I guess everyone has their own methods and driving styles. Rod Dash @ Performance Marine in Oshkosh kind of changed my driving style a little. That is with regard to getting on plane.
He delivered my boat to me with a new set of motors and drove me around a little just kind of showing me the way the motors performed. I picked this up from him.

Most any boat wants to stick the nose up a bit when trying to get on plane. In my boat, if I leave the tabs ( 280S ) up, drives tucked, let the nose just start to come up ( not to the the sky ) and the stern & props get a bit lower in the water, I find that I can roll the power on much harder and accelerate much better. When the stern lowers, the props bite better and I can really hook up well. My drives are high also. I found that having some cup added makes a huge difference in bite with the higher drive mounting. I use a pair of Bravo 1 28 pitch, labbed and with cup added by Dennis Cavanaugh @ Merc. I used to always do tabs down full, drives tucked full, ease the sticks forward and ease on to plane. Just like the book says. No more. I can accelerate pretty much as hard as I want in this style. That is, compared to planing the other way where I blew the props out easily.

Just a thought. It works for me.

I have been sending all of these replies to my buddy. He is grateful to all of you for the responses. He did speak to Gatorone and got some good info from him.

He has taken the boat back to the dealer for a week of testing different props. I will update everyone as to the outcome

Thanks again

Hot Water/35 fountain I have a 2001 ts 35 and have ran it year 1 with 500efi year 2 with whipples I ran 30p bravo 1 as well as 30p bravo 1 lab finished (yes these props are available)with non-supercharged now have hydramotives 31p 5 blades. the key is coming on plane. I also had a non twin step 35 and they are very different. Get boat moving drives tucked planes 1/2 to 2/3 down accelerate steadily to about 3000 - 3200 rpm when the boat (pops up) come off throttles about 300 rpm and trim in small increments while losing tabs. This takes a little touch but works and I belive will let your drives live longer because you cannot pull a holeshot. How fast are you?

The shop put a set of labbed 32 four blade Merc props on the boat, and the boat now shoots right out of the hole. He did lose some on the top end. He is going to do some fine tuning in the prop dept. later, but for now he 's happy

Put 31 5 blade heirings on, it will go faster on top end and will plane much easier!

You need 3 pitches less to equal the Bravo One 4-blade non labbed, if you want equal to 32 labbed, then you would want about 4 smaller.

These work really, really well. Expensive, but worth the money. I have there 36 pitch 5 blades on my boat and love them!

Dustin

I have 4 blade 24 Hydro's on my 42 Sonic.........they suck ! Difficult to get on plane and will blow out unless feathering the throttle and playing with the tabs... Were on the boat when I bought it.

If its rough out, and full fuel & passengers, have lots and lots of fun trying to get on plane ! Requires lots of finness......a real pain in the ass. They are for sale, basically brand new non labbed, no diffuser ring, solid hub R&L 15x24's.

Going to Bravo 4 Blades..... Just my impute from personal experience with the Hydro's.