cupping question

[ranger1882]

i'm continuing to gather knowledge on props so i can get something before ice-out here in new england, and while looking at used props, i found a great deal on a 3 blade 24p... i've been leaning towards getting a 23p 4 blade for handling and hole shot, but i'd like to keep top end speed. so my question is, if i buy the three blade and have it worked, have some cup added, could i get some of the handling affects (even a little) of a 4 blade ? 135 merc on a 17 - 10 boat , if it matters...

[Princeton_Man]

I'm a big fan of 4blades. 4 blades give you more bite on the water so you get better handling in rough water and more grip rounding the bends. 4 vs 3 will only cost you you 2 or 3 mph tops. Yes, you can have some cup added. I did that with one of my 23P OMC Renegade props. Adding cup to the trailing edge of the blades will effectively add a little to the pitch and give you some extra bite on the water.

You should talk with a good prop shop. They'll want to know all the facts about your current performance with the prop. Motor model, boat, WOT RPMs, GPS speed, they'll want all those numbers so they can tune the prop to perform like you want it to.

I like Mark Croxton at Mark's High Performance Props in Shelbyville Indiana. He'll be painfully honest with you and does awesome work. Costs about $15-$20 to send him the prop and $15 or so for him to send it back. Phone call first, then you send the prop, they call you back with an estimate.