Is a 15 HP outboard engine enough?

Ronin · Posted: Aug 30, 2006 1:11 am Post subject: Is a 15 HP outboard engine enough?

Hey,

My parents have a 15 HP mercury engine that I can grab from them and use with either an aluminum or zodiac boat.

Is this enough to pull me out of the water? Im 130lbs. Whats the most weight do you think it could pull, thinking about friends who weigh around 150-180. I've searched alittle bit and it seems like it is. Just want to confirm.

And do you think one boat is better then the other aluminum versus the zodiac?

Thanks

LAXitives288 · Posted: Aug 30, 2006 8:20 am Post subject:

we had an 11' boston whaler with a 20 horse johnson and it would pull anything we threw at it. I weigh 145lbs and it worked fine for me.

VonBoggin · Backside 180 Joined: 21 Nov 2005 Posts: 1666 City: Austin

i would probebly do a running or sitting dock start tho, i dont think the low end is very good on a 15hp, i could be wrong tho. anyone?

LAXitives288 · Posted: Aug 30, 2006 9:11 am Post subject:

we did deep water with our whaler. Just be as efficiant as possible on the start

Nekkie · Posted: Aug 30, 2006 9:15 am Post subject:

I did water start behind a 10hp on a small aluminium boat... It is not easy to do if you are just beginning, but if you know how to get out well it shouldnt be too hard

Poo · Guest

my friend has a 15hp engine andf it will not get you up on a wakeskate, and if it does you are bogging because it wont go fast enough. it pulls up wakeboarders easily

bjr · Posted: Aug 30, 2006 3:18 pm Post subject:

its always worth a shot....you never know

TannerC · Backside 180 Joined: 17 Mar 2005 Posts: 1694 City: Nanaimo

Ronin, it will work. You missed some fun riding this weekend. We rode twice Saturday and Sunday and Friday night.

ZoSo · Backside 180 Joined: 15 Apr 2005 Posts: 900 City: Winnipeg

It works. I slid a canoe behind a 15hp aluminum boat just last week.

Ronin · Posted: Aug 30, 2006 4:17 pm Post subject:

Nice looks like its the Aluminum boat for now as the Zodiac needs to be patched.

Hey Beaver, I know I would have loved to go! It just didn't work out. Thanks for the invite again.

Mr. Top Hat · Dead Joined: 29 Aug 2004 Posts: 5818

it will work as long as you know how to get up correctly

gnarkill · Faceplant Joined: 04 Jul 2006 Posts: 9 City: 941

my freind has a 14 foot jon boat with a two stroke 15hp motor and it wont deep water start at all, so we just dock start. we have to floor it to go fast enough, and it takes a couple of secnds to get going but it pulls you fine when your going. we also had to put some cinder blocks in the front so it will pull right. so if you dock start it should work just fine

islandtime · Posted: Aug 30, 2006 8:28 pm Post subject:

yah dude my friend has a 8 ft aluminun boat with a 7.5 we ride it for rails in the flats so 15 hp is plenty if u youse a small light boat