Hybrid funboard to short(er) board transition???

[shablagoo]

I'm new to surfing (about 1 year), but in the last 2 months the addiction has really got me...3-5 days/week (after work and weekends), usually 2-3 hour sessions. Current board is a 6'9" x 21" x 2-3/4" hybrid (pointy nose, full in the middle, rounded pintail, thruster). I'm 5'9", 160 lb (1.75m, 72.5kg).

This board was well beyond my skill level when I stubbornly got it (after 2 months on a foamie), but something clicked and I finally got a hang of it over the summer...more confident popups (no knees), transferring weight back-front (no sideways pumping though) to generate speed, gettin real low, carving long arcs. Local surf is usually small and mushy, knee high, occasionally chest high.

Sooo, I'm wondering how much farther I can push the board given my size, its size, and the local surf. I have been tempted to get a shorter board so I can learn to maneuver quicker on it -- maybe something in the 6' - 6'4" range, 20"+ wide, fullish in the mid-section, fishy tail. But is it too soon? Should I be able to pull of sharp cutbacks, etc. on my current board first?

Additionally, my board has been getting dinged pretty regularly, so it might be nice to have a second board to take out instead of sitting on the patio waiting for multiple curing stages -- filler, sanding, glass+resin, sanding, more resin...

**In particular, there is a Channel Islands Pod-style board in great condition, that I could get used for a steal. 6'0" x 20.5" x 2.5" quad-fin. Versatility is a plus, and I hear this type of board handles well in small mush to HH surf.

Thoughts? Thanks in advance to those with constructive feedback. Haters go ahead and hate, I'll take 0% of your input.

[tony g]

Hello shablagoo,
It is very hard to judge someones skill level on a forum. It sounds like you are progressing and putting lots of time in though, and that is definitely a plus. The shorter board will be a little more difficult to catch waves on, but the Channel Islands Pod does have a fuller outline and works really well in the kind of surf you described. I have a similar board and I love it. The only way to know for sure is to try it out and see how you do. If that is not possible I would probably purchase it since you are getting a great deal. If it is too difficult you can always fall back on your 6'9"
Good Luck!