Good stuff Prem1x, thanks. I am working on a list/rant of my fixes & suggestions. I'll try to catch anything you might have overlooked too...
EDIT: I will add my $0.02 now...
The major problem with the octane is not the hull design! I know nobody will believe me on this but I have now found it to be true!!. The biggest problem is WEIGHT - in several places... hull, engine, crank/flywheel & pump. And believe it or not, lack of weight in the hood - yep too light, affects handling too.
In 2001 I rode one of the Prototype Octanes in Havasu. I was totally impressed at the time. However when I received my Octane in '02, it handled nothing like the prototypes I had rode. Been trying to figure it out ever since...
So, the hull weighs a ton and combine that with the waterlogging that occurs and it weighs more. The pump is 100% stainless steel (not SS pressed into aluminum), very heavy. The crank and flywheel are very massive and therefore the engine doesnt spool up fast. But more importantly, it does not SLOW DOWN fast either. I believe this MORE THAN ANYTHING compounds the handling problems of the Octane. With a SJ, you chop the throttle and the engine slows down quick, slowing the ski and planting the nose, then you can turn it. The Octane on the other hand keeps on spinning the pump for quite a while, pushing you forward. And sice the hull does not lean or carve (more on this later) you are fighting the hull to make it turn, waiting for it to slow down. Now, add to that the massive weight of the entire ski and the momentum involved and you have a missle that likes to go straight and not stop!!!
Now, we have all heard that Octanes "do not turn" and do not lean/carve. I believe this is also mostly a weight issue. My lighweight Octane hull leans and carves ALMOST like a SJ. With all the weight mentioned, the hull rides low in the water until higher speeds. This increases the wetted surface area of the hull and puts alot more pressure on the very wide bond flange. The bond flange acts like training wheels keeping the ski flat whenever the (heavy) ass-end drops. hence the cutouts to reduce lift and drag in the rear corners.
One other issue that most people dont know about is that the entire driveline is tilted at a greater angle than a SJ. Essintially angling the pump downward which pushes the nose of the ski down (see wetted surface above). this was done to accomodate the Polaris engine which could not be mounted as deeply in the hull (at least not with the bedplate they designed). A trim nozzle setup greatly helps free up the nose. Although a pump wedge would work too for a fixed setup - but I dont know of any available.
Hood - ask any SJ racer from back in the day, and they will tell you that a lightweight race hood on their SJ made it harder to lean in the corners, and negatively affected handling. Same problem with the Octane, the hood is super light (and flimsy) compared to the heavy hull and motor. Having more weight up high gives a pendulum effect allowing the ski to roll more side-to-side. Now I would never add weight to my hood for freeriding, but for better "race handling" a heavy hood should help.
All of this was just a theory in my head until it was proven by my lightweight, Yamaha powered Octane hull! With the weight gone and an engine that has snappy throttle response the Octane hull handles like a dream. It is like a super-stable SJ hull. It rips corners, leans over almost as far as an SJ and jumps out of the water at will!!!
I know there is more to it & I will add more to this thread as I think of it...
