Self Leveling Trim Tabs or Smart Tabs

This video looks at self leveling trim tabs and how they work. Are they right for your boat?

[johndeargo]

To Lost Angler;
Thanks for including us in your video. One of the comments that I would like to address is the function at high speeds. One of the more important features is the varying lift pressure which is built into the pneumatic actuator design.

At pre-plaining speeds Smart Tabs provide more lift at the stern and at higher speeds they provide less lift. The result is that you get the maximum stern lift to get up on step quickly and a reduced ride control tension for that eliminates porpoising and chine walking. The Bennett Self Leveling tabs use a simple coil spring. Coil springs by nature provide less resistance a lower speeds and increasingly more resistance (lift tension at higher speed. The increased resistance at higher speeds creates more stern lift than needed, driving the bow down, reducing the top speed, and reducing the ability to properly trim the prop angle. Nauticus Smart Tabs ( the original automatic tabs) provide seven (7) actuator choices to match your boat size and HP, plus five (5) fine tuning adjustments to insure the best overall performance, ride and handling. Nauticus also sells a plate retractor kit (# PR500) which brings the trim plate up flush with the bottom of the boat when desired.

[AskLeRoy]

The Bennett line is bulletproof and their customer service actively reaches out to help people. Have the original hydraulic system from an 84 sleekcraft and all the parts are still available to purchase. Have had 2 other boats with SLT systems. Awesome products

[zash]

For anyone trying to decide between these type tabs and the AutoTrim Pro, I installed the AutoTrim Pro and found if the water is rough as in 2'-3' seas (my boat is 18') the AutoTrim pro is kinda too slow to react and you find you are better off manually adjusting instead of waiting for the controller to decide what to do. In little smoother seas the AutoTrim Pro is awesome. Just wanted to put this out there for those boaters that are here because they are trying to decide which version to buy.

[curttimmbch]

Thanks for posting. I was looking at getting smart tabs. But since I own a Excel bay pro, I also run in a pad. You saved me some money, a few holes in my boat, and sum curse words. Thanks

[Steve-yrvi]

So did you remove the tabs? I have a bow rider that is a bit stern heavy and requires full throttle to get on plane, I'm not that concerned of top speed it'll hit 50 and that is fast enough on a 18' boat. Smart tabs allow me to get on plane easier and the bow doesn't lift near has much.

[jordanford]

Thanks for the info. Just bought some Bennett’s for my sons 17’ tri hull that was proposing after we installed a 115 hp motor. Hope it does the trick.

[BennettTrimTabs]

Nice job with the video! Thanks for choosing our tabs.

[djknowledge]

What do you mean by pad? I have a seadoo challenger 180 would this work

[Cdawg]

Nice video, my Carolina skiff 178dlv goes bow up almost straight up then planes out, I just added these Bennett 10” ones yesterday I sure hope they help .. also added a hydrofoil to the outboard

[OrcaAngler]

what do u mean by boat doesnt have a pad. i dont get it

[TrophyFish]

I had a 18 foot flats boat with a 90hp and a lot of weight in the back with the batteries and polling deck. It would porpoise very bad and you had to play with the jack plate and the trim to make it stop. After putting on the self leveling trim tabs, the problem went away. Now I have a 20 foot Falcon King Striper with a Chevy 305 I/O and it chine walks very bad. Same thing though. Very heavy in the back especially with the bait tank full of 40 gallons of water. The tabs arrive today and I can't wait to see how they impact the chine walk and the need to go WOT to get on plane.

[AcM.]

I have a question.
I have a 20' Aquasport Osprey that has a 150 Mercury that was put on it instead of the old 88.
I play hell trying to get on a plane. Would these benefit my boat?
I have to run my motor in the full down position all the time, even at full throttle or the bow will jump up to the point water comes in the back of my boat

[bobheinrich]

They do a great job with some pitfalls.
Because they auto deploy at low speed which is why you bought them to get you out the hole and stop proposing that is good however if you fish out wide and find the wind has unexpectedly blown up and you need to punch it home through over a meter of swell and your bow is roughly a meter high and you have to back down to just planing speed to deal with the sea your tabs will be fully deployed when you want them out of the water and when fully deployed into such a swell and or chop it will make them come over the bow as you punch it so they can be a little dangerous in the wrong conditions.

[jefflight]

I saw that you had a G3 bay boat. I have a 18'DLX. In mine, the sides where you have installed the trim tabs are foam filled. Are yours filled as well and if so, how did you do a through bolt to mount the tabs?

[Unplugged]

Great video and explanation.

I was on a friend's 2014 Nitro Z6 with Mercury 115 HP Optimax recently. I noticed his boat leaned to the left most of the time the boat was running. However I did not remember seeing trim tabs on the back of the boat. But the boat was level while idel.

What else could be causing the lean?

[rafaelrolon]

Hi, your video was very helpful in understanding smart tabs.I have a 18ft center console Stripper fishing boat and its porpoising at sea. Can I use the self leveling tabs or what do you recommend.

[falcosparverius]

It becomes a fishing line slicer when you are fighting a big fish like a tuna. Are there trim tabs that are not sharp?

[fernandomartin]

I want to find these auto tabs from Bennet for a 15 ft stingray but I could not see that they have them. The other ones are so expensive and don't think they would do a better job save maybe for leveling the boat sideways?

[howardredder]

I have a 17ft. Targa, deep V.
Takes off on plane great, the problem is it leans LEFT at full speed! Weight and level is perfectly level when sitting. The boat tracks straight. I feel i don't need a trim tab for taking off, just at full speed. What could i do??
One Tab on left side?? Fixed position tab on Left side??

[mchenryjeremy]

Is it necessary to put tabs on a boat with float pods in the rear?