Board Thickness: How deep is too deep?

Hey all,

First time poster, long time creeper on here. I just ordered my first custom blank and realized (too late) that my board is incredibly thick (4 1/16 inches). I was hoping to make something with thickness along the lines of 3" but ive heard from friends that planing over half an inch can lead to serious issues with board strength. I know that most of the board strength lies near the top of deck. Can i manage fine with cutting the boord down to 3 (mostly on the bottom of the blank) or will i have to compromise?

Big McThankies