Ok give me a break, I'm not much of a big water runner. I normally run on smaller lakes and rivers 3+ footers. I Dont use my tabs to much but in the 3 foot stuff and only about number4 or 5 out of 20. What do the big guys run in the ocean to keep the boat to run fast but flat. I know every boat is diff but tell me what you know. There is nothing like watching a little you tube and to see a boat trimed out to the sweet spot but not over trimed.

Depends on the boat..very little on this large v-bottom..here's a shot at 70 mph in about 2-3' if you look close..no tabs..

sorry about pic quality..these were pics that were framed that I bought from one of the PR's..not alot of room in the hallway to get a good shot.

If you're looking to increase your top end leave them up. If you get caught in the big water put them down. Every boat will be different. It takes seat time and experience to know where the boat will run best. Even in the worst of conditions it will vary as to how for down to put them, again seat time will prevail.

I would like to know what the general principles of tab use are. So far, I knew:

- When starting, put the tabs down, to get on plane faster.
- When on plane, put the tabs up to cruise in a level manner.

From this thread, I learned another one.

- When in rough water, put the tabs down. This allows you to go slower and still stay on plane?

Is there a good thread here, or a site somewhere, or something, that expands on the theory of what to do when?

WHEN IN ROUGH WATER PUT TAB'S DOWN TO KEEP BOW OF BOAT FROM SHOOTING TO THE MOON AND TO KEEP GOING FAST AND STAY LEVAL . TO MUCH TAB AND YOU CAN STUFF THE BOW OF BOAT INTO NEXT WAVE
YOU HAVE TO TEST YOUR BOAT OUT AND SEE WHAT IS BEST .
FIRST WHEN BOAT IS ON TRAILER HAVE SOMEONE IN BOAT AND BRING DOWN TAB'S " HAVE A LEVEL OR STRAIGHT EDGE WITH U " WHEN THE TAB'S ARE LEVAL WITH THE BOTTOM OF BOAT MARK THAT SPOT ON YOUR INDICTATORS AND THATS WERE YOUR STARTING POINT WILL BE IN ANY TYPE OF ROUGH WATER THEN SLOWLY GO DOWN FROM THERE DEPENDING HOW ROUGH THE WATER IS AND HOW MUCH BOW LIFT U HAVE .
YOUR INDICATORS MITE BE NUMBERD FROM 1 THREW 10 . WELL THEY MITE BE LEVAL WITH THE BOTTOM AT 5 SO 1THREW 4 DONT DO ANYTHING FOR THE BOAT THAT'S WHY I START AT WERE THERE LEVAL .
ALSO IT WILL TAKE TO LONG FOR THE TAB'S TO COME DOWN WERE U NEED THEM IF U KEEP THEM UP ALL THE WAY .
ALSO IN ROUGH WATER YOU WOULD ALSO START WITH HAVING YOUR DRIVE AT LEVAL WITH BOTTOM OR NEGITVE IF A STRAIGHT BOTTOM .
HOPE THIS HELPS'
MIKE

Flat bottom, single step and twin steps ALL behave differently. The only time I use my tabs are to get on plane and then while running I might use one tab to keep the boat level. Other than that, I just trim the drives. If the conditions are ugly, I simply pull the drives all the way in. If I were to use the tabs I would stuff the nose into a wave/swell. My boat is a T/S and it likes to ride up on top of the heavy stuff.

On the big Vees Ive had/driven, when it gets snotty, I would run the tabs even with the bottom of the boat, and adjust the drives as needed.


Darrell.

What he said !!!!

well back in the day I would drop 1 at about 11 and another 1/2 around 2.....dought.....wrong tabs....I was running level here ina 32 AT v-bottom 4-6's with an occasional hole...

Let me ask u something else ,,,,how do u guys upload these big pictures ,,,i can only get small ones to load !!!????

Now...back to the tabs !!!!