Performance
How to Improve Your Boat's Hole Shot
Hole shot is how quickly your boat climbs out of the water and onto plane. If the bow hangs high and the boat struggles to get up, work through these fixes in order, starting with the free ones.
960×540 · boat-coming-onto-plane.webp
Trim the motor all the way in before you throttle up
Mercury says trimming in lowers the bow and gives quicker planing, especially with a heavy load or a stern-heavy boat. Once you're on plane, trimming back out generally raises top speed, Mercury says.
Move weight forward
Solas lists total weight and weight distribution among the things that decide how easily a boat planes. Crest notes that shifting passengers or gear forward or aft has the same effect as changing the motor's trim, so moving coolers, the anchor or people forward can help a stern-heavy boat get up.
Check your prop's pitch
A lower pitch gives a better hole shot and more pushing power, but a lower top speed, Yamaha says. Any change still has to let the engine reach the upper part of its rated full-throttle RPM range.
Try a four-blade or larger-area prop
Yamaha says four blades give more acceleration and more bow and stern lift, at the cost of some drag, and Solas says a large-area or four-blade prop may help a boat plane. Solas also says to drop the pitch 1 or 2 inches when going from three blades to four.
Use trim tabs
Bennett Marine says properly sized trim tabs can significantly reduce the time to get on plane and let a boat stay on plane at lower speeds. Press bow down in short bursts as you accelerate.
Consider a hydrofoil
Hydrofoils bolt to the motor's anti-ventilation plate. Their makers, such as StingRay and SE Sport, say they help a boat get on plane quicker and stabilize it.
How to trim a boat
Trim is the motor's angle within roughly the first 20 degrees of travel, the range Mercury says you use while running on plane; tilt is raising it further out of the water. Mercury says most boats run well around the middle of the trim range. Honda says that under normal conditions a boat performs best with the anti-ventilation plate level with the water surface.
- Trimming in (down) lowers the bow, gives quicker planing, and generally improves the ride in chop. Too far, and Mercury warns some boats plow with the bow in the water, which can cause a sudden turn called bow steering.
- Trimming out (up) lifts the bow and generally raises top speed. Too far can make the boat porpoise or the prop ventilate, and Mercury warns the engine can overheat if any cooling water intakes come above the waterline.
- Steering pull. Trimmed past neutral, the wheel pulls: to the right when trimmed in and to the left when trimmed out, with a normal right-hand prop. Mercury warns this can cost you control of the boat.
Trim tabs and the hole shot
Trim tabs hinge on the transom and press the stern up. Bennett's take-off method: as you advance the throttle, the stern squats and the bow lifts, so press bow down in short half-second bursts and let the boat react each time. The stern lifts, the bow comes down, speed rises and the engine labors less.
Don't overdo it. Bennett says an over-trimmed boat will plow or bow-steer; press bow up and the bow will rise. It also says to use tabs together with power trim rather than instead of it: set the tabs for a planing attitude, use power trim to put the prop's thrust parallel to the water flow, then fine-tune the tabs.
To find the attitude to aim for, Bennett suggests running the boat lightly loaded at full speed on flat water and noting where the bow sits against the horizon; properly sized tabs can recreate that attitude whatever the load.
For sizing, Bennett's general rule for boats up to 40 mph is at least one inch of tab span per side for every foot of boat length, so a 22-foot boat would use 24 by 9-inch tabs, and it says the widest tabs that fit the transom are the most effective.
Do hydrofoils work?
A hydrofoil is a fin that mounts on the outboard's anti-ventilation plate. StingRay says its hydrofoils get a boat on plane quicker, save fuel, stabilize the boat and reduce cavitation and ventilation, and SE Sport says its models reduce on-plane RPM and save fuel. Those are the makers' claims. StingRay says the traditional mount needs four holes drilled in the anti-ventilation plate, and both brands also sell mounts that need fewer holes or none.
When the problem is the setup
Solas lists hull shape, total weight, weight distribution, engine mounting position, trim tabs and the prop as the factors that decide how easily a boat planes. Mounting height matters too: Mercury says raising a motor usually increases top speed but can cause the prop to break loose during planing. See how to measure outboard shaft length and how to choose a boat propeller. For what more horsepower or less weight would do to top speed, try the boat speed calculator.
Practice it
Try the Hole Shot game: pick a prop, set the trim and see how fast you can get on plane with a light load and a heavy one.
Common questions
Down, or in. Mercury says trimming in lowers the bow and gives quicker planing, especially with a heavy or stern-heavy load, while trimming out generally raises top speed once you're up.
Yes. Bennett Marine says properly sized trim tabs can significantly reduce the time to get on plane. Press bow down in short half-second bursts as you throttle up, and press bow up if the boat starts to plow.
Their makers say they do. StingRay and SE Sport both say their hydrofoils help a boat get on plane and save fuel. The traditional mount needs holes drilled in the anti-ventilation plate, though no-drill mounts exist.
Solas lists hull shape, weight, weight distribution, engine mounting position, trim tabs and the prop. Start with trim and weight, then look at prop pitch and blade count.
Yes. Yamaha says a lower pitch gives a better hole shot but a lower top speed. Keep the engine within the upper part of its rated full-throttle RPM range.
Bennett's rule for boats up to 40 mph is at least one inch of tab span per side for every foot of boat length, and the widest tabs that fit are the most effective.
Sources
Mercury, 150 FourStroke Owner's Manual; Honda, BF25D/BF30D Owner's Manual; Crest Pontoon Boats, 2025 Owner's Manual; Yamaha, propeller guide; Solas, Prop Q&A; Bennett Marine, How Do I Use My Trim Tabs?, What Are Trim Tabs? and Owner's Manual; StingRay Hydrofoils; SE Sport.