You likely surfed in front of the Campgrounds...so depending on the swell and tide, Tippers or 85's can be fun or mush. I surf at SuckOuts and Cardiff Reef (AKA South Peak). SuckOuts can get gnarly on low tide, but most of the time is fairly soft. South Peak is soft, unless it's really macking. So yes, it's a bit more foam that "normal" for my weight but I need it for the wave and to compete with the crowd. Plus, I ride midlengths a lot, so the transition is easier.That seems like a lot of foam for your weight. I’m close to your age, height & weight (51, 6’, 165 lbs.) and if I were to get one, I’d probably be looking at the 5’5 again (I had one in 96).
Is Cardiff that soft? I don’t surf down there that often, but I did during the last Camp Shred. I was grabbing pretty standard HPSB’s to demo and most felt pretty good in my normal 27-28L range.