Two things, one ugly. 1. Buy a second prop. If you are running a 26″ drop down to a 24″ or even lower. That will give you more thrust down at slow speeds to get up out of the water quickly. Avoid WOT of course since you will be leaning on the rev limiter all the time. A high-five will work well here. As will anything else. More blade area is better. Doesnt need to be a lab-finished prop either. I am normally running a 28″ prop, but I have a 23″ that I use for pulling skiers.. Popping the boat up quickly makes it much easier on the skiers. 2. Hydrofoil will make a big difference. You will be able to stay up on plane at 20mph or so, easily, which is a good speed for ski / tube activities. I hate the way they look, but with the motor tucked in, it will keep the rear end up on top of the water and the bow down, which is what you need. Ive never seen a basser that will pull young kids slow enough without a foil on the motor. Aids boat control as well as the bow will be down, and the boat will steer/track much better. Did I mention how ugly the foil is? You can remove it when not skiing. The holes in the anti-cavitation plate wont cause any problems since that is not in the water at reasonable speeds anyway.2008 Pantera Classic2014 Mercury Pro XS 200
.
