When are these actually out in Australia? I assume the slick is following close behind?

I really like the look of the unit but it seems like quite a heavy wing. How does it flag out? I noticed in all the duotone promo vids they show the wing flagged out flying beautifully in offshore conditions. Thats kind of cheating as offshore conditions hold the wing up and even a heavy wing will flag out well. What about downwind where the weight really counts.

The new Mod3 tougher more durable canopy has definitely piqued my interest but it seems like duotone wings are more free ride focused less tuned for surf and downwind. I would love to see them use all their fancy materials to make a wing that was optimised for weight and surf/downwind.

Can anyone give feedback on flagging/surf/downwind for the 2022 or 2023 units?

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Youngbreezy said..
I really like the look of the unit but it seems like quite a heavy wing. How does it flag out? I noticed in all the duotone promo vids they show the wing flagged out flying beautifully in offshore conditions. Thats kind of cheating as offshore conditions hold the wing up and even a heavy wing will flag out well. What about downwind where the weight really counts.

The new Mod3 tougher more durable canopy has definitely piqued my interest but it seems like duotone wings are more free ride focused less tuned for surf and downwind. I would love to see them use all their fancy materials to make a wing that was optimised for weight and surf/downwind.

Can anyone give feedback on flagging/surf/downwind for the 2022 or 2023 units?

The 2022 was super good on the wave here's the 4m in cross on wind

injured still at moment so not used the 2023 but from what I'm told they are even better flagged out due to the dihedral shape and yes they are heavier for each size but more powerful so instead of being on 5m you will be on 4.5 which is lighter than last years 5

@leepasty so you've ridden the unit 2022/23 and the slick sls, which do you prefer?

I have ridden 22 unit and sold them for the SLS with platinum boom, and I must say that I much prefer the SLS for the following reasons:
- boom, so much better than handles, easier to micro adjust, can fly one handed, easier to ride toeside, not as twisted, and no damage to your board like handles do, speaking from experience, tacking/gybing so much easier with boom
- SLS material, much superior to dacron, feels so light even with the boom, the unit felt cheap without the penta tx
- more well behaved in wind with entry/exit to the water, still flips on it's back in the water but not as much as the unit
- might not be as grunty as the unit, but I think I can point as high and go just as fast (according to fenix 6)
- harness line, no fear of ripping handles out

I'm mostly concerned with how powerful they are compared with the 2022 stock. If anyone can comment.

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north_kiter said..
@leepasty so you've ridden the unit 2022/23 and the slick sls, which do you prefer?

I have ridden 22 unit and sold them for the SLS with platinum boom, and I must say that I much prefer the SLS for the following reasons:
- boom, so much better than handles, easier to micro adjust, can fly one handed, easier to ride toeside, not as twisted, and no damage to your board like handles do, speaking from experience, tacking/gybing so much easier with boom
- SLS material, much superior to dacron, feels so light even with the boom, the unit felt cheap without the penta tx
- more well behaved in wind with entry/exit to the water, still flips on it's back in the water but not as much as the unit
- might not be as grunty as the unit, but I think I can point as high and go just as fast (according to fenix 6)
- harness line, no fear of ripping handles out

I like the Slick sls but prefer the Unit. I just find the handles more comfortable and prefer how unit is on the wave flagged out. You can also fly the unit no problem 1 handed off the front handle, I do this a lot when wave riding backside down the line in cross on wind. I find in this situation the unit is easier to flip from one side to the other off the front handle and is easy to give big of power in the wing if you need it.
hopefully after this week I'll be able to wing again, done my mcl but getting better, will video it s as no write my thoughts as soon as I do

I rode the 2023 Unit a few time now in 4,5 and once in 5,5
Used Units last year in 6 & 5 DLab and 4m regular. I did like them a lot !
I switched as my son is getting into it and need different sizes now.

This year they feel even more solid and do not flutter at all. It is clearly due to the thicker canopy.
The 4,5 was making a strange noise, like if the leash was sliding on the LE but it wasn't. Strange.

I didn't really feel any extra power... but I was using different sizes then last year.

Windows are better placed, the back one can be of any use now - last year they were useless.

The 4,5 doesn't feel heavy and is very solid and stable even in strong gusts. On the first day I didn't pump it hard enough (no gauge on the pump) and in the gusts it had the tendency to flip forward (like when you hit the water with the tip). Next days it was OK.

The 5,5 feels heavier then my previous 6.0 DLab. Too heavy for my liking I would say. Maybe I will go for the DLab version even if it is sooo expensive this year. But it will be my most used size so why not.

Flagging the wings was at least as good as last year, even the 5,5. The new flagging handle is much better (rigid) even if I often hold the front handle with the LE resting on my shoulder.

Hope this helps.

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JohnnyTsunami said..
I'm mostly concerned with how powerful they are compared with the 2022 stock. If anyone can comment.

They feel super rigid, giving me more power and a better pump. No wind is spilled or wasted. I went from 6.5 D/lab and 5.5 std Unit, to new 6m and 5m std Unit. Very happy.

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Frankieboy said..
The 5,5 feels heavier then my previous 6.0 DLab. Too heavy for my liking I would say. Maybe I will go for the DLab version even if it is sooo expensive this year. But it will be my most used size so why not.

The 2023 Unit Dlabs should be available in 2 weeks or so. Judging by the weight of my 4M Dlab (4.5LBS no leash) it's not a worthy investment imo. There are much lighter wings on the market.

Released.

I've ordered a 3.5m

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foilthegreats said..
Released.

I've ordered a 3.5m

I like how they stick to the facts and avoid hyperbole in the promo video.

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Velocicraptor said..

foilthegreats said..
Released.

I've ordered a 3.5m

I like how they stick to the facts and avoid hyperbole in the promo video.

I like sarcasm :-)

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Velocicraptor said..

foilthegreats said..
Released.

I've ordered a 3.5m

I like how they stick to the facts and avoid hyperbole in the promo video.

Just wait until the fanboys put their hands on it

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Velocicraptor said..

foilthegreats said..
Released.

I've ordered a 3.5m

I like how they stick to the facts and avoid hyperbole in the promo video.

Sadly this is so true of many promos in the foiling industry...
Lots of hype & BS that is, shall we say, not substantiated in the least.
Many high performance claims, but when you dig a little deeper no scientific proof of the claims on performance etc..
But we keep buying the "latest & greatest" ensuring that the cycle continues...

i wonder if they have them here?

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Velocicraptor said..

foilthegreats said..
Released.

I've ordered a 3.5m

I like how they stick to the facts and avoid hyperbole in the promo video.

LOL
At least the size range is reasonably simple.
You need calculus to choose your NeilPryde wingything

Comparison between Unit and Slick SLS:

New v3 unit works great, tried a 3.5 and might be the smoothest power delivery and easiest tacking out of any wing I've tried. No weird quirks, No backwinding.I didn't feel the same grunt and upwind as my reedin but it's enough for most uses. It could still use a stiffer LE handle. This might help with the wagging in surf.

As an intermediate, 72kg rider, I'm wondering if I can replace my 6m CWC with a 5.5m Unit v3. I really enjoy my Unit v2 4m and would like similar handling and upwind ability that the 4m provides. The 6m is great when it's really light but I'm thinking the 5.5 might cover a better range.

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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?

Hi northy

i have two Dlabs and adore them. I use the valve at the end. It makes rolling up the wing much faster. the stiff handles make the wing feel stiffer and more responsive. Not heavier.
I had no problem with the stuff handles on my KT wing drifter. But I changed to a Cabrinha Code and I now have three little cracks at the front of my board. I do the stink bug start so I guess this is from the handles. Mind you the board has also cracked under my heel. So maybe it's just a weak board. (BTW - I still love the code regardless)

I do not think there is any other wing out there that looks as crisp and clean as these Dlab Units.
I saw them in person in very gusty 30kt knots and they were the only wing that was not creasing like crazy.
Very tempting but too expensive for me now.

www.instagram.com/reel/Cm9eOnzAZeo/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

I haven't flown the new 2023 Unit yet - but I did get to ride the 2022 5.5m back to back with my usual F-One Strike v2 wings just this last week over 5 hours of winging and the comparison is interesting.

The Strikes do normal basic gybes more easily than the Unit - because they are lighter. The Unit is more prone to want to fall down in front of you, where as the Strikes due to being lighter are happier to float for longer before dropping down.
The Strikes with their soft and relatively small diameter handles were also a lot easier on forearm fatigue with the cold conditions (9 degrees C) and 3mm gloves.

But really that is where the advantages end, the Unit does most of pretty much everything else better.

This is coming from an F-One fanboi, my whole quiver 3.5m, 4.5m, 5.5m and 8m CWC are all F-One.I'm seriously considering changing to the Unit for the 2023 season because for other things - pumping onto foil, race gybes, lay down gybes, heineken gybes, tacks, stability and upwind performance it has the Strikes beat - unless F-One pull something out of the bag for their 2023 range.

That said it's going to need to be something special as the Unit's now have the more durable canopy material and F-One and pretty known for bagging at the trailing edge. So if the new F-One's haven't got something going on in the canopy materials for 2023 then I'll be tapping out and going to the Unit.

Kind of annoyed about it all as I went all in on Strike v2 but now I'm doing more advanced stuff than just normal gybes the limitations of the Strike v2 are really starting to be more apparent and quite frankly anything that makes doing complex stuff easier - I'll take it.

I did also get to compare the Slick SLS a few weeks back - but that wing is just not my style, amazing at tacking but beyond that it's not for me, just didn't get on with it, I've spent too long with handles rather than booms.

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MeonAsh said..
I haven't flown the new 2023 Unit yet - but I did get to ride the 2022 5.5m back to back with my usual F-One Strike v2 wings just this last week over 5 hours of winging and the comparison is interesting.

The Strikes do normal basic gybes more easily than the Unit - because they are lighter. The Unit is more prone to want to fall down in front of you, where as the Strikes due to being lighter are happier to float for longer before dropping down.
The Strikes with their soft and relatively small diameter handles were also a lot easier on forearm fatigue with the cold conditions (9 degrees C) and 3mm gloves.

But really that is where the advantages end, the Unit does most of pretty much everything else better.

This is coming from an F-One fanboi, my whole quiver 3.5m, 4.5m, 5.5m and 8m CWC are all F-One.I'm seriously considering changing to the Unit for the 2023 season because for other things - pumping onto foil, race gybes, lay down gybes, heineken gybes, tacks, stability and upwind performance it has the Strikes beat - unless F-One pull something out of the bag for their 2023 range.

That said it's going to need to be something special as the Unit's now have the more durable canopy material and F-One and pretty known for bagging at the trailing edge. So if the new F-One's haven't got something going on in the canopy materials for 2023 then I'll be tapping out and going to the Unit.

Kind of annoyed about it all as I went all in on Strike v2 but now I'm doing more advanced stuff than just normal gybes the limitations of the Strike v2 are really starting to be more apparent and quite frankly anything that makes doing complex stuff easier - I'll take it.

I did also get to compare the Slick SLS a few weeks back - but that wing is just not my style, amazing at tacking but beyond that it's not for me, just didn't get on with it, I've spent too long with handles rather than booms.

Much appreciated. I'm in a similar position--whole quiver of Strike V2s and doing Heineken and race jibes. How's the wind range and behaviour in gusts? I might get one or two Units to see how it goes.

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dejavu said..
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.

Booms from windsurfing gear or booms from Wings? I see it anatomically so unlikely a boom would damage a board w/a wing.

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paulweller2 said..

Much appreciated. I'm in a similar position--whole quiver of Strike V2s and doing Heineken and race jibes. How's the wind range and behaviour in gusts? I might get one or two Units to see how it goes.

At the top end in over powered conditions it is a bit more of a handful than the Strikes, it's a stiffer wing with a tighter canopy, so when it gusts you tend to feel it more than Strike v2 which is better at soaking it up. I did a whole session on the 5.5myesterday over powered, it's not like it's unmanageable or anything like that, it's just a bit more affected than the Strike v2s (but then you blow out the canopy and end up with a baggy wing). So I ended up thinking that maybe it's a good thing that it lets you know that it's time to change down.

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MeonAsh said..
I haven't flown the new 2023 Unit yet - but I did get to ride the 2022 5.5m back to back with my usual F-One Strike v2 wings just this last week over 5 hours of winging and the comparison is interesting.

The Strikes do normal basic gybes more easily than the Unit - because they are lighter. The Unit is more prone to want to fall down in front of you, where as the Strikes due to being lighter are happier to float for longer before dropping down.
The Strikes with their soft and relatively small diameter handles were also a lot easier on forearm fatigue with the cold conditions (9 degrees C) and 3mm gloves.

But really that is where the advantages end, the Unit does most of pretty much everything else better.

This is coming from an F-One fanboi, my whole quiver 3.5m, 4.5m, 5.5m and 8m CWC are all F-One.I'm seriously considering changing to the Unit for the 2023 season because for other things - pumping onto foil, race gybes, lay down gybes, heineken gybes, tacks, stability and upwind performance it has the Strikes beat - unless F-One pull something out of the bag for their 2023 range.

That said it's going to need to be something special as the Unit's now have the more durable canopy material and F-One and pretty known for bagging at the trailing edge. So if the new F-One's haven't got something going on in the canopy materials for 2023 then I'll be tapping out and going to the Unit.

Kind of annoyed about it all as I went all in on Strike v2 but now I'm doing more advanced stuff than just normal gybes the limitations of the Strike v2 are really starting to be more apparent and quite frankly anything that makes doing complex stuff easier - I'll take it.

I did also get to compare the Slick SLS a few weeks back - but that wing is just not my style, amazing at tacking but beyond that it's not for me, just didn't get on with it, I've spent too long with handles rather than booms.

Beware the 2023 Unit is heavier then the 2022 model. I didn't want to spend so much money on a DLab but I will for the 5,5 as this the size I will mostly use.
4,5 felt light (enough) so will stick to the stock model

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Frankieboy said..

Beware the 2023 Unit is heavier then the 2022 model. I didn't want to spend so much money on a DLab but I will for the 5,5 as this the size I will mostly use.
4,5 felt light (enough) so will stick to the stock model

Yeah I'm aware, will try before I buy, using the 2022 unit was more about whether I could get used to the handles as I've been on Strike V2s for a year and AirRush Freewing before that, so needed to see if I can adapt to the hard handles and like it.

Anyone know if the Aluula has improved for the 2023 dlabs, particularly the yellow coating?
I have head the 2023 Aluula is lighter than 2022.

Howdy. Don't want to hijack the thread but the relevant thread is no longer taking replies, due to time since last post, so I feel this is my best bet. Happy to receive a PM to keep thread clean.

I have a quick question for the more experienced. I'm a beginner and have only used a fairly bagged out, older model, Naish 6m wing so far. I'm only just starting to lift out of the water (for like a second before falling) but feel like my wing is making life more difficult than it needs to be for lack of power. I can get a new 2020 6m (only size available) Duotone Echo for just under $400 AUD. Do you think that's a worthwhile purchase at the price? I realise it's old tech but I figure people were using it successfully back then so should do the job now? ... Alternatively, I stick with my current wing for a while yet before investing in a newer model (possibly 5m Gong or similar) down the track. I don't really have the money to invest in the more expensive gear.

Any advice appreciated. Cheers