Wakeboard prop question

How does a wakeboard prop differ from regular and what difference does it make to the boat's performance? If the engine has to rev higher for the same speed does it affect gas milage? Thanks

The wakeboard prop has a lower pitch. You will get on plane a lot faster but you will lose some top end speed. The engine does run at a little higher rpm but when you accelerate, it doesn't take forever to get on plane when you have a lot of ballast/people in the boat. To me it kind of cancels out as far as gas consumption goes. I would only get the wakeboard prop if you don't plan on cruising around that much and if you always have a real heavy load in the boat.

For any application the best prop is the one that allows the motor to work in its torque curve sweet spot at the normal speed of operation. For most wakeboarders, this is 19-24 mph. Because of this, many wakeboarders use a prop with less pitch and sometimes smaller diameter than an all-around prop that is based upon top speed. If you have a prop with too much pitch, you can lug the engine and consume more gas than a prop with the right pitch for your application. Think of it as a gear ratio or transmission with only one gear.