Hi Slab
Just to clarify at the beginning I am NOT A STARBOARD TEAM RIDER however I do have a financial interest in SUP as an accredited SUP school owner/operator as well as selling SUP boards and accessories.
My warehouse/shop currently has in stock boards from Naish, Starboard, Smik, and a few other smaller brands.
Most of the time I ride a Naish 2016 8'6 x 28 GTW in the surf, when teaching SUP on Port Phillip Bay (flat water location in Victoria) I will basically ride anything that is available in our fleet.
I like standard design SUP's as well as alternate design perspective shapes and was drawn to the Nut concept on first seeing the Nut in a brochure and looking into the history of this board. The 9' Nut was my favourite ride for a long time until I sold it on.
Tom Morey was one of the first designers to release a mid sidecut rail board he called the swizzle stick in the 1960's.
Below is an American Soldier in Vietnam with his home made jungle swizzle, this board design looks ready to Stand Up Paddle Surf.
" Tom Luker (pictured whilst still serving in the Vietnam war) found out about the shortboard revolution through SURFER Magazine and cut a 9'6" down to an 8 foot jungle swizzle stick."
Link to blog for this pic
theelectricsunshine.blogspot.com.au/2013_06_01_archive.html

Below is a clip I made on the 10' Nut last year, my wife has the 9'8 Element in Carbon and I have surfed this board a few times, they are very different in design and performance.
In my opinion the Element has finer rails and would suit high performance waves for a heavy set person or small waves for a light weight person starting out in the surf.
10' Nut described in my light hearted clip.
Regards Jack