I'm a big guy though . . .

I have an 11 ft Thunderbird that is about 63" wide. I think that if I were to go shorter, I would go wider. It seems to me that a longer hammock allows for a narrower hammock and still alleviates calf ridge etc. YMMV , I'm new here, but I love the 11 ft Thunderbird. I also like the fact that its a little more narrow. I can see out better and I don't feel completely swallowed up by all the material in the extra width. Just my two cents.

Dave