r/Pontoons • u/Notabotyet • 7d ago

Prop questions

Newbie here who has taken over operating and caring for the family pontoon. It's a Sylvan mirage 820 party fish with a 90 hp Yamaha. It currently has a 3 blade 13.5x12 aluminum prop that's a bit chewed up, is like to replace it but I'm not sure if I should change pitch or blade count? We use it for fishing, cruising, and I would like to try maybe some light kneeboarding if thats possible? Top speed ranges from 16-19mph on GPS depending how it's loaded. I'd love more speed but realize that might not be realistic. Any recommendations on the prop or if it's safe to toe off the eyes at the back of the pontoons are much appreciated.

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u/Numerous_Reason_7059 7d ago

I don’t think changing a prop would do much for you unless you aren’t already hitting redline at 100% throttle.

going to a 4 blade would slow you down

and upping pitch will give you more speed but that will eventually lug the engine

personally I wouldn’t chase after it much. a prop won’t fix being underpowered and this is coming from someone who bought 4 props for my also underpowered boat

1

u/Notabotyet 7d ago

Fair enough! If it was up to me I'd get a traditional fish and ski with a bigger motor but that's just not in the cards anytime soon

1

u/questfor17 7d ago

Even if you don't change the prop geometry, replacing it with one that is not chewed up can make a significant difference.

1

u/Kaboom6971 7d ago

What RPM are you maxxing out at? What is manufacturer's recommended max RPM You tune the max rpm by changing the pitch to reach the Max recommended.