propeller recommendation

DeanBeat

mvn

Before I can make a recommendation, we need to know details regarding your engine and sterndrive (ie. make, model, gear ratio, etc.).

Mark

prgrod01

Are you wanting to convert to a stainless prop only and stay with the 21 pitch? or do you want to change your pitch at the same time?

My previous boat was an 18.5' Bayliner with wakeboard tower, it had an OEM 23p 3 blade aluminum. I knew I wanted a better hole shot and lower plane speed for wakeboarding, but also didn't want to give up all my top end, so I did my homework and was not convinced the "go to" High 5, 19p was my answer for a number of reasons. High 5 does come in a number of pitches, but the ski/wakeboard boats seem to lean towards the 19 pitch.

I did hit something previously on my 1st prop, ski boating in new lakes and venturing to close to shore has it's dangers, it was aluminum and it sacrificed it's life for the better good... meaning it bent instead of my Alpha1 drive shaft. Stainless steel may look good, but unless your in salt water and want to corrosion resistance, I personally would stay with an aluminum prop. If I did have a SS and hit something, and my prop was still good... that energy was just absorbed by my leg and not my prop, I would rather pay $200 for a new prop vs big $$$ for leg repair or replacement. I chose to run aluminum from that day forward and also carried a spare prop and prop wrench to make up for the downfalls of a soft prop.

Now the pitch, you need to determine if your boat, as is, has the right prop for you... is your hole shot acceptable and can you plane slow enough for your needs? I ended up with a much cheaper aluminum 4 blade 21 pitch that made a big improvement over my OEM 3 blade @ 23. The slower plane speed was the biggest advantage in my case.

I would have liked to try a 19 to see the difference, but I also like going fast when I want to. I did read there are places that will give you different prop pitches to try until you find the right one, but no such vendor existing in my area. But heck, if you stayed with aluminum... you could buy two aluminum props for the price of one High5 SS prop and switch out from skiing to a go fast(er) boat with a switch of a prop.

Hope that helps.

DeanBeat

mvn

I've got the same setup as you.  I have a 4-blade 18" stainless prop that is perfect for watersports.  Just last weekend the boat had at least 7 on-board and pulled up a skier no problem at all.  Mind you, I also have Nauticus SmartTabs.

Mark

DeanBeat

mvn

Although the tabs do not "fix" the wake completely, I find it reduces the wake considerably.  

Mark 

DeanBeat

Gr8ears

If you go to a reputable dealer, they should have a supply of "demo" props for you to try.  Done that at my local boat shop, and it was painless.

DeanBeat

Thanks!  Believe it or not, I have called every dealer and marina in Ontario and it seems that nobody stocks stainless steel, except for large cabin cruisers,  hence why I had one shipped up from Florida.