For any one who is familiar with the RRD range will know they have all ways spent lots of time and attention on developing wave specific kites and kite boards. For 2010 there has been no change with the brand coming up with three wave-specific directionals, and one hybrid style twin tip, designed around hitting lips of waves and slashing them up, but also some thing with a flat rocker that has bags of pop for those flat water days.To make all of this possible RRD have had to come up with a pretty special bolt on tip design. With the tips bolted down you have a 142x42 board with shed loads of kick in the tips to make the most extreme of carves down large waves possible without sinking or catching the nose. Yet with the bolt on tips off you are left with a flat wide 130x42 for loading and popping. The RRD Venom board comes with RRD's screwdriver less straps and 5cm fiber class fins.
On The Water
With or without the tips screwed in, the Venom gets planning very early and fells like it wants to screw is self as far up wind as possible. You really can take a smaller kite out than you can with any other twin tip of its dimensions, head out the back and find waves to ride using little power from the kite and enjoy a smaller kites turning speed.
Obviously this twin tip will never use the power of the wave as well as a directional, but it responds like no other kite board made to ride waves, as soon as you push from one rail to the other the board really snaps into action. Carving is less stable than a directional but the large bolt on tips allows you get away with some ballsy caves for a twin tip. The tips fell don’t even catch when you chuck in some pretty ruthless turns.
Hitting some flat water with the Venom without the tips was fun and the board performs well as a freestyle machine. Sometimes just a little more rocker would be nice to punch through any chop that is around. The rails don’t lock and bite as well as a dedicated freestyle board, but if they did it wouldn’t surf as well as it does.
Pros
The perfect two-in-one board, if you are headed on a holiday with waves and flat water and don’t want to take two kiteboards then the Venom could be for you.
Cons
This kiteboard obviously doesn’t work as well as keeping two boards in your quiver, but does an impressive job covering both disciplines.
Overall
A well made, pretty board from RRD that you can turn up to any beach with any conditions and have confidence you are going to have fun.Overpowered or underpowered the board just works and for a twin tip you can draw some pretty impressive lines in those waves.
Original review from our friends at IKSurfmag