Prop change for a 3.0
 

Hey all.. I have a Shabah 182 with the 3.0 and an Aluminum 3 blade 14.25x21p prop. This prop has been great for cruising and pulling the kids on the tube, with a full load we hit 38mph at 4600rpm at WOT and trimmed up.. but then I tried to wakeboard behind it. lol. With 2 adults, 2 kids (under 10), and beach gear on board it would not plane with me (160lbs) on a wakeboard behind it. My initial thought is to get an alum 3 blade 19 pitch prop just for watersports, but what about alum 4 blade props? Could I possibly get a 4 blade to help with the holeshot and still have a decent cruising speed/rpm? I rarely blast, usually we like to cruise at 25-30mph.

Re: Prop change for a 3.0
 

You could possibly get a better holeshot, but you run the risk of over revving your engine at WOT, and your fuel economy will suffer. The best thing to do for planing, is lose weight in the boat..... coolers, extra tools, anchors, everything adds weight and it doesn't take a whole lot to SEVERELY impact the performance of a smaller boat. Also, Put the wife and kids in the front of the boat. This will make a big difference as well. If the weight is in the front, it will keep the bow down, and the boat will come up on plane a lot easier.

Re: Prop change for a 3.0
 

Sounds like you could also consider those smart tabs that some rave about on here for the smaller boats.

Re: Prop change for a 3.0
 

Dropping to a 19" pitch 3 blade prop will definitely help with tube pulling/wakeboarding etc. It will lower your top speed by about 3mph and raise your rpm's at WOT by about 400 which puts you just over the WOT maximum. You could try a 20" pitch 4 blade SS prop which will raise your rpm by about 300 and definitely give you more low- mid range 'punch'. That's the prop i'm running on my 180 with the 4.3LX and it does well.

That change combined with the Smart Tab suggestion from 'rajjneef' will certainly help you get your boat to perform the way you need it to.