RRD Twin Fin FireRide Boards

Check out this recent test and video of the FireRide Twin.

Why Twinzers?

Despite shorter lengths, the two fins still handle a great amount of lateral pressure that's closer to the board, and, compared to single-fin boards, can handle larger sails. Benefit: More control!

Because shorter fins create less lift, the foot straps can be positioned closer to the center-line, and the sailor, when speeding along, does not need to put as much pressure on the rail. Benefit: More relaxed sailing, easier jibe initiation and less strain on the ankles and feet. There's plenty of lateral resistance for planing and up-wind performance but it's closer to the board so the board naturally rides flatter.

TWINZER-fins are considerably shorter than single-fin boards with a comparable volume. Benefit: Very suitable for shallow water, easier beach starts close to the shore.

The fins RRD uses are fast, plane early and they provide excellent upwind performance. There are no performance drawbacks.

They are uniquely suited to shallow water sailing, the two fins create a stable platform for cruising and the shorter fin length reduces the turning radius of the boards. RRD is already known for its ability to insert a generous amount of controlability and carving ability, even in their bigger boards, but these boards take that one step further with improved bite in rougher water.

You can try these twin fin boards at Boardsports in San Mateo, CA, Bonaire Windsurf Place in Bonaire, Ventana Windsports in La Ventana, Baja, Mexico and Worldwinds in Corpus Christi, Texas.

The FireRide boards now come standard with MFC FreeWave fins. In the bigger sizes the FreeWave fins are straighter and thinner and designed for better speed and up-wind ability. They have a lot of surface area for their length so thanks to these fins the boards plane up early, are fast but the short length and swept back tip help make these boards some of the most maneuverable and livey but also contolable boards in their size range. The 135 comes with 2 x 29cm and the 155 with 2 x 31.

If your sailing area requires weed fins, you will obviously need two for these boards, but you'll again be able to get away with much smaller fins. Two maller weedfins mean the lateral resistance is not brought back as far as with one longer weed fin so the boards will feel and behave more like boards with regular fins.

The Freestyle Wave 115 Twin is a great choice for anyone looking for a versatile, forgiving, maneuver oriented freeride board or even an over-sized freestyle board. I won't claim it will break speed records but it's by no means slow, it planes well, goes upwind effortlesly and most definitely maximizes the fun factor. It also works well as a floaty wave board for light wind areas or heavy weights (if the RRD WaveCult 100 is not quite big enough).

The FireRide Twinzers are available in 135 and 155L. Note the many footstrap options on these boards!

All three boards are produced in the durable but surprisingly light W-Tech construction also used on the standard FireRide, the FireStorm and the FireRace free-race boards.
EPS/HD Glass/Wood sandwich skin on top and bottom with a Glass crossed fibres laminated in Single Shot moulding process.

Here's a video Andy from Wind NC in Cape Hatteras made of the FireRide 155 twin fin.

 

If you're wondering how they would work with weed fins:
A very happy RRD customer sent me these pictures of the RRD FireRide 135 twin with weed fins.



Here are his comments after his first session with 24cm weed fins:
"Got the fins today, and it was just in time for a great low-tide session with floating eel-grass outside and weed forests inside. I just flew through all this crap like it was not there, much unlike my last 4 sessions with the standard fins. It felt good :)

I was mostly overpowered (155lb on a 6.6 with 25mph gusts), and the WSW wind brought us some nasty voodoo chop, yet I didn't even spin out once. I even tried just for fun, couldn't do it.

Upwind ability was good (at least in planing condition, I didn't get to shlog) and I was able to point up as well as the standard fins. Speed was great too, in any reach. I clocked an easy 26.1 mph and I'm not completely dialed yet (still getting my bearings on the board, this is my first short fatty, so footstraps inboard and forward). I'm eager to find out how the fins will behave in marginal wind with my 7.7, but I'm not worried and am sure they'll allow for early planing. "



And after a few more sessions:
"I've had 5 sessions with the weed fins so far and am still delighted, even with my 7.7 in OP'ed gusts they behaved great, athough I did spin out twice on chop-hop re-entry (likely due to poor technique) but both times it was barely noticeable, i.e. the fins grabbed back in a fraction of a second without action on my part. I think this twin-fin design makes it virtually impossible to fall from a spin-out, because once you get the feeling a spin-out might be in progress, it's already recovered, recovery seems automatic.

As far as early planning potential, I wouldn't know how to compare the weed fins to the standard pointer fins but I think that if there is a difference, it's minimal (I have not felt "hey, I should be planning by now" and at least I have not had to look back to see if I was trailing some weeds)."

The following two images courtesy of Bonaire Windsurf Place & photographer and talented RRD rider Hylke Bakker (look him up on Continent Seven):

 

 

FireRide

 

Freestyle Wave 115