Only a floater will let you pick it up of the water and readjust it. New England surf deals with fish feeding right in the white water. One second there is dry land then next there are feeding fish coming with the waves. It is hard to control any type of sinking line when the waves have their way with it. You can't pick them up over a wave.

There are a lot of tradidtional techniques that Mr. Abrames utilizes that can't be accomplished with anything but a floater. It is all about line control, not just sling and zing.

As far a fishing paralell verses perpendicular, stripers move along beaches in the beach break. The longer you can keep your fly in it the more likely you will come across a fish.