This is interesting. I'm currently considering doing the exact opposite, get a bigger board. Years ago I gradually worked my way up from 7,62 to 8" over a few years. Pretty much the last 8 years i've been going back and forth between 8" and 8,125, which is where I'm currently at. And it feels great. I'm 5' 10" with 9,5 feet.
The thing is, I have never ridden a bigger board (apart from the old school days when I first started). I've noticed that my skating has become more simple, been trying to skate more tranny and I barely do any flip tricks anymore. I can do my few heelflips that I still regularly do on any fucking cruise ship, so that's not an issue.
I'm thinking of getting an 8,5 with 149 Thunders, just to see how that feels and maybe get a new boost for skating in general. Seems like most pros ride big boards, even though a lot them are small guys.