I think your on it Dave having the longer board in not so good conditions ,Like a dummy I took my 8,7 loose high rocker placid out in average surf yesterday pretty good size ,but I got lost in the rough and nose dived a few times .My 9,1 acid is way better in mess ,due to the extra length ,I would love to add a 10 footer or 9,5 to my quiver too .The extra length and volume in the nose keeps the board riding high out of the chop making them easier to surf in rubbish days which we get a lot of in winter ,revolution or style would be sweet to have ,style appeals to me more ,as its 30.1/2 wide ,the revo's are 28x 29 wide ,too narrow for me in rough ,