OzHydrofoil vs Stingray Starfire No Drill Outboard Motor Hydrofoil Review and Installation Guide

I installed a Hydrofoil on my boat but had varying results from the two products I tested.
The StingRay Starfire Hydrofoil (DO NOT BUY):
www.stingrayhydrofoil.com/pro...
The No Drill install was easy, but on the first use in open water the product tore off and caused considerable damage to the cavitation plate as the set screw ripped a gash down the sides and the propeller was bent (needing repair).
I bought the Stingray Starfire from Whitworths for $140:
www.whitworths.com.au/stingra...
I went to my local store to complain about the StingRay Starfire tearing off, and disappointingly the first suggestion was that I had installed it incorrectly and they attempted to dismiss my complaint. When I informed them that there are a number of forum posts about the StingRay Starfire coming off, they offered to look into it. Later I returned to the store to follow up and they gave me $5 off from my next purchase. I suggested that they no longer stock the product, but they dismissed my suggestion. Absolute rubbish service from my local store who has received my loyal service for two decades.
After noticing that the local NSW Marine Rescue in Mona Vale use PermaTrim www.permatrim.com.au/index.html I looked into getting one BUT their website didn't allow me to order online and looked like they are not a serious business (have a look and you'll get what I mean) I looked for other options.
I found OzHydrofoil www.ozpropellers.com.au/alumi... and purchased one. The product was delivered very promptly, packed very well and feels like it's very high quality.
Installation took 2hrs. It was a bit tricky because the instructions were misleading when it came to the placement of the forward holes. Be very careful, because following the instructions to specification has left me with a misplaced pilot hole in my cavitation plate.
However, I think this video will help people avoid the same mistake I made and I'm sure that when I send this video to OzHydrofoil they will update the instructions.
The ozHydrofoil is a very good product, the finish is to a high standard and the material is stronger than the cavitation plate on the Suzuki DF90 because it was much harder to drill through. So I rate the product and the speed of delivery very high.
Performance wise, the hydrofoil has been a game changer. My boat is used for Spearfishing and we typically go three to four up along with gear in open water and often up to 30kms out to sea when we spear the FADS. I've been able to upgrade from a 15 pitch propeller to a 17 with no holeshot issues, even with the boat full and fueled with 110lts.
Before the install, I had to have a couple of divers sitting forward to keep the bow down, especially when trying to ride over a trailing swell in open sea. I have more top speed, and my electronic fuel monitoring (Raymarine with Suzuki Interface) indicates that I'll get about 10% more range from a tank (330kms v 300kms). I think the biggest contributing factor to this is that I can now maintain a plane at a lower speed, so I no longer need to drive the throttle to maintain a plane in open water.
I can confidently recommend an OzHydrofoil for any boat with a sterndrive or outboard and will install one on all of my future boats.
Good luck with your install.

[@ktindagt]

Informative vid, thanks Matt

[@ktindagt]

And thanks Max as well !

[@Bansheeboat]

Thanks for the video!

[@arotom]

i just monted the stingray starfire on my boat and it works great. i did install it with the bolts so it wont come off

[@camabberfield6020]

Hey max. Great video, I’ve been looking around for awhile and Ozhydrofoil is in the top two, think you just sealed the deal. Keep up the good work.

[@MaxTennant]

Hey Cam, I can still vouch for it. Going strong. Angle drill is a good investment to install it.

[@HunterLo25]

I have the SE400 hydrofoil.. no issues yet!

[@alanchristoffersen7329]

Hi, did you install the 2 front bolts? Curious as I saw another video where the Stingray 3 grenaded but he hadn't installed the 2 forward bolts and covers.

[@MaxTennant]

Yes - not the drilled ones though as it's sold as a "drill free" fitting.

[@tcrgfamily7430]

I had same bad experience with StingRay. After two outings the fin fell off. They offered a discount + shipping. I'll go with different brand and drill. Sadly, they do not recognize the no-drill option has flaws with many documented loses. 😞

[@callumhunter7518]

Hey mate, just purchased on of these for my 90 ETEC, will be installing shortly. You happy with yours? Notice any improvements?

[@MaxTennant]

Yes, big improvements! I didn't post the follow up video on that, but I've got much better holeshot performance and the ability to maintain a slow plane in heavy seas is a big improvement. Also a recent trip to Wooli we crossed the bar with a 2-3m Easterly swell. The ability to keep the bow tight in the water was a huge benefit. Here's a video of that: photos.app.goo.gl/Ez5eXhPaA1U1UVr3A

[@guccigang6287]

Hey first of all great video! I have a 15 foot inflatable with a 30 hp outboard do you recommend I get a hydrofoil right off the bat? I haven’t ran it yet but I wanted to hear your input. Thanks

[@MaxTennant]

Absolutely!!! It will help you hold a plane at slow speed which will be helpful in rough water in a smaller inflatable.

[@guccigang6287]

@@MaxTennant ok thanks!!

[@rolandjacques649]

If you take that same amount of time, and use the same adhesive sealant, on the other plastic hydrofoils do you think they would have stayed on?

[@MaxTennant]

Possibly - but I'd never install a plastic foil again. I'd stick to this type. In fact any boat I have in the future will have one.

[@raycrazyraysplace4472]

Sounds more like the problem is with the installer not the foil. A few scratches is NOT major damage.

[@barcrusher]

Plastic foils are garbage

[@andypro8932]

Well done on a nice video Max. I'm in the market for another foil and am glad I came across your video. I lost my SE 400 foil off my Yamaha 225 HP some where in Broken Bay and only after a few trips since installation. Lucky for me no damage. SE is a reputable brand which came as a surprise to me. i purchased it as I didn't want to drill 10 holes into the cav. plate as you did. Will stay clear of Stingray after learning of your experience. I don't think I'll ever purchase a drill-less foil again. I think they aren't up to the task especially on larger HP motors such as my 225 Yamaha 4 stroke. You've given me something to think about. Would be interested to hear if you have some more reports on the OzHydrofoil?

[@MaxTennant]

Definitely get one. I can recommend. Permatrim are installed on the marine rescue boats. They look exactly the same. That's two confirmed plastic hydrofoils in Broken Bay now.

[@juliocesarvazquez3992]

All very nice but, .... 1- Change the anodes, you can see how the rust walks through its screws. 2- Balance your boat and avoid ending up in a Hydrofoil. Aereodynamic Perfomance and Hydrodynamic Performance...... go the same hand (together) juliovideo :-)

[@MaxTennant]

Ok thank you

[@mikepierunek]

I love watching these guys drilling a bunch of holes in their cavitation plates. I guess those superficial scratches don't mean anything now?!

[@yourselfdotcom]

"Quite alot" of damage. 🤣

[@SandmannOZ]

It's alloy... the paint's just there for decorative purposes.

[@mickpaton9473]

Good video but I was waiting for the water test

[@beerturbogarage]

Looks like from the coments he is happy, im about to buy an OZHYDRO, so i hope there good. they look pretty robust

[@MaxTennant]

Yer sorry guys. I just did this video because my 8yo daughter was keen to do a video but I don't want her posting on social. So she filmed this and I found someone in Russia to edit it. I did film a water test, but I'm no KZbinr! It is a great product. I can still recommend.

[@freddiellavore839]

Thanks Max. I’m glad I ran into your video. You’re right, the instructions are not much help..so it was quite helpful to watch your install and certainly your point of view. Cheers

[@talketcinc]

I'd be concerned with drag in the water from all the protruding nuts...my foil has recessed nuts but it does look nice

[@74jeepcj6]

Fair comment - which foil do you have?

[@MaxTennant]

Scott - the control the foil provides far outweighs any drag. In fact top speed is higher with the foil as the boat is lifted out of the water better. Only the heads of the nuts are on the running side and they are fairly flush.

[@cheetahsneverprosper1]

The amazing part is someone expecting two set screws to hold a hydrofoil in place in the open ocean in a wave described as a TWO METERS HIGH. That isn't a product defect.

[@MaxTennant]

It's either a product defect or false advertising, because that what it says it does on the box. You choose.

[@raulfernandez9111]

You should have bought the stingray starfire with the 2 bolts drill version the first time around.

[@thegunnut221]

Nice job. 4 bolts each side would have done the job.

[@SandmannOZ]

Hey Max... good review. I'm looking for a foil for my 40HP and had been considering both the Stingray and the OzHydrofoil, glad I found this video. Just something I noticed, when you put sealant around the holes you didn't put any IN the holes. Neither the stainless steel nor the alloy is going to be bothered by contact with salt water, the bigger problem is the contact between the stainless and the alloy which will cause galvanic corrosion. It'd be a very good idea to put sealant in the holes and/or on the bolt threads... or even better Tefgel which will both prevent corrosion and act as an anti-seize, should you ever need to remove it.

[@MaxTennant]

Good idea - they are both alloys but different grades. I've not seen any galvanic corrosion issues since, just that the powder coat on the hydrofoil has gone dull.

[@SandmannOZ]

@@MaxTennant Yeah the two alloys aren't a problem... they're about the same hardness, just that one's plate alloy and the other's cast. It's the stainless steel bolts that cause the problem... they're much harder and in a marine environment they'll "steal" molecules from softer metal. It starts as discolouration (tea staining) and then becomes pitting below the paint. It's the same reason anodes work... they're a softer metal intended to be sacrificial.

[@beserkerknight6384]

move the front hole back until yo get decent metal on the hydrofoil.

[@barcrusher]

Perma trim is the best.Stay away from anything plastic when it comes to foils as they flex too much and you loose performance

[@shepleonard8695]

Tap/notch it prior and it will never come off.

[@17th_Street_Preacher]

10 holes to drill is excessive..plastic equivalent SE 300 has 4 holes, easy marking template & is wider, cheaper 🤔

[@beserkerknight6384]

i was gonna say 8 holes is plenty forget the 2 front ones!

[@leocrawford3253]

Mate is an outboard who cares about a few scratches

[@MaxTennant]

If you want to pay $140 to get a 3mm deep gouge in your outboard, go and get a Stingray. You can scratch your outboard for free without one.

[@trent6972]

Leo crawford you’ve obviously never owned a new boat. I bought a ranger bass boat brand new in 2011 for $71k. I babied that thing for the first 5 years. A scratch at that point would have been inexcusable and would have been fixed immediately. Now days I hit logs/stumps/rocks and never bat an eye. Just an excuse to buy a new one 😂

[@yourselfdotcom]

Boohoo it got scratched. Nevermind the extra holes i drilled in it 🤣

[@MaxTennant]

You may have missed the point, the scratches are not a concern, the issue is that the stingray product is advertised as a drill free install that does not work. A waste of $140. A product should at the very least do what it claims to do on the box.

[@josiahcrossman8911]

Sounds to me like buddy never Installed it correctly and is sour. Because if it was installed correctly it wouldn't have come off. I have had mine now for 2 years and use it daily in rather harsh conditions and never had an issue yet. But I also took the time to install it properly.

[@mikepierunek]

@MaxTennant I'm going to attach something to my lower unit and not fasten it with screws just magic adhesives like what the box says?! I'd hate to see you buy a box of garbage bags that advertise, makes a great parachute, just find a cliff!

[@barcrusher]

Looks like a complete copy of a perma trim foil.Not that I care just sayin