RRD Dynamic SW Alu 1700

Italian wind sports megabrand RRD have released a mind-bogglingly large range of modular cross-discipline hydrofoils this year to cover every aspect of foil sports conceivable. The Dynamic SW 1700 sits as their more performant wing-focused foil with a cross application for paddle in. It comes in three sizes, with a 1400 and 2000 available either side of the middle of the range 1700cm2 we tested.

Fresh out of the box, all the fixings are super sturdy M8, and with absolutely zero movement in the joints. The aluminum top plate is bolted and bonded into the mast permanently. All the fixings are stainless helicoils and getting the foil together is a simple process with the M8 bolts clamping the front wing down tight. The fuselage has had some unique channels cut into its body, and has seen some cunning CNC work to remove material for weight saving without any compromise on strength. There is a range of sizes available, but we tested the longer Universal 76 fuselage.

It is a lean and almost completely flat mid to high aspect front wing with a tiny downward taper in the end of the wingtips. The trailing edge is honed to a fine point and is completely flat, and there is zero noise from the system in the majority of the speed range. It is silent and smooth. If you do manage to stall the front wing, it is a relatively graceful descent. The orange stabilizer has anhedral sweep downwards and is smoothed off and friendly. The lack of flex in the system means your body weight inputs translate well down to the foil and provide a solid feeling.

For its size the 1700 requires a little speed and power to lift, but once going is exceptionally stable and fast in a straight line. It runs very pitch neutral and isn’t the sort of foil that builds front foot pressure at the top of its speed range. It simply ceases to accelerate and provides no unwelcome surprises. Around the corners, the 1700 feels like it is on rails and is predictable and reassuring; the stabilizer does a good job of providing grip. It is great for fast, graceful wide arcing turns and is ideal for learner wingers to learn their foot switches on as the pitch stability is rock solid and forgiving. These characteristics transfer over well to SUP foiling where the solid nature of the system accommodates a big board well, and translates to cruisy longboard style riding with decent speed and glide to link sections and a slow pump rhythm. We would be confident you could tweak this performance up if necessary, with a smaller fuselage and stabilizer which are all available on the modular system.

RRD have delivered a solid foil in the Dynamic SW ALU which has more scope and speed range than many entry-level foils on the market, yet remains very easy to ride, and there is a massive range of options in the RRD system to tweak it to your heart’s content.