I'm in the plummet camp and ride the cardboard wave he has been talking about. I am also about to get a new mako king for light winds. I also use a shinn monk( now that board is a fucking modern miracle) for big boosting f*** off sessions which goes well for heel side carves in the surf. Now and then I take my actual SB out a Murray bourbon custom designed quad.
Have tried really hard to like surfboards, over the west coast of Australia 90 percent of crew ( and that's probably an underestimation) ride SBs now, when there are waves are generally in the metro area where it is shitty crap onshore slop.
So I have had a bundle of production SBs, ridden plenty. Just like the feel of a rail, don't like a board driven by fins. But if do enjoy hitting the surf strapless when it is on, which is a
Rare.
But the TT, mutant feel is not the same as a SB on a wave, but its a compromise I'm willing to make to have way more fun. Honestly sometimes I'm out there on a day with little waves watching SBs go back and forth and almost put them in the windsurfer camp, almost.
But when it is on, the SBs do shine, they have the speed to bottom turn and get much more vertical on the face to cut back. There are some fantastic riders that I love to watch after my session.
Horses for courses, I love to boost big chuck in a rotation, loop board off or two ( old school shit), then ride back in on a wave. More than that I like the feel of padding underneath me feet and a more centred stance and feel of a tight rail biting in against the kite.
I know mark shinn is working on a small high performance SB that is more rail driven, I'm looking out for that one.
Be nice though to have one board, strapless that you surf on as well. Nice and simple.
Modern mutants can be a shit load of fun, some of you should, try them again, they have come a long way!