Cav plate vs trim tabs

[SKIPJACKSLAYER]

Have a buddy with a 25ft panga, tiller set up with a 115 sho. He’s trying to get the nose down a bit to eat up some chop nearshore. I told him a cav plate / hydrofoil would probably get the job done. That and some wedges on the transom to get that motor tucked down a bit more. Does anyone think that is not enough? Would trim tabs benefit more? Typically I’d lean towards the tabs but the panga is such a light boat for its size and it’s pretty narrow. Any input is appreciated on this one.

[Sgrem]

Never saw a boat that didn't benefit from tabs. Smart tabs would probably be plenty. But sounds like wedges will also give him a little more versatility. Wedges are so cheap start there.

[Rockfish2]

I love my tabs on my JH v-hull. They push my bow down so it eats that chop up in the bays on windy days.

[marlin lane]

wedges will help-tabs are always a benefit-

[SSST]

Trim tabs are one of those things that once you have a set, you'll never want to do without. I have no idea on a Panga, wedges may do the trick.

[EastTexasRancher]

Which is preferable? Self leveling or hydraulic?

[Sgrem]

Depends on the size and style of boat. For a flats boat under 20ft I like the self leveling with the pressurized cylinders like Smart Tabs. Cheaper. Work automatically. Flats boats don't have a lot of adjustment as they just like to run flat. And when running in skinny conditions things happen fast so automatic is best.

For larger and vhulls I like the hydraulic so you can dial in for the conditions.

[EastTexasRancher]

Thank you! Learning new things every day.

[Bird]

I have a buddy that has a 25 Panga. He has electric tabs and a Perma-trim cav plate on it. The tabs help a lot but mostly for leveling the boat side to side. The cav plate made a noticeable difference in adjusting the bow angle. They tend to ride bow high and when it gets sporty running across West Gbay the tabs couldn't hold the bow down enough to let all of that waterline work. Cav plate really helped.

[ccoker]

Originally Posted by Sgrem

Depends on the size and style of boat. For a flats boat under 20ft I like the self leveling with the pressurized cylinders like Smart Tabs. Cheaper. Work automatically. Flats boats don't have a lot of adjustment as they just like to run flat. And when running in skinny conditions things happen fast so automatic is best.

For larger and vhulls I like the hydraulic so you can dial in for the conditions.

I have an 18ft Gulf Coast, would these help reduce the back of the boat from dipping on take off in shallow water? It has a jack plate and I jack the engine all the way up and tuck it all the way in to take off.