Hey seashell
At the end of the day after checking all the options your going to get what suits you and the places you paddle and surf...having said that, why not drive five minutes up the road and talk to Simon Forward at 4D surfboards in Smithton Grove Industrial Estate...right next door to the car wash.
I have been buying customs off Simon for the last seven years and have never been disappointed...was in the shop yesterday and snapped a few photos of a couple of customs in the rack...check em out
These boards are seriously competitive in price at between fifteen to sixteen hundred depending on length...for to five week turnaround for a custom order and come with full deck grip and rail tape. There is a shop attached to the factory and they can sort you out with anything else you might need from, fins to paddles to board bags...these guys are a class act and are seriously heavy hitters in the Vicco surf scene
Again...its always going to be your call...but why buy a board thats mass produced by the thousands when you could sit down with the shaper...talk about your individual needs...and get a board thats uniquely yours.
Disclaimer: not a sponsored rider...just a seriously happy long term customer
Cheers
Sparx