One of the most important propeller specs for boaters to understand is pitch. The actual pitch dimension is measured as the distance a propeller will travel in inches when one full rotation is completed. If you have a 13.5” x 17.5” 4 blade propeller it will travel 17.5” in a single rotation.

By increasing the pitch greater top speeds can be accomplished. Boaters looking for higher speeds for waterskiing, barefooting, or cruising across the lake will benefit from this performance characteristic. The down side is a loss of power at the low end. This is commonly known as hole shot which is when the transmission is engaged to initially pull a rider up behind the boat

Most wakeboarders and wakesurfers are looking for the opposite affect and choose a lower pitched prop. By lowering the pitch the amount of power that can be used instantly increases. This is beneficial as this characteristic will allow the boat to obtain a desired speed more quickly when loaded with more ballast weight or at higher elevations when HP is decreased. The downside to lower pitch is lower top end speeds that can be achieved when running at wide open throttle.

Think of pitch as the gear you want to start in when driving a car. If you have a higher pitched prop you are starting out in third. You will be able to gain more top end speed but it will take you longer to reach that point. If you choose a lower pitch it is like starting out in first gear. You will go fast very quickly but your top end speed is significantly lower.