my tabs are used to trim the side to side tilt or when in rough seas.


I'm with you Ferg06. Best bandaid I ever put on my boat to improve handling. 18ft Searay with mercruiser I/O.

_Sent from my DROIDX_


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## Crowhunter (Aug 27, 2005)

It was a big help on my I/O you can feel the change when you trim it up or down .Bud


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## Topshelf (May 24, 2005)

I have one on my 25 evinrude. Made a big difference for me both out of the hole and stopping the porposing in my 16 ft alumicraft. 

I have a source for them from a guy near me if interested. I think I paid 20 bucks for mine. The guy is on the corner of 26 mile and starvillle rd near marine city.


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## Topshelf (May 24, 2005)

On a 25 evinrude









Boat that it's on










FYI for anyone wanting used parts

Tony's *Marine* on *Marine City* Hwy just west of *Marine City*. (810) 765-9300


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## cjric (Oct 30, 2004)

Does anyone have any experience w/ the Stingray brand? Any opinions?


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## 10 ring (Mar 18, 2007)

I have the small stingray set on a 15 hp. Works well on my little 14'er. Helps me plane out as I am a little under powered. But I'm not in a hurry and it's easy for people on here to spend others money and suggest buying bigger motors. It did take a bit of top end off but it's 15hp I'm not looking for top end. I'm hapy with it.


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## Burksee (Jan 15, 2003)

cjric said:


> Does anyone have any experience w/ the Stingray brand? Any opinions?


I've put a stringray brand hydrofoil on our 16' Fourwinns. It's Freedom series bowrider with a 4 cyl I/O. It really, really helped getting up on plane when I have a few people in the boat while pulling skier/tubers. I've not noticed any loss on the top end but its really not a "speedy" boat. I got it for free so I'm very happy with it!


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## cjric (Oct 30, 2004)

Got it yesterday (Stingray brand) and put it on last night. Had my boat in the water this morning and, WOW, what a dramatic difference!
Before it would take a minute or so to plane and this morning it literally jumped up on plane in maybe 10 sec. I also trimmed it up a notch (manual trim) and was able to easily hit 26 mph (gps) before I ran out of lake. Maybe could get 2-3 more out of it on a bigger lake. I could only hit 19 mph before.

I'm not sure what my motor is turning for RPMs, but it doesn't sound like it's working too hard. I'm anxious to get a tach on it and see how far from max rpms I am at.

I'm hoping 30 mph is an obtainable goal. Ya know, those fish are pretty darn fast!


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## Lucky Dog (Jul 4, 2004)

FERG 06 said:


> How so? How can my I/O be setup any different? I assume my I/O comes from the factory w/the engineers best choice of prop for the boat and it's power plant to give all around good performance. If I drop the pitch for outta the hole performance I'll be over revving at w.o.t. Don't think the manufacture would recommend that. Trim all the way down for outta the hole then gets bumped up/out as the wind, waves & speed allows. Is there something I'm missing?
> Truthfully I don't need one as I have trim tabs but if I use them for everyday control up on plane I'll be dragging more resistance in the water burning more fuel since my hydrofoil is of the "gull wing" shape and rides out of the water most of the time. So my tabs are used to trim the side to side tilt or when in rough seas.



I won't speak for Mi Duck down, but I agree with him. A fin is only an band aid for a poorly designed hull or an under powered boat.
Proper hull design and engine combo should not result in the need for a fin to get on plane. Many manufactures will intentionally under power a boat to meet a price point. The same boat with more HP may not need a fin. Some manufactures just flat out have a poor hull design, that will not get on plane well no matter what power they have.


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## ENCORE (Sep 19, 2005)

Lucky Dog said:


> I won't speak for Mi Duck down, but I agree with him. *A fin is only an band aid for a poorly designed hull or an under powered boat*.
> Proper hull design and engine combo should not result in the need for a fin to get on plane. Many manufactures will intentionally under power a boat to meet a price point. The same boat with more HP may not need a fin. Some manufactures just flat out have a poor hull design, that will not get on plane well no matter what power they have.


Don't know as I totally agree. Yes, you are right about some DEALERS intentionally under powering a boat for easier sales at a cheaper price. However, I don't necessarly agree with it being a "band aid" for the reason specified above in *bold*.

I've used the Sting Ray brand stabilizer on just about every small boat (< 28') that we've owned. I currently have one on my Lund 1850 Tyee, which I certainly wouldn't consider a "poorly designed hull". Max horse on my specific model year is 175. I have a 150hp Direct Inject, which is certainly not underpowered for that boat. Yes, it will help get you up on plane faster however, it will do many more things to improve a boats performance in different water conditions, which is why I have one installed on my motor. Some improvements can be read in paragraph 4 at http://www.marine-dynamics.com/about.html all of which, I have expierenced with my boats. The Sting Ray pictured is what I am curently running.

Many Pro's are using them, not for getting on plane but for performance issues and on many different manufacturer's boats, boats that have a reputation for having a good hul design. They have their place and not every boater needs one. However, they can and do improve performance in certain water conditions.


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## Lucky Dog (Jul 4, 2004)

ENCORE said:


> I currently have one on my Lund 1850 Tyee, which I certainly wouldn't consider a "poorly designed hull". Max horse on my specific model year is 175. I have a 150hp Direct Inject, which is certainly not underpowered for that boat.


You may not consider it poorly designed, but Lund may disagree since the have re designed that hull twice since yours, and increased the max HP to 200.

That said, your combo should perform well, if you need a fin and are not way over loaded I would say that the original selling dealer did not set the boat, motor, prop up correctly.


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## ENCORE (Sep 19, 2005)

Lucky Dog said:


> You may not consider it poorly designed, but Lund may disagree since the have re designed that hull twice since yours, and increased the max HP to 200.
> 
> That said, your combo should perform well, if you need a fin and are not way over loaded I would say that the original selling dealer did not set the boat, motor, prop up correctly.


Lund has redesigned their hulls twice in less than 4 years? What's the deal with the Pro's with professionally built walleye boats of various manufacturers, running Sting Rays or other devices?

There was and is NOTHING, NOTTA, "0" wrong with the origianl setup of my current boat. Not one thing with any of the setup, including motor or prop. That said....... _I DID NOT put the Sting Ray on my boat for ANY of the negative issues mentioned in ANY of the posts_. *I DID NOT NEED A FIN. I installed it to improve performance in a varity of different water conditions*. It works exactly as I pointed out in the web site and paragraph 4, which is the exact reason many pro fishermen are also using them. They're not just used for getting a boat up on plane easier or faster. The can and do increase performance in different conditions.

Could it be a "band aid" for an under powered boat? Yes! And it would most likely do the job it was intended to do by getting the craft on plane quicker, AND, at a lot less cost than buying a new motor for increased horsepower. However, if a boat is overloaded, that's a whole different story. The manufacturers put a weight limit on their boats for a reason. No boater should operate or condone a boat being operated when overloaded.


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## Lucky Dog (Jul 4, 2004)

I'm glad you like you fin. I never said they did not work. I said it is a band aid, and I stand by that. All the things listed in the advertisement you pointed to are symptoms of a poorly set up boat. Some of them are are just plain false.

Like I said, I'm glad you like your fin and hope you get many years of enjoyment out of it.


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## FERG 06 (Oct 6, 2006)

ENCORE said:


> ..... The can and do increase performance in different conditions. QUOTE]
> 
> Like keeping you on plane at a lower speed.
> 
> ...


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## Lucky Dog (Jul 4, 2004)

You guys are funny. 
You need a fin to get your boats to perform the way you want, but also think you have the right boat motor combo and setup......

Enjoy your boats, because that in the end is what it is all about.


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## cjric (Oct 30, 2004)

Hey, all I know is that for 25.00 my boat's performance is night and day different from before. Could it use a bigger motor? Yes. Is it propped right? Don't know. Has is become waterlogged over it' s 30 yr lifespan and in need of a new floor? Probably. Are there other/better ways to set it up to gain back or increase performance? Yes.

Can I do any of that for 25.00 and 30 minutes of my time? Don't think so. Call it what you want, I'm calling an improvement.


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## Topshelf (May 24, 2005)

cjric said:


> Hey, all I know is that for 25.00 my boat's performance is night and day different from before. Could it use a bigger motor? Yes. Is it propped right? Don't know. Has is become waterlogged over it' s 30 yr lifespan and in need of a new floor? Probably. Are there other/better ways to set it up to gain back or increase performance? Yes.
> 
> Can I do any of that for 25.00 and 30 minutes of my time? Don't think so. Call it what you want, I'm calling an improvement.


Where did you end up getting it from ?


_OutdoorHub Mobile, the information engine of the outdoors._


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## FERG 06 (Oct 6, 2006)

Lucky Dog said:


> You guys are funny.
> You need a fin to get your boats to perform the way you want, but also think you have the right boat motor combo and setup......
> 
> Enjoy your boats, because that in the end is what it is all about.


And yet no explaination.??  
Do the auto companies "setup" their cars/trucks poorly because I can add some products to my car to make it perform the way I want it to??

How does engine size keep your boat on plane at a lower speed? No arguement that a larger engine will get you on plane faster. I'm not interested in that. I've got nowhere to go a few seconds faster. The fact that I can stay on plane at a lower speed (to scope the water w/the sonar) and take a sharper turn, if need be, w/o cavitation is enough of a reason for me. 
I'd be will to bet some serious coin that there isn't a boat out there that wouldn't benefit from one. It's physics. You add a wing behind your boat you will get a difference in performance. Why don't the boat/motor companies install them? I don't know but it's probably the same reason the auto companies don't do the things that the "tuners" and hot rodders do to their car to get the performance that they want.


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## FERG 06 (Oct 6, 2006)

cjric said:


> Hey, all I know is that for 25.00 my boat's performance is night and day different from before. Could it use a bigger motor? Yes. Is it propped right? Don't know. Has is become waterlogged over it' s 30 yr lifespan and in need of a new floor? Probably. Are there other/better ways to set it up to gain back or increase performance? Yes.
> 
> Can I do any of that for 25.00 and 30 minutes of my time? Don't think so. Call it what you want, I'm calling an improvement.


That's too funny!
And I'll bet you can stand on plane alot slower too like I can w/my 17' tin boat when I'm pulling the kids on the tube and don't want to go "that" fast. :lol:


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## cjric (Oct 30, 2004)

Topshelf said:


> Where did you end up getting it from ?
> 
> 
> _OutdoorHub Mobile, the information engine of the outdoors._


I was lucky enough to run across one on Craigslist. New, in the package.


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## anon12192013aazz (Dec 10, 2010)

cjric said:


> Does anyone have any experience w/ the Stingray brand? Any opinions?


I had a Stingray on an 85HP Merc that was mounted on a 17' Bayliner. It made a definite improvement in the hole shot and IF there was a slower top end, it wasn't by much. I think they are almost a necessity, especially if your motor is under-powered for the boat you have it on.


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## mi duckdown (Jul 1, 2006)

I reread the oringal post By cjric I don't think we gave Him the answer that was due him. 
we rant and raved about set ups, that really did not help Him out.
Lets start over.
He was left in the dust.


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