Hi fogo,
A lot of the answer you're seeking is in the details.
Most important details are :
Experience - The difference in size is massively affected by your skill. A skilled rider can ride a board thats volume is equal to the rider weight or even less.
At 92 kilos I was able to paddle the new 7'11" and catch a wave where it was wicked, but would I choose to buy one for myself? Hell no! I like something a little easier so would choose an 8'11". Although I could ride a 7'11" or even an 8'5", the 8'11" gives me a paddling advantage and makes sure I get most of the waves I am paddling for. The surf is usually pretty crap where I surf so I foresake the performance of a smaller board for paddle and take off power.
Weight - Body weight determines how deep the board sits in the water and how east it is to get onto a wave as well as how it paddles in the flat water. At 92 kilos, I sit high and dry on a 9'5" but turning requires effort and skill, on the 7'11" I have most of the board under water which makes trim critical when balancing.
Fitness - If you are fit and dextrous, you can get away with a smaller board than if you're unfit or overweight. The width of the Allwaves makes balance pretty easy to get power down. If you are strong fit and have good balance, you can exert more power on take off making getting on the wave easier. Bigger boards where you float higher in the water means less effort in paddling.
Wave type - The Allwave is designed for mushy, full waves firstly and good waves secondly. A larger board will make catching a slower wave more possible. A steeper more critical wave will be better with a shorter board as the distance from balance point to tail pad and balance point to nose is closer meaning it's much easier to get the nose up and get onto the tail pad where the Allwaves come alive.
More info and we can offer more precise advice.
DM
