Good ski prop?

[pyro]

I need a ski prop, maybe a 21". I'm considering maybe buying a Trophy plus. I already have a 26" and it runs great all-around on my setup. I have a 23" aluminum, but it doesn't have any balls out of the hole with a skier in the water, and it ventilates like hell and runs a LOT of slip due to engine height, even with the plate all the way down.

Are there any other suggestions for props that will pull hard out of the hole, and still tolerate engine height once they're on plane?

-chad

[BLIZZARD]

high five prop 21 pitch will give you super holeshot

[blkmtrfan]

I used to have a vegas XT, the standard 3-blade props, like the alumunum one you tried, don't work at all, they slip out of the hole, in the midrange, and have no top end. I never tried a high-5, but a laser II work all lot better than a standard 3-blade. But to be honest, I used to ski with a 24 or 26 chopper;)

[WATERWINGS]

The high five is probably good, but I do like my Trophy 26 four blade,

Still runs 88.3 GPS and has good hole shot!

How ever a 28 Merc chopper runs 94.1 GPS (don't know how it would pull a skier)

[Boz]

I've got a 25" High five for my HST and love it. It's got a good hole shot.

[Jimbob]

I use a 21" Trophy plus on a 19' Laser 380 with a 200hp Merc. Lots of good pull for sking(it's why I have it) and will still run in the low 60's. I have 19'' of setback including my L&S jackplate, no probs with blowout when fully raised.

[ChargerSTV]

I run a 25 high five great hole shot doesn't like to run on sufacewill goes 65 @6000 rpm on a 18' Charger STV (Canadian flip of a mod VP hull no pickle fork ) Tried a trophy ,don't remember what pitch high five was better

[Barefoot Bob]

If you already have a speed prop like I do(25 Trophy) I would keep looking for a 21 Trophy. That is what I run also, and it has so much tork from 30 MPH, that it knocks my lab down, and slides him all the way to the back of the boat:D

The hole shot is better than any inboard ski boat, And I can still wing it to 68MPH on the limiter.

[sosmerc]

Anyone here every tried an AeroStar torque shifting prop? I have used them, even sold a few. But the price got outrageous. Anyway, an old customer of mine brought one in for me to sell on consignment for him. The high pitch on this one is 21, that means it starts out at 6inches less pitch and then shifts to 21. The shift point is adjustable. The first one I tried shifted way too abruptly for my liking, so I sent it back and they played with it. After whatever they did, it worked very well and was awesome for hole shot, yet still delivered very good top speed, even when compared to Laser II's , HighFives and Mirages.
To make a long story a little shorter....this prop is for sale for $600....I know, that seems high, but retail is now over $1500.
This one is for a Merc V-6 with large gearcase, but could be used on other brands with appropriate hardware.
AeroStar is still in business and still making these props. That means replacement parts are available as well as the ability to send in for "tune ups".
When I get a chance, I will post some pics and go into more detail.
you can visit the following site for details on their props as well:
http://aerostarmarine.com/

[pyro]

The main thing that worries me about the high five is the height issue. My 26" Trophy never ventilates in the corners. Hell, it likes the surface running as much as my chopper. ChargerSTV says that the 5 doesn't like to surface.

My 2.4 L motor doesn't have a ton of guts out of the hole. Even with the 23" aluminum, sometimes it would just bog down at 1600 rpm when I punch it with a skier behind. It seemed like tucking the trim and raising the jackplate to un-bury the exhaust helped a bit. (Of course, I had to hit the jack down button as it came on plane to stop the slipping.)

I'm worried that a high five would almost be too much bite to turn over from a dead stop.

It's too bad a trophy won't ventilate as soon as you punch it, like my chopper does. The trophy has to build a little RPM and get the boat halfway on plane before the vent air floods the blades, even with the PVS plugs out.

It's looking like the trophy is the one for me to get.

Keep the suggestions and comments coming. Thanks!

-Chad

[BLIZZARD]

i have a 21 feet riged inflatable boat with a 2.4 BridgePort efi merc
21 pitch trophy 14 inch setback propshaft even with the bottom
ventilation holes completly open

runs 70 mph great holeshot
never bogs down with skiers or boat pulling

8 man in the boat still running 67 mph


also great prop
high five 21 pulls harder out of the hole but not as good topspeed and the speed with many people in the boat goes down 15 mph
much bowlift prope

byebye

[Gerben]

Hi Chad,

The High five on my skirig ventilates perfectly.
It's a 17p on a 150hp. As soon as I hit WOT, rpm's jump to 4400 dropping off to 4200 as prop starts slipping less, ending at 5600 at max speed.

What I don't like about the 5 is the lack of reverse thrust. Hardly any braking or backing up, it just ventilates. And in the turns it ventilates quite easily too, although the motor is quite low.

Gerben

[pyro]

Excellent advice and testimonial, thanks!
It sounds like the 21" Trophy will be the choice for me. It will tolerate mild surfacing (such as in the corners) without slipping. If it's every bit as good as my 26" Trophy, with more rpm's and holeshot with less top end (duh), then this will be the best ski prop for my rig.

[ghind]

I would try both the high 5 and the trophy.

Newer type High 5's have vent holes and you can buy a range of plugs for them. Assuming your exhaust is still thru prop, you can make it slip as much or as little as you like.

I had a 150 2.6 Yammie with a 21" High 5. Holeshot was awesome with the medium vent holes (I don't think I ever tried the big holed plugs but I had a set) and it would pull 3 barefooters, 3 slaloms or 4 on doubles. All decent sized men. I never lost a holeshot (ate the fastest inboards) run but didn't get a chance to put it up against my new Vmax TRP. The old boat sold too quick.

The High 5 would slip a little in corners about 500rpm but it would never let go no matter how hard I tried to make it. It would always do 500rpm more than if you were doing the same speed in a straight line but hard acceleration in a corner was no problem.

If you barefoot, you should try both to see which has the least turbulence in the wake.

I suspect the High 5 would give the best holeshot and pulling power. They are awesome for that. I would think 25" high 5 would have more holeshot than a three but it would take awesome torque/light weight boat to actually make it really quick out of the hole?

It sounds like 21" pitch would be a good starting point for you. If you don't care about fuel economy, even less pitch could be nice. You do still have a seperate fun prop after all.

I think try before you buy is in order - even if it costs a little. You aren't really even sure that you know what pitch you are after.

As the others said, the high 5 is a bit weak in reverse (but was quite workable on my boat). It isn't fast either but a fried borrowed mine and hit about 70mph indicated with his 175 V6 mariner fish boat.

Let us know how you go.

[Ron V]

Don't know what engine heights you are trying to run, but I've run a Quicksilver QA3 for skiing on my dad's boat and it hooks up pretty good. Long shaft motor running a 23.5" transom height. Even though it is aluminum it has adequate cup.

If you are willing to spend the money, a High Five is a good ski prop. They are not much good in reverse though.

[Tom D.]

Pyro,
A friend let me barrow a few props that he had for sale. A couple of Hydromotive props and a Cleaver. Well I tried the two Hydromotive props (24,26 pitch). Not much of a difference from the Chopper I had. I tried the Cleaver(21 pitch)4 blade over the hub. The hole shot was fantastic but sucked on the top. Pulled the kids right up no problem. My wife's cousin wanted to go for a ski and he's an experienced skier, weights about 175 lbs. I ended up pulling the handle right out of his hands twice before he got up. That thing has really got some bite.

Tom

[Barefoot Bob]

Thats pretty wild to hear that a over hub prop had that much bite. Never had the chance to run a 4 blade cleaver or a 3 blade cleaver for that matter. Now a cleaver doesnt have alot of bow lift does it? If not, that might be why the top end wasnt very good. Besides the point of being to small of pitch maybe. But it would be fun to try one and see how it compare's to the Trophy

[Tom D.]

Bob,
It's like night and day. The chopper slips alot out of the hole. The cleaver you just nail it and your gone.

Tom

[Stoker100]

Even when I was only running on 5 cylinders!

[Stoker100]

Pulled everyone out no problem

[pyro]

A 2.5 has enough torque to pull anything. I have a 2.4 200 EFI, and I'm going to need to prop down a lot for sure.

I found a 21" Trophy Plus, it's supposed to be in transit right now. We'll see how she does when the weather warms up some more. The rest of the ice melted yesterday. The lake is completely open.

[Barefoot Bob]

Your lake is open already? Our river is but hope the lakes do soon.

My new air chair is on its way from Havasu also. I am going to jump in next weekend and try it out.

Let me know how you like the prop. I will be running my 21 Trophy also;)

[Reese]

that was a "small hub" Trophy Plus right???

[pyro]

Yes, aren't all trophy plus's small-hub? The one I'm getting is a 48 825934 A47 .

From what I remember, the "34" in the number is different on my 26". Both props are 13.75" diameter.

The 26" has decent holeshot for a 26, it's very responsive to trim input, accelerates real quick, and is only 1.5 mph slower on top end than my 28" chopper when driving solo. It is acually faster than my 28" when I have 4 people in the boat. the trophy carries the weight better, and I think it's got more bowlift than my chopper! It runs fine on the surface.

I figure it won't hurt to try the 21" for a ski prop.

[RB in NM]

I just got rid of my 22" and 26" high fives and went back to my 21" Trophy for skiing.

I got a 2003 Allison w/225 pro max short shaft. with 3 adults and two black labs aboard and a 220 pound guy on one ski, will jerk em' out all day long!!

The 21" will cavitate as free a chopper when I nail it, spools up really good. instant hole shot. It runs out on the top end a lot better than the 22" HF ever did. Lot more bite and Lot less slip than the high five ever thought...

Russ

[action20]

I run a 25 pitch high five for skiing and i have never had a problem with it.

Will do 78-80 on gps with 4 people in the boat.

I cant run it very high on the jack plate because it does slip with those little blades but it is a very fun power blade.

19ft action
2.5 245 Carb

[Reese]

Trophy plus's should be small hubed...but it always pays to double check, sometimes people selling trophys say their "plus" because of the vents.

Trophy should be real good right out of the box...if later on you decide that it can use a little more bite or less pitch it will be easy to find prop shop to handle it.

Let us know how you like it...