I remember that being an issue with the 04 33zx on our dock.

I have been walking the sticks up really slow....maybe a bit too slow...

My 38 ZX has 26p 5 blades and I run the sticks up to 3k. I try to keep it right there until it gets over the hump, it's not fast but seems to do the trick every time. My tabs are up and drives are down. Soon as I'm on plane I give a little trim and I'm running over 40 at just over 3000 rpms.

sometime i find it easier to do full tabs down and trim tucked in all the way, i can get up in shallow water

sounds like you have 2 = = =3 blade props,,if so get rid of them and put a set of bravo pnes r rev 4 blades on it..

I have a question, I know different boat but I always have drives in all the way and tabs all the way down to come on plane, why would you NOT put both in/down?

As it rolls over I bring tabs up first then drives and adjust from there.

I just dont use my tabs casue the boat comes up with out them easy and I am lazy do i dont have to work tab buttons and drives once its rocks. up. it takes longer to raise them back up then it does to get the boat on plane.

nothing wrong with it though I have done that some just testing, playing or what ever.


Not close up, but I forgot a buddy has a video of my boat taking off. you can hear it rev to 3000-3500 and i just hold it and it rolls on plan. tabs flat, drives all the way down.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5gjyaZy6rI

I would use tabs to get on plain if it was rough waters or shallow, the bow hangs out far enough on mine that I don't need them when it's calm out. To me they seem like you are making the boat work hard as your adding more drag. I find myself using them mainly to level the boat when I have a lot a gear on board or have a good stiff wind listing the boat.

Five blade is a must on a 33ZX in my opinion. I've run a few. I have a set of Hydromotive P5 - 30's that I need to sale that work great on a 33ZX. I ended up getting a larger diameter Merc Maximus that works better with my extended ITS / XR drives.

I had to be very gentle to get my lab'd 4 blade bravo's up on plane. The P5's don't blow out at all. The larger diam. Maximus takes a little gentler hand, but probably easier on the drives that way.

Also, you want to make sure you have a little forward momentum before getting into the throttle, as these aren't drag boats.

How did you make out with planning? Mine is still blowing out just as its rolling over, around 2500rpm mark. After that I'm throttling up to 4,000-4,200 rpm then it planes. Drives and tabs tucked in. Just hoping you found a solution. Running 28p but have tried 30 stock and 30 labed with same results.