INBOUND: RRD BELUGA FL Silver Line
The new “Full Length” Beluga has arrived from the RRD team, with a clear mission and a few different constructions. We honed in on the silver, and went looking for the full background…
What was the brief when developing this board? Who was the rider you had in mind?
Roberto Ricci shaped the Beluga FL with a very specific rider in mind: the parawing downwind specialist who wants to harvest swell energy and ocean bumps with the least possible effort from their equipment. The design brief called for a board that would work equally well with a wing, pocket wing, paddle, or e-foil assist – a genuine multi-tool for riders who prioritize time on the water over any single discipline. Baptiste Cloarec and Aaron Fryer handled testing duties, and their feedback drove the refinement of the outline, rails, and kicktail geometry toward the core goal: smooth, effortless rides over swells and ocean energy.
It’s designed for glide, efficiency, and flow. How does the Silver Line construction specifically enhance those characteristics?
The Silver Line is built around a precision-molded Super EPS core at 18kg/m³ – lighter than the Orange Line's 20kg/m³ core – which directly reduces the energy required to get the board planing and keep it there. Less mass means faster reaction to subtle rider input, so catching a bump or redirecting on a swell happens instinctively rather than through effort. The Hexagonal Innegra Carbon deck at 176g/m² manages flex in a way that stores and returns energy rather than absorbing it; that return is what riders feel as flow. The S-Glass bottom with lower resin content keeps weight to a minimum while delivering the controlled flex needed at speed.
This construction is pitched toward the pro level. Could newcomers to the sport enjoy it too?
Absolutely – and we'd actually encourage it. The Silver Line's responsiveness means it rewards you faster. Every correct weight shift, every good rail engagement, every well-timed pump gets amplified back into the ride. That's not just a pro-level benefit; that's a learning accelerator. A newcomer who comes from surfing, snowboarding, or any other board sport will feel the difference immediately – the board communicates, it gives you feedback, it makes you better quicker. Even a complete beginner will find that the Silver Line's precision creates a sense of confidence and connection underfoot that a softer, more muted construction simply can't match.
At the core is the Super EPS. What advantages does this molding process give you over traditional shaping methods?
RRD's exclusive molding technology delivers three things hand-shaping cannot match at scale: accurate shapes, lower weight, and controlled flex. Every board that leaves the mold shares precisely the same rocker line, core profile, and weight distribution. On a board designed around specific hydrodynamic behavior like the Beluga FL, that consistency is non-negotiable – a rocker variance of even a few millimeters shifts glide characteristics meaningfully. Beyond repeatability, molded Super EPS is significantly lighter than traditional polyurethane blanks while maintaining the compression strength needed under foot pressure, giving you a livelier, more buoyant platform that demands less wind to get moving.
You mentioned the deck, which uses a hexagonal Innegra Carbon fabric. How do those two materials complement each other?
Carbon delivers stiffness and strength-to-weight that no other fiber matches here. Innegra – a high-tenacity polypropylene-based fiber – brings superior impact resistance and damping that carbon alone lacks. On the Silver Line, the Innegra side of the 176g/m² fabric faces outward, making impact resistance the first line of defense. The hexagonal weave distributes stress omnidirectionally rather than along a single axis, handling the complex, multi-directional forces of riding in choppy ocean conditions far more gracefully than a straight weave. For the rider, it means a deck that feels direct and stiff underfoot – that's the carbon working – while remaining resilient to the knocks and contact that come with long offshore sessions.
What were the main advantages you were chasing with the longer FL outline for downwind and light-wind riding?
The Full Length outline delivers three interconnected advantages. A longer waterline means the board planes earlier and holds that plane with less power – critical in marginal conditions. The stretched but wide-enough silhouette combines the glide of length with the stability of volume, providing the confidence needed when you’re far from shore. And the wider nose and boxy rails create a platform that interacts with swell faces in a way that generates its own momentum, so you’re using the ocean’s energy as much as the kite or wing. The rear step and kicktail then allow you to build speed quickly and ensure smooth touchdowns, closing the loop between glide and control.
There’s always a balance between stiffness, weight, and comfort. Where does the Silver Line sit in that spectrum?
Firmly toward the stiff and light end – and that's exactly where you want to be for a board like this. The Hexagonal Innegra carbon layer in the deck laminate acts as a natural damper, softening the harshness a pure carbon build transmits through your feet in chop. The beveled rails and flat tail further smooth out transitions. The new V-Straps Y31 and Monogram Dotted grip keep weight to an absolute minimum while locking your feet in place with maximum comfort over long sessions. The result is a board that feels alive and precise without ever becoming tiring. For downwind runs and light-wind gliding, that combination is the difference between a good session and a great one.
