Well I just had to have a go today, even though it was basically flat. This is my new weapon.
I was amazed how good it felt, I have ridden the 11ft 4in a few times now in shoulder high waves and I am extremely happy with it, it surfs heaps better than my old 11ft 6in. The 9ft 6in is a completely different animal, Yes it is tippier, but I was suprised how manageable it was as I am 95kg plus lots of rubber! It handles a dream and I was suprised it was not a lot harder to get on the waves than the bigger board, yes, I will have to concentrate more, but OMG once you ride a wave on it theirs no going back its like my 6'8" with a paddle! Opens up a whole new world.
