New Prototype

REV Labs is excited to share a major milestone in our outboard program: we’ve designed and tested a new staggered-blade outboard propeller prototypethat is showing truly standout results. Working closely with our partners at the Teignbridge Propulsion Research Centreand PowerTech! Propellers, we’ve developed a configuration aimed first at saltwater boats such as Grady-White, Boston Whaler, and similar offshore and coastal platforms where efficiency, range, acceleration, and control in real sea conditions matter every day.

The new prototype starts with a proven baseline: a three-blade Saltwater Series–style propeller from PowerTech! (in the same performance class as Yamaha and Mercury saltwater props). We use that as the forward set of blades, then pair it with a carefully matched aft set of complementary blades designed to reshape the slipstream and reduce wasted turbulence. The CFD results have been remarkable. In SIMSTAR+ analysis on a representative 28-foot twin-outboard setup (paired Yamaha 300 hp drives), the staggered configuration produced more than double the thrust at 3500 RPM while also delivering over a 10% increase in propeller efficiency (η).

What makes this especially exciting is that the baseline propeller we started from is not “low hanging fruit.” It’s a well-optimized, high-efficiency proven design for this class of boat and engine package. Seeing thrust increase by a factor of two while efficiency rises at the same time is a strong signal that the staggered-blade approach can unlock performance gains that conventional geometry leaves on the table. For us, this is an important proof point: staggered-blade propellers are not a one-off novelty, but a scalable design method that can work across a wide range of boats, loads, and operating conditions.

We’re looking forward to the next phase: refining the design and moving from CFD to expanded on-water testing so we can translate these gains into real-world performance that boaters can feel at the helm.