Surfboards and shapers

As I've progressed up the... -- Lines 😉 -- I've also dived into the world of buying surfboards.  99% of surfcraft is advertised as works in anything, turns like a dream, and stable as heck i.e. one board quiver killers.  Personally, I like to know the details, like the rocker, contours, glassing schedule, even the (foam) weight-- I want to be confident that what I'm getting is what I need to invest in.

Would be cool to know how you all approach this- and how you decide on what fits your need, and who you go with. 

Even cooler to know how someone that shapes, like Clayton, cuts through all the noise!