This photo pretty much sums up why length is so key at San Onofre.

When choosing a board for catching soft waves, extra foam helps but at a certain point, you simply cannot replace the glide that length provides. 

On a typical day at Sano, it's not uncommon to see a lineup full of 9'6 - 10'0+ boards, and that's not a coincidence.  Even the beefiest 7'6 has a near impossible time competing for wave-catching at a wave like this.

photo: @jeffrey_allee