Are you a mechanic, doing any of this build yourself ?

Yes, dry is quite a bit louder, at idle but especially when under a load. Dry exhaust gets a lot of attention - and most of it not positive.

Yes doing all besides machine work to the engine myself.

That's my fear as I am on a small lake with A LOT of complainers. Its a lot NYC vacation homes around the lake and well I think that's enough said!!!!!

I had my gen6 502 mag mpi redone. It’s a carbed 540 now. I re used my closed cooling system and am running dart pro 1 heads. I would 100 percent do it again.

This build has been done many times. No need to reinvent the wheel, take a look at 502 MPI upgrade results. Very simple.

EFI technology has come along way since 2016 though and I assume cam profiles have too. Maybe not but that's what I am trying to learn via you guys here and internet searches. I want to do this once the best way I can. I know new EFI systems and LS engines with turbos in cars very well but not the do's and don'ts in boats LOL.

https://www.speedonthewater.com/maki...m-stock-power/

Most 112-114 LSA should be fine with wet exhaust. Dry is WAY louder. Going with too much cam will make the engine lazy in the low/midrange and you will need to spin the engine at 6000+ rpms to make your power.
Something close to a 525EFI cam should work well

EFI is great, more tunable, but also more expensive than a carb. To get the full effects of the efi you need a cam sensor, a crank sensor and a wide band O2. Your current manifold could be modified for normal injectors and #7 can be opened up to work like the rest of them. You can run dual fuel lines in the back with a crossover to a regulator in the front with a return line. Easier would be a new manifold, 1300 or so cfm throttle body, fuel rails, injectors and regulator along with the electronics. Cam depends on what heads, intake and exhaust you decide to run.