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I currently have no problems with hole shot or speed (40 mph with a 17′ Lund Explorer SS). I’m looking a bit more at durability. I’ve dinged my aluminum plenty. If I were to switch to stainless is it fair to ask what I could expect as far as increase in speed or hole shot? Or should I spend the money elsewhere?
As a number of guys above mentioned, you have a few things to gain & understand. First and foremost, follow Jon’s advise on running multiple props to determine which is best for your application. Not all stainless blades (just like knives) are created equal. Typically, stainless will cut water better and not flex as much under a load. This is the reason why you’ll make a small change in the pitch.
When comparing the individual blades of a prop, you’ll see significant differences between manufactures & custom designers. Keep in mind that it is only about the trailing edge and tip of the blade (cupping) that actually propels your boat forward. The rest of the ear determines distance of travel (without slip) per each revolution, efficiency of cutting water, volume of water it pushes out to the cup, and ventilation (amount of air it draws around the prop).
If your looking to achieve better performance – speed or fuel economy – stay away from generic designs that have a “Mickey Mouse” ears. You would think that having more surface area would push more water out to the cup. However, it creates more drag and the prop has a negative affect on performance. The opposite is usually found in a super high rake/low surface area that gives that “squirelly feeling” at high end and has very little grab for a hole shot.
Things to expect
Stainless cost more. More upfront cost and repairs are more. Small dings in the trailing edge and cupping decrease performance. You can run a $1,000 custom prop and a couple little dings will knock the performance down to the level of a generic prop.
Over-all, the best suited stainless prop for your boat will make improvements in hole shot, bow lift, and top end speed compared to your aluminum. Some of these improvements may be minor. You may get on plane 20 feet sooner, it may be adding 1 or 2 mph or more, or better handling in rougher water or turns. Most common improvement you will see with a quality tuned prop is fuel efficiency. If you increase 1 to 3 mpg more, it makes a huge difference when filling the tank. I mostly fish large bodies of water where making 5 to 20 mile runs a day is common. For me, I had custom props made for my boat and just the fuel savings has paid me back many times over.
Once you make the change (if you do) you’ll appreciate the attributes a stainless gives you. Just do some research and talk with a few different prop guys before laying out the money. BTW – you’ll need to verify this, but I think your Opti will run the older Yamaha “M” series stainless – just need to use the different thrust hub. Those M series props were very reasonable in cost and a very high quality grade of stainless. 
