
Originally Posted by
viajerodevida
I demoed a 7'6 Huevo thruster and a 5'6 Fark quad from Patagonia's Cardiff, CA store and didn't stop drooling for days. I did 4 sessions over a few days on both boards. The guys in the store were super helpful and it might be worth your time to call them (or FCD directly) and describe your current boards and what you're looking to get out of the new board.
I set out looking for a eggy shaped board that could rip in the right conditions and although the 7'6 was a little too big for what I wanted (it was all they had to demo -- which is FREE by the way), it was a dream to ride at both reef breaks like Swami's and beach breaks farther up the coast. The Fark (or maybe it was just me) seemed to struggle in waist-high and smaller waves but I could feel it's potential in larger surf.
I ended up picking the middle ground between the 7'6 and the Fark -- a 6'6 Huevo quad. I think the board would work very well as a thruster, but I really liked the feel of the quad and I wanted something to complement my other boards.
I ride the 6'6 in NY in the fall and winter and it's fast enough to make some beach break sections that I couldn't on my other 6'0 and 7'2 thrusters, but I found that the stock fins were just a tad too small for how I surfed (I'm 5'10 @170 and could easily get the tail to slide) but a larger set makes the board perfect. Or at least nearly perfect. The board's shape could definitely be altered a bit for East coast waves, but you won't be disappointed with the Huevo.
I also like the feel of the lightweight but strong, extruded polystyrene foam that FCD uses. The guys in the store warned about delamination if the board were to be left in a hot car, but I've never done that with any of my boards. Yet.
They're a little pricey, but if you have the cash that's the last thing you'll think about after you ride one. The Huevo is a solid board that has worked very well for me in mushy stomach-high beach break to solid overhead hurricane swell. I've also taken it out in wast-high and smaller surf a few times, but generally prefer to ride something else in those conditions. It's durability makes it a great option for a travel board, but I would flip out if an airline ever lost or damaged it.