Stingray Hydo Stabilzer Review

Hello all, I wanted to pass along my review on the Stingray hydrofoil stabilzer. I had seen these on some boats and it cought my attention, wondering if this after market product was good? I have a 18 foot Tracker pro team, and had no problems getting on a plane or any problems with the ride. I wanted to install the stabilzer to see if it did help plane quicker and more stable riding on big water like KY lake. After installing this, which its the Stingray classic, easy to install, which I did have to drill 4 holes in my lower unit to mount it, I have been really impressed with its performance! It instantly planed out, almost aumatically, and the boat seems to tackle waves! Seriously stays low in the water, I used to come out of the water on a big wave. Now my boat is alluminum, so it doesnt ride nothing like a glass boat, but this after market product gets a high recomendation from me. I am on the water 30- 40 times a year and a week at KY lake and I would recommend this product for sure. It works just like an airplane wing in the water. Just thought I would pass this info along. I dont think I will have a boat with out one now.

In July I re-powered with a new E-Tech 150 HO. At the same time I also installed a new 6" jack-plate and two Minn Kota Talon's. My hole shot was bad with a light load and terrible when loaded heavy. I tried 3 different props at various different motor heights and never did find a hole shot that I was satisfied with. I even sent one of my props off and had the ventilation holes enlarged and it did not make much of an improvement. At best I had a slow to decent hole shot. I installed a Classic Stingray Hydrofoil and instantly my hole shot was back to normal. When I drop the hammer the bow will rise a small amount then it quickly breaks over and I am hooked up and rolling.

I also had another positive effect after installing the hydrofoil. Before the hydrofoil my boat would chine walk some when running wide open at full trim and a light load. After the hydrofoil was installed the chine walk almost disappeared. Before you had to "drive" it to get the max top end speed. Now I describe it as making a steering correction ever once in a while to balance the pad. The strange thing about that is the hydrofoil is out of the water at wide open throttle. I do not know how nor why it affected chine walk in a positive matter but in my case it did.

I first put one on a Skeeter back in the 80s, it was a 17 foot boat with a 150 black max outboard. no lacking in power. Hole shot was good but low boat speed I would drop off plane quickly so it was either go 70mph or idle. I installed the stingray and what a difference. Haven't looked back . Every boat I've owned since gets one before it hits the water. It a cheaper version of trim tabs.

I thought the performance was so good that's why I wanted to give it a review for more people to see. After having this, Im not sure why motor manufactures don't have more of something like this engineered into the motor?

Thanks for the review.

I've been searching the web and I could not find any results for an independent Stingray Hydrofoil Stabilizer before and after performance test. Maybe if I asked nicely the good folks at Marine Dynamics Inc. might throw some real numbers my way. Although, perhaps the "magical cure-all" is a better and more profitable marketing approach. Keeping weight to a minimum, sufficient horsepower with power tilt trim along with a properly matched ss prop has always worked for us albeit quite a bit more expensive than an ugly whaletail is. :)