New Duotone 2023 Unit is out.
Check out my 1st look at the new features


Meant to be slightly heavier than last years but also more powerful so can drop down half a size so in theory it's lighter.
Riding review coming soon so subscribe to my channel

Do they include a leash and a valve adapter as standard? I have 2 D Lab and a standard Unit and will not be buying Duotone again until these items are part of the package, what an utter insult to customers that get to the beach and cannot use their wing? And please don't give me the "it will add to the cost" well how come every other manufacturer can do it and at a lower price?

Nice overview, maybe compare old vs new side by side impressions.

Finally they improved this leading handle!!!!

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foilthegreats said..
Nice overview, maybe compare old vs new side by side impressions.

Yeah this was just 1st look will add more thoughts compared to 2022 version once I've used it.

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pumpnjump said..
Do they include a leash and a valve adapter as standard? I have 2 D Lab and a standard Unit and will not be buying Duotone again until these items are part of the package, what an utter insult to customers that get to the beach and cannot use their wing? And please don't give me the "it will add to the cost" well how come every other manufacturer can do it and at a lower price?

No probs for me as I have Duotone pump and use 1 decent waist leash for all my wings. Some of the leashes that come with wings are really not worth anything and are only good if you don't need to use it. Soon as you need it they just snap

Some interesting claims:

"The higher modulus MOD3 fabric holds the shape of the wing with double the strength in warp direction and 3 times* the stretch resistance in bias direction compared to traditional canopies.

* More than 7 times less stretchy at lower force."

Good to see the front handle forward attachment has been reinforced with extra material.

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foilthegreats said..

Some interesting claims:

"The higher modulus MOD3 fabric holds the shape of the wing with double the strength in warp direction and 3 times* the stretch resistance in bias direction compared to traditional canopies.

* More than 7 times less stretchy at lower force."

Honestly it looks really nice I can't wait to get on it once my mcl injury allows

Just got a quiver also, no Dlab this year as they are now double the price of the standard one...
My 2 cents:
- windows: I find windows useless but at least the new ones are perfectly place to fold the wing when packing
- new canopy, a bit thicker. Also not 3x3 but 2+2x2 (see pics old purple vs new white: kiteforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=201&t=2414458)
- stiffer flag handle and reinforcement on the strut as mentionned

I can't compare 1 to 1 as I had different sizes and some in Dlab but they seem a bit heavier then last year:
6,5 @ 3,1kg
5,5 @ 2,7kg
4,5 @ 2,4kg
3,5 @ 2,1kg

Hopefully first test tomorrow :-)

the game changing Penta TX - used for the Slick SLS frame - has not made its way into a new era model released only 5 months later.

Looking forward to a technical explanation what Mod3 means - other than triple ripstop. With coating. Not composite.

www.duotonesports.com/foilwing/wings/unit/

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foilthegreats said..
www.duotonesports.com/foilwing/wings/unit/

thanks - of course I've seen this marketing tool.
Let's wait and see if someone with fabric engineering background applies some testing.

Very keen to hear about the test rides - i moved from the original Units to F-One strike V2 but might move to another (eg Ensis or Duotone or remain F-One to new version) next year

Interesting about the new Unit canopy material - i reckon the Fone canpoy bags out quite easily - i admit i use my wings over powered a bit.

I have to say I much prefer the valve on the F-One - shame Duotone havent revised this as i think their valve was a bit crappy.

Oh, and the Duotone "tube type" bag was rubbish to carry down the beach - looks like this is sorted!

I also heard a few horror stories of the hard handles ripping out (maybe heavier riders) on the 2022 units?

The leash not included is a pain...i guess i can buy the F-one leash as im not sure i like the curly duotone one.

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said..

Some interesting claims:

"The higher modulus MOD3 fabric holds the shape of the wing with double the strength in warp direction and 3 times* the stretch resistance in bias direction compared to traditional canopies.

* More than 7 times less stretchy at lower force."

The claims are legit. I rode the "Dacron" prototype 6.5m super lit in the Gorge, back in July. It felt more stable than my "aluula" 6.5m D/Lab. The better canopy makes a big difference in performance and range. After the test with Ken Winner, I told him Aluula is dead to me. ;-)

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leepasty said..

foilthegreats said..
Nice overview, maybe compare old vs new side by side impressions.

Yeah this was just 1st look will add more thoughts compared to 2022 version once I've used it.

pumpnjump said..
Do they include a leash and a valve adapter as standard? I have 2 D Lab and a standard Unit and will not be buying Duotone again until these items are part of the package, what an utter insult to customers that get to the beach and cannot use their wing? And please don't give me the "it will add to the cost" well how come every other manufacturer can do it and at a lower price?

No probs for me as I have Duotone pump and use 1 decent waist leash for all my wings. Some of the leashes that come with wings are really not worth anything and are only good if you don't need to use it. Soon as you need it they just snap

When someone sells an item with a custom fitting it doesn't take a lot of thought to include an adapter that costs a few pennies in with the repair kit! Not sure whose leashes you have been using that have snapped(name and shame) I also don't like the Duotone leash and use the north leash, but the shop chucked that in with the wing,, nice for me, but reduced margin for the retailer, they were too embarrassed to charge, that is not good, I want to see retailers survive, there is no defence for not selling the package as a whole!

Bring on the dlab upgrade.
I understand about the pump fitting but over that now as the wings (dlab in my case) are near perfect for me.

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warwickl said..
Bring on the dlab upgrade.
I understand about the pump fitting but over that now as the wings (dlab in my case) are near perfect for me.

Dlab will be amazing but too pricey for me this year so gone for extra size of normal instead.

I once borrowed a wing from another brand and couldn't pump it as the adapter fitting didn't fit my pump. in all years of kiting and now winging never had a Duotone wing/kite not fit my pump

So I've a couple of questions re the 23 unit model

1. What is this valve doing here? it is just going to get caught on the wing leash doing tacks/gybes etc. Who designs these wings, do they even wing?
2. Why isn't the leading edge pentatex like the Slick?

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north_kiter said..
So I've a couple of questions re the 23 unit model

1. What is this valve doing here? it is just going to get caught on the wing leash doing tacks/gybes etc. Who designs these wings, do they even wing?
2. Why isn't the leading edge pentatex like the Slick?

The handles also look a lot closer together?

yeah, they were so close to getting the design just right, add pentax, fix the windows, leading edge handle and the dihedral.

Looks like I'll be skipping 2023 model now, hope my 2022 units last another year!

But after watching Leepasty video, the handles and spaced further apart and the valve is in the normal place on the strut, could be marketing dept stuff up on their website

Yeah i think thats a marketing image! But sadly they have kept the valve they had on my original 2021 Unit that i think is a pretty weak solution compared to say the F-One (i have owned both) which feels a lot more positive and robust.

Questionw for current Unit owners:
1. Whats the value of the valve at the end of the wing - do you use it?
2. Does the handle make the whole wing feel heavier compared to say a strike when flagged out?
3. Risk of damage to board from hard handles?

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northy1 said..
Yeah i think thats a marketing image! But sadly they have kept the valve they had on my original 2021 Unit that i think is a pretty weak solution compared to say the F-One (i have owned both) which feels a lot more positive and robust.

Questionw for current Unit owners:
1. Whats the value of the valve at the end of the wing - do you use it?
2. Does the handle make the whole wing feel heavier compared to say a strike when flagged out?
3. Risk of damage to board from hard handles?

1. yes, perfect for rolling up from one end to the other
2. sure heavier, but haven't flown a strike v2
3. yes, have damaged board by handles, but it depends what brand board you get, some are stronger than others, buyer beware if you use a hard handle or boom

The leading edge is a Penta fabric. The canopy is a new stiffer, more durable creation. Together, they out perform last seasons D/Lab in my opinion.

The handling is better than ever surfing.

Regarding F-one handles, they probably weigh more than the plastic handles when you add in water weight for the webbing.

No water weight on hard handles. If you remove the Unit handles, they feel like holding air. Very light plastic!

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DWF said..


The leading edge is a Penta fabric. The canopy is a new stiffer, more durable creation. Together, they out perform last seasons D/Lab in my opinion.

The handling is better than ever surfing.

Regarding F-one handles, they probably weigh more than the plastic handles when you add in water weight for the webbing.

No water weight on hard handles. If you remove the Unit handles, they feel like holding air. Very light plastic!

Do you have evidence that the leading edge is PENTA TX, link to their site stating so? The slick marketing material mentions it frequently and not once for the 23 Unit, perhaps the marketing dept have definitely dropped the ball on this one

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north_kiter said..

DWF said..


The leading edge is a Penta fabric. The canopy is a new stiffer, more durable creation. Together, they out perform last seasons D/Lab in my opinion.

The handling is better than ever surfing.

Regarding F-one handles, they probably weigh more than the plastic handles when you add in water weight for the webbing.

No water weight on hard handles. If you remove the Unit handles, they feel like holding air. Very light plastic!

Do you have evidence that the leading edge is PENTA TX, link to their site stating so? The slick marketing material mentions it frequently and not once for the 23 Unit, perhaps the marketing dept have definitely dropped the ball on this one

here says it Dacron Unit | Duotone Onlineshop (duotonesports.com)

Duotone booms are not a problem (at least for me) when they make contact with the board since they are covered with a relatively soft grip (the ends are also covered with the material that holds them to the strut). I've used booms that do not have a grip covering and have marked and put nicks in my board when contact was made. I haven't used V2 Unit so I don't know whether or not the handles have any sort of covering. If not, that might be a problem.

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northy1 said..
Very keen to hear about the test rides - i moved from the original Units to F-One strike V2 but might move to another (eg Ensis or Duotone or remain F-One to new version) next year

Interesting about the new Unit canopy material - i reckon the Fone canpoy bags out quite easily - i admit i use my wings over powered a bit.

I have to say I much prefer the valve on the F-One - shame Duotone havent revised this as i think their valve was a bit crappy.

Oh, and the Duotone "tube type" bag was rubbish to carry down the beach - looks like this is sorted!

I also heard a few horror stories of the hard handles ripping out (maybe heavier riders) on the 2022 units?

The leash not included is a pain...i guess i can buy the F-one leash as im not sure i like the curly duotone one.

When the most sought after features on a wing is a functional leading edge handle and a leash that tells me everything I need to know...

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burchas said..

northy1 said..
Very keen to hear about the test rides - i moved from the original Units to F-One strike V2 but might move to another (eg Ensis or Duotone or remain F-One to new version) next year

Interesting about the new Unit canopy material - i reckon the Fone canpoy bags out quite easily - i admit i use my wings over powered a bit.

I have to say I much prefer the valve on the F-One - shame Duotone havent revised this as i think their valve was a bit crappy.

Oh, and the Duotone "tube type" bag was rubbish to carry down the beach - looks like this is sorted!

I also heard a few horror stories of the hard handles ripping out (maybe heavier riders) on the 2022 units?

The leash not included is a pain...i guess i can buy the F-one leash as im not sure i like the curly duotone one.

When the most sought after features on a wing is a functional leading edge handle and a leash that tells me everything I need to know...

Plus 1

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patronus said..


here says it Dacron Unit | Duotone Onlineshop (duotonesports.com)

Penta TX is fancy Dacron fabric from Challenge Sail cloth.

As opposed to the plain Jane industry standard Dacron from Dimension fabrics.

looking forward to a real world review by someone who is not "hooked" up by the brand (ie they are buying it at retail), and ideally used other wings to compare and contrast!

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DWF said..

patronus said..


here says it Dacron Unit | Duotone Onlineshop (duotonesports.com)

Penta TX is fancy Dacron fabric from Challenge Sail cloth.

As opposed to the plain Jane industry standard Dacron from Dimension fabrics.

Pentex is a relative of Dacron but a bit higher strength. I'm assuming this Penta TX is the same?

This from the North Sails website...

PEN, sold under the brand name of Pentex?, is available in a relatively limited range of yarn sizes. PEN fibers are related to polyester (PET) but stretch about half as much (PEN is only 1/5 higher in strength). This relative mismatch between stretch and strength performance means a PEN based sailcloth cannot be truly lightweight in actual use. The cost of PEN falls between polyester and the aramids. PEN use is mostly driven by class and rating rule restrictions where aramid fiber is not allowed. PEN fiber has low shrinkage when heated during finishing, so it cannot be woven tightly like polyester. For this reason, PEN fibers are found only in combination with PET (aka "mylar") film in laminate cloth for paneled sails. PEN does not come in woven form