Kmoose is right . . . sea conditions are always changing, so it's nice to be able to make quick trim adjustments! Yes, an AV plate fin can adjust running angle, and you can adjust the trim of the boat by moving gear and coolers around, and even adjust side-to-side trim by shifting gear, but then you're constantly moving stuff as your heading or sea conditions change. Tabs give you the ability to quickly adjust the trim, like when you're approaching an inlet, where you want the bow up to handle big following seas rolling thru an inlet! I made my first Bahamas trip without tabs, but added them for the second trip, and I'd never even consider running without tabs after that! Those who say you don't need tabs are only advertising their lack of experience!
Regarding reliability, I've found the Bennett hydraulic tabs to be one of the most reliable systems on the boat if installed properly. The only problems I had with the tabs was the joystick control that I replaced twice. It's very intuitive to use but not well sealed, and has since been replaced by the waterproof rocker switch that should eliminate those problems.
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