When it comes to a "freeride" board, the smaller it is, the greater range it will have. With a small board, what you give up is a small amount at the extreme low end, what you gain is a much bigger top end.
Three years ago I bought, on a whim, a small directional board built by veteran Canadian shaper Lee Brittain. It is 4'10" x 18", tri-fin & 3 strap, thin with a pretty flat rocker. Since I bought it, I grew to like it so much, it has been the only board I have been riding - the ultimate in rider simplicity!
It is (just) rideable in 10 knots & in 12 knots can be ridden comfortably upwind (180 lbs). It's top end is pretty much "unlimited". So, it planes pretty early, is very fast, tracks upwind well, carves a beautiful jibe, & with it's small size, is great for jumping. It works well for smaller surf, but when the waves get larger - over 5 or 6 feet - it is a bit fast & squirrely for optimal wave riding. It is, IMO, the perfect "all-round" board.
In my experience, 3 straps makes more sense than 2 straps - it allows you to ride comfortably & trim the board for more power, control & speed, & it is more comfortable for jumping. For this reason, I am very dubious about 2 strap designs like the North Nugget.
I think people need to be realistic that if you are getting a raceboard, or even a larger free-ride board, you are going to gain perhaps 2 - 4 knots on the low end, & better upwind tracking, but you're going to have a board that is definitely less fun to ride as the wind picks up. That is the dilemma - the more extreme the low end, the more you are going to sacrifice at the higher end - which really means anything over 15 knots.
I have been contemplating getting a larger freeride board for low wind "touring", but it's going to be tough to give up the simplicity of a one board quiver, & I'm pretty sure that when I'm out riding, as soon as the wind picks up to 13 or 14 knots, I'm going to want to switch to the smaller board.