Booties definately serve their purpose around coral reef situations and cold , hard to get used to though, I've had to wear them in Indo (Gland) a few times 'pain in the arse' they feel terrible unless super snug (when wet) because your foot moves around in them

And if they're really tight then they cut circulation.
We resorted to putting a panel in our rashies so once out in the surf take the wretched things off and slip them down the back, like taking your socks off after a hard days work. aahhh !! thats better !
The five fingers may keep your toes from moving But I found that if your heel moves around then it feels really gammy, so foot size to bootie size for max performance and comfort is a big factor.
It may be a shame to cover some of that beautiful wood veneer but that board is built to surf so I'm with Brooko "grip that sucker" and surf the crap out of it like its begging you to do Ollie . Once you've had good grip wax is a mere bad memory.