I am looking to upgrade my factory Bennett tabs on my 1991 Baja 280es - not sure I need to go all the way to kplanes...came across these, http://eddiemarine.com/trim-tabs/spo...llet-sport-tab

They look like a cool compromise between what I have and kplanes...am I crazy or will they work?

They look good, check out the lenco ones they are a great option as well.

Clean used 280's come up for sale here on a regular basis.
I'd buy real k planes and be done with it.

+1..

I upgraded from the ST-12 to the ST-16 tabs way back in the day on my 26' Sonic and was happy with the results. Give Bennett a call on Monday before you make a decision. They are VERY helpful.

A lot of folks here insist that everyone needs K-Planes. Don't get me wrong, they're a great product and in many, many applications, they're the only way to fly. However, I'd suggest that one needs to look at several factors in deciding if one really needs to go with hardware as heavy duty as K-Planes. Things I'd want to consider include:

- The length of hull. Generally speaking, the shorter the hull, the less you need K-Planes.

- The weight of the hull. Generally speaking, the heavier the hull, the more you need K-Planes.

- Are they going to be used to get the boat on plane or for attitude control when wave hopping? Generally speaking, getting a boat up on plane is a lot easier on a set of tabs than wave hopping.

- What type of water the boat runs in. Generally speaking, the rougher the water, the more you'd need K-Planes.

- How hard to you beat on the hull? Generally speaking, the harder you beat on it, the more you need K-Planes.

- How much space have you got for hardware? Remember, K-Planes take up a good deal of room for both the tabs and the remote trim pumps. Oh, and none of this stuff is light either.

In your particular case, we only know the answers to a few of these questions. So I'd be hesitant to recommend one product over another right now.

I can tell you that many "experts" said I was crazy to install 12"x12" Boat Leveler tabs on my boat because 1) they were too big, 2) I'd break them right off running hard on Lake Ontario. Well, that was 18 years ago. No problems yet!

I went from the dual ram Bennett's (stock from Formula) to 280S K-Planes on my 292 (similar in size to your Baja 280). The difference in performance is significant. Much better rough water handling. Even my wife couldn't believe the difference and in the end was glad I spent the money! Another benefit is how much quicker the K-Planes move which is nice when you need to make quick adjustments.

I have the room for them in my bay, I am just worried k planes are overkill. But with what you guys are saying i might be ok. I really only want them for rough water. I run lake erie in some pretty big waves at times. Want to spend less time waiting for the water to settle down and more time running to the islands.

I bought a pair of Dana HP 1000's 24" used for $1,200 - good? They came w the tabs, pumps, mounting hardware and switches

I have Dana 1000s on my VR 1. No problems and work well.

Padraig