Window Shopping

I'm window shopping surf shops trying to figure out what board I want to add to my quiver. The only new board I bought was my first- a 7'9" Bic Natural Surf which still has its place. In addition to that, I have 3 longboards, a 6' softop for my little grom, a 5'11" thruster, and a 6'8" big boy thruster- all used with most of them coming from yard sales. I enjoy fixing them up and have replaced a glassed in fin (the most technically challenging of my repairs) fixed many a ding, some small scale delams, small patches, and on one did a major rehab that involved adding a full length "patch" to the deck. I also tinkered with graphics and lately have been trying to study up on design since I fully intend to build a board myself (shape and glass) starting this winter. I have some good Aerialite glass and a local source for Teccel blanks. I will write about that project in the future. I like checking out surf shops anyway, so looking at the various boards gives me ideas about what I might buy and/or build. We have great shapers locally and I am considering having one built for me. My 4oth birthday is around the corner and I even have the blessing from the Mrs. (Actually it was her idea!) and I know they could build just what I need even if I don't know really what that might be myself. I know I can stand up on the 7'9" and with a little more volume that length or something in the vicinity might be good in more of a longboard shape. I have seen some really thick 8 footers that interest me. But I also have seen some shorter boards shaped by Will Allison (shaper of two of my longboards and local surfing legend) that have lots of thickness that maybe I can stand up on. Maybe a good fish might be the call? Then I go completely in the other direction to a big, heavy log. Ten feet plus! Maybe even find a vintage board that is still a rider. The longboard association I just joined has an annual contest with both a classic (pre 1968) and supertanker (11" or longer) division and that might be fun to have something that would qualify for those. But gosh, I don't know that I really get everything I can out of the boards I already have! Maybe I should wait til I break one or take more time to ride these and figure out what I want. You might be thinking we should all have this dilemma....