Good Condition!

2016 RRD C.O.T.A.N

RRD were one of the first out of the blocks with the snub nose revolution and the C.O.T.A.N is pretty much a classic already. Available in four sizes, we had the middle-of-the-road 5’4 on test which equates to about 6’0 in old money.

RRD were one of the first brands to embrace a reinforced PU build for their surfboards and over the last couple of years some of the weight has come off as well, so the C.O.T.A.N feels just about right under your arm. There are five fin boxes, we generally rode it as a quad for a skatier feel.

On the water and the C.O.T.A.N gets up on the plane quickly and is a very nice board for getting around on – the low rocker and straight rail line ensures that you can really keep it going through lulls, and the PU construction ensures that there is no real ‘ping’ through the slop.

Coming onto a wave and the C.O.T.A.N comes alive. The fishy tail has plenty of volume and width and we found that with the quad set up you could really spin it around to come off the top of a wave. There was plenty of grip and drive and the volume in the tail ensured that it didn’t bog down even in more gutless waves.

In more powerful surf the C.O.T.A.N also rides surprisingly well – it can hold a rail and handle speed and you can drive it off the bottom – it is initially a bit disconcerting not having a ‘nose’ but you get used to it and we never sunk the front of the board in. Overall a fantastic ‘kite focused’ take on the noseless revolution.

The C.O.T.A.N (Cut Off Tail And Nose) has the outstanding high-tech ‘surfboard’ feel of all RRD surfboards. They’re pretty special, but are certainly lighter than some, giving an indication of performance. They need looking after, but the riding rewards are high and the C.O.T.A.N comes with a five fin box for the ultimate in rider flexibility.

Playful, yet stable and fluid, the C.O.T.A.N offered one of the smoothest feels on test with a lovely mix of performance and ease-of-use. Although very responsive, you can make mistakes without getting bucked off, so in terms of progression, it’s excellent.

Even in average conditions the C.O.T.A.N is the sort of board that makes you think, “Okay, I can’t go in yet – let’s have one last wave!” You can drive the fins out nicely when you want to and also put in multiple quick turns in small, crumbling waves. The C.O.T.A.N feels small underfoot but the wide proportions to the rear and the straight rails provide really good upwind performance, even if you’re not that powered. The standout for us is the very playful and accessible feel in average winds and waves.

That said, it’s extremely comfortable through chop, the board pushes water nicely and there’s no ‘chatter’. Super tight, grippy turns when nicely powered, the C.O.T.A.N is also capable of wider, solid turns maintaining drive throughout when you learn to trim your front pressure. and it’s that mix of a tighter ‘kite-style’ and more surf-style riding that we really liked. Tighter in turns than most, you can then push the tail out so quickly that you almost find yourself riding it backwards down the wave when you drive your back foot out as you hit the lip! It’s rewarding and fun.