BillK2632
Well-Known Member
I had a SeaRay 185, slightly larger than your 175, but not much. I ran it for 10yrs on Lake Norman, a large lake, lots of boat wakes and at times wind produced chop. That little boat was great, but it would pound your fillings out on a rough day. My new boat is 25ft vs 18 and weighs 6,000lbs vs 3000, it makes a world of difference. You can't easily make your boat longer or heavier, so to a certain degree you just have to accept the capabilities of a small (but very good) boat. I thought about the smart tabs, but never did it and probably should have. If I were in your shoes again, that is what I would do. Like mentioned, your best defense for a small boat in rough conditions is a low planning speed and tabs are the best way to do that. Dolphin fins and different pitch props can help also. Get the smart tabs, and go boating! The other side of this is on a smooth water day you can rip around all day on virtually no fuel while the big guys are still futzing around with their trim tabs and burning copious amounts of fuel!