I surfed a old school single that was 7'5 in some.dirty sand banked beachies...the ones where ya had to pick your waves or you got some underwater cartwheel lessons. I loved it and am now going to get a more refined one made.
I got some.nice ones on my shorty,yet I got on this big girl, and wow. Gave me a super easy paddle with all the water movement going on. Got me into the waves really nice,and the single just did its own thing after the bottom turn. No.slipping either as it had a big old flex fin it.
My one will not be so.wide under the chest and will have a more modern bottom. I thought of going shorter,but canned that idea after the above mentioned reasons. On beachies like that I just want to get on them,generally beat that first section,or just tuck in hopefully

no top to bottom surfing from me.
Oh I would no.way get a anything but a pin or a rounded pin