For years my 18 has beat the piss outta me in all but the smoothest water. I added a hokey little piece of aluminum under the bowl a few years ago and it helped just a tad, but not really. We were going to a big meet up here at Potholes res. for Labor day and I remembered the beating it/we took there last time. Then I saw the new rideplate Jetboy put on his Jacuzzi, why couldn't I do something like that? I went outside and found a chunk of aluminum a buddie had bent up for me as a tank test pattern last year. I cut the sides down and bolted it onto my existing mini plate.
http://home1.gte.net/res09phe/rideplate.jpg
I think it's set around 1-2* down. We got over there Friday afternoon and put it in. It made a huge difference! Now the nose just floats back down where it used to crash. We even hit some real rough stuff coming back from the beach Fri night and I could take it at almost WOT. After all these years it's an awesome change, best thing I've ever done to it! Only negative is it's so long reverse is all but gone, but I can live with it.