RE: Profile P-38 on FLOATS- HELP
In the picture you show you have just nailed the throttle from idle speed, and the floats have climbed up onto their bow wave. At this point you want to neutralize the elevator and the plane will get up on step and accelerate. Then ease in a little back stick and she should lift off.
You can hold a small amount of back stick for the whole takeoff run-just not enough to make it stall when it lifts off. The tails of the floats should not touch the water except at idle taxi.
Is your water rudder still in the water at high speed? It should be out of the water unless you are in a displacement taxi.
1" step is way more than plenty. Is your step SHARP? if it is radiused, you'll have a harder time breaking free of the surface.
Did you check balance after adding the floats? It should balance on the same point as if it had wheels.
Sometimes it helps to drop the pitch of the prop by one increment....replace a 9-6 with 9-5. Better acceleration from slow speed.
If you've done all this, you could try shimming in a little more incidence. Too much may make the plane porpoise on the takeoff run. More than too much can make the noses of the floats dig in and cause a high-speed water loop.