hydrofoils???????

[rdnk_4_lf]

what exactly does a hydrofoil do

 

[NSBCraig]

Re: hydrofoils???????

Do you mean the ones you bolt on your motor?

They lift the back of the boat, gives you quicker plane times and your boat will stay on plane at slower speeds.

They claim to give better fuel mileage but anything that causes more drag can't do that.

There are a bunch of threads on here of people debating wether or not there good, search around it's some good reading.

I personally don't like them and plan on putting smart tabs on my boat.

 

[SNye45]

Re: hydrofoils???????

It acts like a wing and pushes the hull of the boat out of the water, thus causing less drag, and allowing higher speeds with less thrust.

 

[rdnk_4_lf]

Re: hydrofoils???????

ok thanks

 

[roscoe]

Re: hydrofoils???????

Usually they do the opposite of what they claim.

Often installed by inexperienced boaters, usually on underpowered boats.

 

[rdnk_4_lf]

Re: hydrofoils???????

so it wont hurt to put on a small motor like a 50

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: hydrofoils???????

i would like to know what combination you have, boat and motor. i personally hate foils, smart tabs are a much better bang for the buck.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: hydrofoils???????

They don't do half of what's claimed on the label and you can't just bolt one on and expect some magical improvement in performance, this is where the negative opinions come from. There are things they will help with, but you need to make changes in the set up to to make any gaines and that's only if you do need one to begin with. Tabs are what's needed most of the time and if you don't have a problem, then neither will do anything.

 

[edthearcher]

Re: hydrofoils???????

had hydrofoils on my 17 ft. 140 hp bass boat, took them off and put on smart tabs, wow what a diffrence

 

[rdnk_4_lf]

Re: hydrofoils???????

what is a smart tab anyone please post a pic they sound good

 

[ziggy]

Re: hydrofoils???????

what is a smart tab anyone please post a pic they sound good

search it on iboats. or, they is in the marine store here on iboats.... http://www.iboats.com/Marine_Store/...607538--submit.Search--submit.x.0--submit.y.0
google it.... theyz the ticket. forget the foil (whaletail) idea. smart tab is where it's at. bet ya can't find one person that don't like them after install on a search here.......

no i don't have them.
no i don't have a whale tail either....... but i've had one in the past. all it did for me was break my vent. plate....

i would have them if i thought for a miniute that i needed a lift at the back. or wanted to drill holes in my boat. which i don't want to do.....

 

[rdnk_4_lf]

Re: hydrofoils???????

thanks my next investment instead of a hydrofoil will be a smart tab thanks for all your help

 

[dimock44]

Re: hydrofoils???????

thanks my next investment instead of a hydrofoil will be a smart tab thanks for all your help

They made a world of difference in my boats handling.

 

[rdnk_4_lf]

Re: hydrofoils???????

yeah how do they mount on do they go on the outboard or on the boat

 

[dimock44]

Re: hydrofoils???????

yeah how do they mount on do they go on the outboard or on the boat

On the stern as close to the out side as possible. Google Smart tabs. they have instructions

 

[rdnk_4_lf]

Re: hydrofoils???????

ok thanks

 

[nlain]

Re: hydrofoils???????

Something like this.

 

[Jarhead44]

Re: hydrofoils???????

The guys on this site steered me to the smart tabs also when I asked about a hydrfoil. I installed them at the beginning of this season. They do everything that that Nauticus claims. Needless to say I'm very pleased.

 

[Pierutrus]

Re: hydrofoils???????

I too changed from the foil to the smart tab's. Man what a difference.
After I worked the bugs out of the placement. I too had a difficult install because of the "custom" platform/seat the previous owner installed to get his butt out of the water. And after a couple of outings, decided to keep it, so I had to mount the tabs a little lower down on the transom. Needless to say, it worked out perfect and they to work as described.

 

[rdnk_4_lf]

Re: hydrofoils???????

but it looks like that if you going at any speed at all and hit a stick or some object on the waters surface it would tear on off ??