RRD H-Flight and Dolphin1

There are few brands who now don’t have a hydrofoil proposition – RRD have been pretty canny and haven’t rushed into the market, but are now heading in full throttle with the H-Flight Foil and Dolphin1 board.

RRD have opted for the ‘mid-range’ construction option of aluminum mast and full carbon wings and the foil comes in at a smidge under 4kg which is pretty respectable…. The board is very nicely put together, with a composite construction and wood deck and base. It is a nice wide stable platform with plenty of volume and nose rocker to give you time riding the foil without it rising. There is also heaps of adjustability with an adjustable track on the base for attaching the foil, and plenty of strap placement options up top. The whole package is exceptionally well thought out; from the travel bag to the torque bolts that are easy to remove once used (something that all other brands can learn from) the quality is fantastic as is the attention to detail.

On the water the H-Flight and Dolphin1 work in unison with the board which has really been designed with the beginner in mind. The front wing is not an exceptionally high aspect wing but will offer endless amounts of performance unless you are looking to enter the race scene. The H-Flight was well balanced from its first set up but with the option of mast positions you can really fine tune the mast to suit your riding style. With a small amount of back foot pressure, the H-Flight glides into action providing a steady lift at a lower speed which was easy to control, and once up on the foil the balance point between front and back foot is pretty much spot on. We didn’t find the H-flight wanting to break the surface with that terrible foil gurgle, and in a straight line the foil is pretty quick – we were comfortable riding the board at 25mph which felt pretty much like the top end for this foil, but it’s ample. We found during gybes and tacks the Dolphin1 board was a superb platform for getting these dialed and overall the board really built confidence.

In a sentence: We were really impressed with the RRD foil and the thought that has gone into the whole package, and we feel that it will be a real contender when the foiling scene picks up again this summer…