NauticusGreat Product

Added these to our 2010 Bayliner Deck Boat and the difference is amazing. I really don't understand why this isn't a factory option. First problem I had with our brand new boat was trying to pull a tube or kneeboard at a slow speed. The bow was way up and we were plowing through the water. No way to keep the speed constant, it was very frustrating considering how much we paid for the boat. With the Smart Tabs installed that problem is completely solved! I can maintain almost any speed and the bow rise is probably about 20% of what it was before.... yes, reduced that much. I haven't had a chance to pull any of the grandkids on the tubes yet but just the little testing I did last week I know I can easily maintain a safe (low 5-10MPH) speed now. And as a bonus I can see where I'm going at that speed since the bow is way down. The second issue we had was at cruising speed, if I tried moved the trim at all the bow started to bounce up and down like crazy making the trim useless. With the Smart Tabs installed this problem is a lot better. I can adjust the trim until my gauge is about to the 1/4 mark now and have a nice smooth ride. At cruising speed trimmed all the way down you can feel the Smart Tabs holding the bow down. A slight flip of the trim switch and it picks the bow up and you can feel the drag release. I have not tested top end yet since this is still a new boat with less than 20 hours on it, I'm still breaking it in. I can't imagine how these would have hurt the top end, and I don't care if it added any since the boat is already rated at over 50MPH, which is way faster than I need to go.Now for the installation..... I have to say I did not like drilling a bunch of holes in a $25,000 boat!! I read the instructions several times the night before, and also watched a couple of videos I found doing a Google search. I made sure I had everything I needed ahead of time so I didn't have to stop in the middle of the project. Other than tools, the only thing I bought that didn't come in the kit was a tube of marine sealant. Probably not needed but I'm a little paranoid sometimes. I used the template from the instruction manual to drill the holes. Just taped it to the boat and very carefully drilled the first hole. After the first hole I stopped shaking and the rest were pretty easy. I was a bit surprised that I drilled all the way through the hull, or at least it seemed that way. I had marked the bit with some tape for the depth I wanted but it seemed like went all the way through before I reached the tape. Next I put the silicone sealant in all the holes then stuck the sealant tape that comes in the kit to the hinge and started the first screw. After getting them all started I tightened them down snug, no need to crank them too hard. Follow the instructions and you'll be fine. Some install tips: 1. Put everything together ahead of time, before you screw anything to the boat. This makes lining up the brackets a lot easier. 2. After drilling the holes, use a much bigger drill bit and go back to each hole and slowly (maybe even in reverse) cut through the gel-coat, this prevents the little cracks when you put the screws in later. 3. Measure three times, then drill :) 4. Be prepared to reroute your straps. Might not be the case for all boats but will be required for some.... like mine.Bottom line, this is the best thing I have ever added to any boat we have owned. In the past I have used those fins that bolt to the out drive and it really helped on one boat we had and didn't help at all on another one we owned. But even when it worked it was nowhere near as affective as the Smart Tabs. I almost installed another one of those fins on this boat but realized that with the drive all the way up for trailering the fin would hit the swim deck. So I searched for a few days on and off reading forums and found the Smart Tabs. I'm very happy with the product. I cannot comment on durability since we only have about 5-6 hours on these. I did check the screws after we pulled the boat out and everything is still nice and tight.

WOW... So we have a 98 Bryant 180 that we recently purchased. Our few trips out were nice, but seemed to have a lot of porpoising. And trim tabs seemed to be the answer. I read a ton, but really didn't want to spend 500.00 on a set. Till I found these, and holy f did they change the boat. Seeing that it's a smaller 18 ft wakes from other boats would beat you to death. Unless you sat there and played with the motor trim constantly. That wasn't much fun, after adding these it's just ride and forget it.I don't leave a lot of reviews, but when something works this great you have to.. This is an outstanding product. I opted for the metal version in case I wanted to upgrade to electric or hydraulic tabs later... But I'm positive I won't, these work perfectly...

I just installed a set on my 21' 1969 Century Coronado.Boat has a 350 HP Chrysler 440 engine.Holy Cow, what a difference!I have a different boat now.Rides FAR better, planes FAR faster and easier.Very linear...very little bow rise. More throttle just means more speed.MUCH better ride in chop...the actual bow is cleaving the waves- not just the bottom.We are VERY pleased. I just hope they hold up.They perform exactly as advertised!But I noticed a couple things that did not seem quite right:a) The 1-1/2" bolts that came in "Bag C" for the transom bracket are too short. They should extend past the nylock nut by at least 1-1/2 to 2 threads. as supplied, they don't even fully pass thru the nylock. I applied Loctite to the bolt to hopefully secure it. The supplied bolt should be at least 1/4" longer. The same bolt is used on the bottom (trim tab) bracket and it extends well beyond the nylock nut, as is should. So, the bolt for the top should be 1-3/4" long, not 1-1/2".b) The cutout template for the 25 degree setting is a good idea...but since the instructions state that the bottom of theplate is supposed to be 1/2" above the bottom of the transom, well, that template will not work accurately unless it isstepped / notched accordingly.c) A lot of attention is directed in instruction figures 2A and 2B to ensuring that the transom mounting bracket is perpendicular to the trim plate. That's understandable, but I saw no instructions about the alignment of the transom bracket relative to the bracket mounted on the trim plate. Is it supposed to be an identical alignment on the same line, or is it supposed to be shifted to the left or right?.... which it certainly can be while still remaining perpendicular to the trim plate. Instructions have some conflicts and unclear points.I contacted the manufacturer. They acknowledged me, but no action yet (ie, like longer replacement bolts).

High priced but worth the money.

Gas springs lasted 2 yrs. Not overly impressed considering the cost. Just a side note I store my boat on a lift

I added Smart Tabs to my 190 Sea Ray Signature bow rider and the difference has been like night and day. The install was reasonably simple and only took an hour and a half because I was being deliberate and because I broke a drill bit (don't overheat them or that will happen) and had to run to the hardware store for a new one.After the install, the boat's hole shot has improved from pretty bad to excellent and the idle speed handling has also benefited as there is much less wandering. The customer service at Nauticus, Inc. has also been outstanding as I've called them a couple of times and even spoken to John the owner at length as he is very willing to share his knowledge. I would definitely purchase these again.

I put these on 18' Parker Center console. No doubt my hole shot improved. I'm having problems with the lean created by passengers and other boat wakes. They do not adjust well port to starboard. Matter of fact they're terrible at it. When you get caught up in a larger boats wake it becomes down right hairy.