Advice on different board shapes

[jb987]

I have seen some very general information on how some different board shapes change the way the surfboard handles. Where can I get more detailed information, or who knows about how changes in the shape will change the way the surfboard works? I was thinking about getting a faster board, that planes quickly, catches small waves easily but still surfs most waves, that turns easily, and that paddles quick or glides smooth and is less likely to nose dive. What are the shapes on the board that will make each of these happen?

The other things that I wanted to know about was what difference does it make if the bottom of the board is flat and the top in inverted vee, versus if the bottom is a vee and the top is flat?

When a board is said to have a single to double channel, how deep are these channels, and do they start from the center and go to the tail? How wide are these channels? What about for a double channel? What difference does it make on whether you have a single channel or a single to double or a double channel?

For the bottom of the board, what difference does it make if you have a convex or concave bottom? It is concave, is the entire bottom usually concave? If the bottom is concave doesn't it leave thick edges near the rails, and a thin part near the stringer?