RRD Wavecult 75

“The best board for getting big jumps on”

“A really good, fun board to sail”

“Sits and tracks so well, with a superb locked in feel for bump and jump etc”

“Smooth through the turns, but not in the league of the twin fins for tightness”

Last year RRD had two single fin wave ranges - the HCW and Wave Cult. This year the HCW is offered only in the smaller sizes (sub 75 litres) and the Wave Cult in the bigger sizes (75 and above).  The 75 Wave Cult tested here has been designed to maintain the easy-going characteristics of last years Cult, but incorporates some of the characteristics of the HCW to sharpen up the performance a little.

As a single fin wave board, the RRD definitely hits the spot. It is the nicest board in this group for straight line performance and jumping. It feels very fast, locked down, balanced and directional in a straight line. It's an easy board to go fast on. After sailing the twin fins, you get on the RRD and instantly feel the extra acceleration and drive from the fin - more so than you do on any of the other single fin boards.

This speed is fantastic for jumping and general bump and jump sailing. It’s the best board in this group for boosting big airs on thanks to a combination of speed and directional stability, which makes lining up with the biggest ramps an ease. It also has good release off the wave and seems to generate good lift in the air.

On the wave, the RRD has a very grippy and smooth bottom turn. The top turn is also good, but like we have found with the other single fins in this test, not in the same league as twin fins for turn tightness or control in the slide.

That said, it’s a pretty good board for intermediate and progressing riders who will find it maintains speed fairly well through the turn and is fairly tolerant of different turning styles or unrefined technique. It's not quite as tight turning and ‘radical’ in feel as the Tabou, but is probably a little easier going for less experienced riders.

In side-off conditions, the RRD is fast and grippy enough to be competent in all conditions, but it's not really what this board is about. If you want a board for side-shore riding, then you should probably look at the RRD Twin fin which will be a lot looser on the wave face.

The Wave Cult definitely felt on the small side within this group. Our 80kg Clones were happy using this board down to 3.7m sails, but wouldn't want to push much over 5.0m on it.

The DaKine straps were, as always, very comfortable and the pads grippy and suitably cushioned. The lack of graphics on the pads and the paint job, does make the board look a bit ‘budget’ compared with other RRDs we have had, but this is reflected in the pricing.

Summary

'Fun' is probably the best word to describe this board. It’s not especially radical on the wave face, but it's comfortable, easy to sail and great for jumping and general Bump & Jump sailing. The Wave Cult is the board in this test for boosting the biggest jumps on thanks to its speed, directional feel and control.