I'm looking at a Formula 252LS that might be too good to pass up. However, I've spent more time recently waterskiing and wakeboarding than fast running, and this boat has a 7.4L Mag with a bravo 1. I remember the nice cruising but lousy holeshot of my old Baja 252 with the same powertrain. I would have preferred a bravo 3 but it is what it is. Would a 5-bladed prop get me a substancially better holeshot and get me up on plane faster?

YES, BIG TIME! You will loose some top end. Make sure you go down on Pitch. Going from 4 to 5 blades, you will loose about 400rpm at the same pitch. Go down 2 Pitch from your 4 blade.

Just remember the more blades you run, the more strian on your drive.

Yeah. I know. But I have to think that a single 5-blader on a Bravo I is gonna strain less and absorb less HP than the counter rotating Bravo III.

I'll know tomorrow if my offer is accepted. If not this is all moot.

I have a 5 blade for sale, its a 24 pitch test time only. I still even have the box it came in. Let me know if you are interested.

I have a 23 5 blade Ill let go. I have about 5Hr on it.

OK. I bought the boat. Picked it up this weekend and just got done spending some time getting accustomed.

On REALLY smooth water with just under a half tank of gas and two people she'll run 52 MPH (on the gauge) at 4800 RPM, fully trimmed up (and it took forever to get there). That's with a 25P Mirage 3-bladed prop. According to the factory literature the factory prop was a 21P Mirage but someone decided to change it out. I'm thinking I should find me a 21P and see where I am before trading around for a 5-blade.

I'm guessing a 23 or 24 5-blade is still too much.

Thats 32% slip!! Something is wrong with your numbers. Either your tach or your speed is inaccurate (I have a feeling its your tach). It takes alot of power to turn a 25 pitch prop at 4800 rpm...Ill bet your actual RPM's are closer to 4000. This also explains why the factory prop was a 21P (which would put you around 4800 rpm).
You may be all the way down to a 17 pitch prop if you want to go 5 blades.

+1 on what Powerquest Baby said.

Gear ratio?

If that is the 454mag 385 hp motor, that boat should be faster too. You need a gps, if you want a correct speed reading.

Can't he just buy a used BravoIII lower and put that on????