Cajun 178 Pro Sport motor height

[fierodough]

I have a (new to me) 1990 Cajun 178 Pro Sport. with a 150HP Black Max XR4 on it.

The motor seemed to be sitting quite low in the water when I got it. The cowling was almost touching the water line. When coming off plane, there is a wave that comes in from the back and nearly swamps the boat. Thank goodness for a working sump pump!

Anyways, what height do you guys recommend? Also, this boats transom is not flat, there is an indent behind the motor that would seem to cause turbulence and possibly make the prop suck in air if the motor is raised?

here are some pictures of the boat.

IMG_0134[1].JPG IMG_0130[1].JPGIMG_0127[1].JPGIMG_0129[1].JPG

[scubatelco]

I see that the motor is at the lowest in the water setting on the jack plate. Is this boat rated for a 175 HP?