Decisions, decisions....short or not

[stoneaxe]

I think I'll have enough pennies saved for a new board for fall. Trying to decide on where to go.
Short?...I already absolutely love my South County 9er and I'm not so sure I could get more performance going shorter but i'm intrigued at the thought of an 8'er.
Longer?...I have a gap in my quiver that I'd love to fill. A 11' + cruiser that also surfs. I sold an 11-2 Starboard Blend that I miss. maybe just replace it, also thinking Coreban cruiser, or Angulo 11-11. The 11-11 prototype was my absolute favorite at the board and paddle showcase in 2008 but I haven't compared it to newer designs.
Long...flatwater racer, 14' maybe even go unlimited at 16 or 17. Then there is the Foote Maliko 14. Just something magical about how it felt and I never even had a chance to go downwind on it.
Budget is going to be somewhat of an issue. Not sure I'll have the scratch to go long. I'm likely to go with the 11' filler. Most versatile of the bunch and likely to get the most use.

[beached]

hey stoneaxe, if you decide to go shorter and want to sell your 9er, let me know. i'd buy it in a flash. i'm on the cape as well.

[stoneaxe]

Sorry beached...I'll never sell the 9er...

I'm hoping I can demo some. I'll know it when I feel it.

[DavidJohn]

IMO.. Not.. 

DJ

[Ake G]

Might possibly be selling my Starboard 8'10" WP soon (got a custom simsup on the way).

Don't know if that's too close to the 9er for you but would consider cash + a Ke Nalu dee-luxe.....

[raf]

Custom 8-6ish x 31.5ish!  I know a guy in Maine who makes em now

[tautologies]

Personally I could not even imagine wanting to take out an 11ft board for surfing.

I use the 9'0'' hokua most of the time. I can catch anything from ankle snappers to bigger waves on it. Always fun.

I also have a 7'8'' Hokua. It needs cleaner surf for me (195-190lb), less bumps, but insane fun when the conditions are right.

I would definitely go smaller. The ideal float is when most of the board is sunk....then you finally achieve neutral buoyancy ;-)

[csx355]

Personally I think it's all about optimisation. Like most here I started long - 11' Jimmy and progressed through an obscene amount of boards all getting shorter and shorter. All had their merits and drawbacks. Currently I surf just three boards regularly, my 9'3 Naish Hokua, (which I prefer to my 9'0 Hokua and my 9'0 Mana),  a custom DW 7'10, and my travel ULI Munoz 8'11. For me my 9'3 is the optimum board. It's the perfect application of the old 80/20 rule, that is it gives me most of what I want most of the time.

The DW is brilliant on smaller waves, up to chest high but for me it is slower to paddle to shifting peaks and requires just a bit more 'work' to catch waves, so although it allows me to get more out of less waves I feel that I catch fewer waves on it. So for me my optimum board is the 9'3. No wave limits, fast between the peaks resulting in more waves caught, easy to paddle in, stable and loose. But that's just me.

[SlatchJim]

It depends on how you see yourself.  The 9 footer is really a pretty small board (well, for me it is) and it's a surf-first board.  I personally went the other way, looking for length, glide, speed.  I'm sure if I was 25 years old and 200 pounds, I'd probably be going shorter.  A friend I see at Doho all the time stepped up from a (SoCo) Chunky to something noticably longer and his wave count and surf fun went way up. 

[Caribsurf]

I think I  would go longer if I were you.  9 ft is small enough unless you live somewhere with many days of perfect surf.  I too am thinking of  going sub 9'. Sure it will rip when the conditions are right, but I am worried about those long lulls, or choppy days and wondering if I will enjoy myself as much as I do my 9' and longer boards. 

While I surf mainly a 9' and 9'6", some days I take out my old 11'2" Blend and have a blast.  It reminds me of why I fell in love with this sport.  Nothing like some good glide and catching waves  that are a long way from breaking.

[sup_surf_giant]

Personally I could not even imagine wanting to take out an 11ft board for surfing.

I'm with You. Once I catch the wave I want a shortboard...period. 

My current/only board is 9'6 with a pulled in nose....it jumps between peaks well and paddles into most anything...but must be ridden like a longboard to get it to come alive.

This is why I have an 8'6 on order.

In time I'll have the conundrum of the OP and will likely go towards a pure race SUP.

[stoneaxe]

The thing is that the 9 still has a lot more performance in it than I can get out yet. It isn't the board that is the limiting factor. I'm also still hovering around 270 or so. That changes things. I don't know how big you guys are but an 11'er might feel too big to someone at 180 but I know I can still have a lot of fun on a board that size. There are days when I feel like getting in early and  cruising longboard style.
As Carib mentioned conditions are part of the equation too. There are a lot of days here when the 9 is the wrong board, it would be even moreso going shorter. I usually carry two boards all the time. Along with the 9er I've been taking my 12-6 which doesn't surf for crap anymore (too heavy after the fix). My 10-6 I need glass to use. I really need the filler board more than anything else right now to maximize use/fun.
I think I've talked myself into what I want. Now I just need to figure the board.

[maxsonic]

Personally I think it's all about optimisation. Like most here I started long - 11' Jimmy and progressed through an obscene amount of boards all getting shorter and shorter. All had their merits and drawbacks. Currently I surf just three boards regularly, my 9'3 Naish Hokua, (which I prefer to my 9'0 Hokua and my 9'0 Mana),  a custom DW 7'10, and my travel ULI Munoz 8'11. For me my 9'3 is the optimum board. It's the perfect application of the old 80/20 rule, that is it gives me most of what I want most of the time.

Robby Naish agrees with you on the Hokua as being a great all around board, and there is a lot to be said for that!

[supthecreek]

Long AND Short may be the correct answer... IMHO:D

Short is a quest we all have for performance... but there's a trade off.
Long will ALWAYS maintain a strong presence in SUP... it offers so much of why we love it.

It's they way you go Short and Long that makes the difference
Everyday EACH is made better... construction, bottom and rail contours... it's like a candy store now... so much GOOD new stuff is being tried and perfected.

I just got my 9'6 Allwave. It surfs much shorter than my 9' performance prone longboards.
I haven't had it in many good waves yet, but I think I will be happy with it as my "Short Board"....Very snappy, it feels like everything works!

SO... I am already thinking about longer.... also
I want to replace my 11'2 Avanti with something much lighter and more agile for smaller days.

It seems like you are pretty happy on the "Short" side
and have more reasons to find the next "Longer" model.
BUT... don't wait till fall... get it NOW... clean little summer waves are the MO for the next 4 months....

I don't think you have to go 11' to achieve the cruiser feeling with all the advances in board design... you will be able to find a surf/cruiser that does both well... a good place to start may be the Coreban EZ 10... LOTS of great boards to consider.

researching a new SUP is half the fun 

[surfcowboy]

I'd also like to pitch in a little about rocker. Depending on your wave, I'm finding rocker is a huge variable.

My 8'0" Vibe paddles like a boogie board but can fit into LA beachbreak really well.

I'm on a rented Blue Planet Octane @ 8'8" here in Waikiki and the lower rocker is showing me how much it affects glide.

As was said, it's all about your day to day wave.