Is there anyone out there with the new North Nova 2023 who can give some impressions/reviews/tests?
I'm still looking for a 5m wing. My goals are easy to control, low and high end, good handling in maneuvers, and top speed.

Haven't tested a 5 m Nova v3, but I currently have a 1.9, 2.9, 3.5m Nova v3 and 4.2 and 5.5 m Modes v1.
I don't have anything bad to say about the Novas, they work as expected, but in small sizes, most wings do.
They pump well, are stiff, flag well.

I tried a Nova v3 4.2 m and there's a significant difference in upwind ability and speed vs the Mode.
Mode is the hands down winner.

Mode v2 is coming out end of August/early September.New size as well between 4.2 and 5.5 which will be close to the 5.0 that you're looking for.

I personally would wait for a Mode v2 if you can wait and want a high performance wing.They are also about 30% lighter than the Novas due to leading edge and strut material.V2 might be even lighter.

I tried the 3.5 and the 5m and they are imo very similar the Unit 203. both have a lot of pulling up lift (like the duotone Unit and Pryde Fly).Low end was very good imo (similar to the Unit). The Nova V3 was quite stiff +direct and felt fast but also a tiny bit harder on the body to me. Tacking etc was easy, but the Unit feels more maneuverable/neutral to me while waveriding.I don,t jump but I can see it would be pretty good in it with its lift.
Build quality is close to/on par with Duotone and i,m quite impressed with the huge improvement steps North makes each 6 months.

I've had both the 5.5 Mode and V3 Nova 5M for awhile. Both are great wings. The Nova has a deeper draft and therefore more low end grunt, pound for pound. I would say it's more accessible to a beginner or intermediate, it's plug and play. Pumping is easy. It's balanced and tacks are so easy. It's a decent flagger surfing. The Mode on the other hand requires a shorter more technical pump common to racing wings. It's flags out fairly nice. But where it excels is going upwind. It doesn't really get overpowered, it just translates to more speed and power. It also is a great tacking wing. Because of the power, you can loft some jumps on the Mode. The 5.5 Mode is lighter by approximately 3/4 of a pound to the 5.0 Nova. In summation, both are great wings, the Nova is easy, I could hand it to anyone and they'll have fun. The Mode is more technical and geared towards advanced riders and racers who'll milk the most out of it.

very interesting, thanks a lot.
hm, waiting for September isn't what I want, as I don't have a 5m wing right now. My goal is to get a 5m in addition to my 6 CWC and 4.2 Strike v1.
And I wanted it before my summer vacation so I can practice jibes and also start with tacks. and try more top speed.

The Unit D-Lab is out of my budget range.
That's why at the moment just Nova, NP Fly, and Armstrong XPS are in, where I had the chance to test the NP Fly in 6 today.

and based on what I read, I should definitely find a way to also test a Nova.

I've got my hands on all nova editions. V1, V2, and now V3.

The V1 is super balanced, and overall a pleasure to use. Loved the soft but not squishy handles. I had a 4.2 and 6m

The V2 is way stiffer, more low end but also a lot of pull in the top end. The handles are nice. I loved that the V2 had a long front handle so I can ride 1 handed and powered up. I have a 4.2 and 2.9

I just got a V3 6m and the first impressions are good. It took 5 min to get used to. More stiffer than V2, more low end, really getting on foil is easier, short pumping burst rather than big cycling scooping action. It goes upwind really well. The V3 seems to have more lift pressure in the back which makes tacking easier as the wing stays more neutral through the tack (the V2 wants to fly up in the tack)

The V3 has lost the ability to ride one handed, powered up with the front handle alone. Which is a big shame! At least for the 6m. Maybe it still applies for 4.2.

Which one is better...V2 vs V3?.. the V3 has pluses but not being able to ride 1 handed/powered up i find a minus

Overall all versions have fantastic quality, finish, nice bags. North does mean quality imo.

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Jeroensurf said..
I tried the 3.5 and the 5m and they are imo very similar the Unit 203. both have a lot of pulling up lift (like the duotone Unit and Pryde Fly).Low end was very good imo (similar to the Unit). The Nova V3 was quite stiff +direct and felt fast but also a tiny bit harder on the body to me. Tacking etc was easy, but the Unit feels more maneuverable/neutral to me while waveriding.I don,t jump but I can see it would be pretty good in it with its lift.
Build quality is close to/on par with Duotone and i,m quite impressed with the huge improvement steps North makes each 6 months.

how would you compare the Nova to the Pryde Fly?Top End
Low End
Tacking Jibing
Drag?

I personally don't like the Units. It is maybe because of the handles.
The handles on the NP Fly felt very good to me.

if the Nova and Pryde Fly would be similar in the above criteria (I'm just on lakes so waves are out of interest, and also jumping.)
I may tend to the Nova as the windows seem to be better (I didn't see anything on the NP Fly 6 windows)

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Shlogger said..
I've had both the 5.5 Mode and V3 Nova 5M for awhile. Both are great wings. The Nova has a deeper draft and therefore more low end grunt, pound for pound. I would say it's more accessible to a beginner or intermediate, it's plug and play. Pumping is easy. It's balanced and tacks are so easy. It's a decent flagger surfing. The Mode on the other hand requires a shorter more technical pump common to racing wings. It's flags out fairly nice. But where it excels is going upwind. It doesn't really get overpowered, it just translates to more speed and power. It also is a great tacking wing. Because of the power, you can loft some jumps on the Mode. The 5.5 Mode is lighter by approximately 3/4 of a pound to the 5.0 Nova. In summation, both are great wings, the Nova is easy, I could hand it to anyone and they'll have fun. The Mode is more technical and geared towards advanced riders and racers who'll milk the most out of it.

would it be possible to measure the Nova 5m?so wingspan, Tip to Tip.
and length of Strut from the end till the connection with the LE and till the connection with the front handle?Thank you

Can anyone report on the longevity of their nova V3s after all this time? I am also interested in the Unit 2023/2024, and after some issues with my Mode v1 I have lost a little faith in North.

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Powis said..
Can anyone report on the longevity of their nova V3s after all this time? I am also interested in the Unit 2023/2024, and after some issues with my Mode v1 I have lost a little faith in North.

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Powis said..
Can anyone report on the longevity of their nova V3s after all this time? I am also interested in the Unit 2023/2024, and after some issues with my Mode v1 I have lost a little faith in North.

Im looking for that too, but the nova v3 use the new canopy, and the mode pro a matrix canopy, matrix is probably a blend from different material i didnt see any detail about it. Probably more durable than the previous version.

@mproject does the v3 is handling well with the free fly handle ?

My 7m Nova V3 has been great and gets a decent amount of use.

No issues of bagging out and lighter than my previous v2 7m.

@WST:have look at the Ozone Flux.
I tried lots of wings, and imo its one of the bet out there (I sold 2 of my cabrinha Mantis 2023 and replaced them bij Fluxes in 5 and 5.3).
It has Dlab performance in stiffness, super stable and predictable,. When a gust hits it just accelerates giving it a huge range and it screams upwind+ tacks like a dream.. So far the best wing I tried

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Powis said..
Can anyone report on the longevity of their nova V3s after all this time? I am also interested in the Unit 2023/2024, and after some issues with my Mode v1 I have lost a little faith in North.

I've got a 3.5 & 4.2 Nova V3, both around 5 months old. Both are holding up very well after quite a few sessions. Coming from windsurfing, I'm still amazed at the range of these wings. I'm on the 3.5 from around 18 knots and have been reasonably comfortable up to 35 - 40 knots. I'm in Melbourne and we've had lot of northerlies this winter that are quite gusty and often over 30 knots. The 3.5 performs super well and I've had zero issues with it. Note that I use a harness and doubt I'd be able to hang on to the 3.5 over 30 without it.

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youdigsurf said..

@mproject does the v3 is handling well with the free fly handle ?

Hi, I can't really say because I am not riding with the wind free flying behind me. A bit harder on the flatwater lakes I am riding on. I can vouch for good stability, fantastic upwind ability, and easy getting up and going on foil. Also tacking is easier. Hope this helps. Maybe check with Tucker at MacKiteBoarding on YT; regularly answers comments and questions.

I have both the Nova V3 in 4.2 and 5m. Both are great wings, much better and early going then the V2. Great upwind ability and handling is also very good. 4.2 off course more easy handling then the 5m due to its size. I use my 4.2 almost all the time.. from 15 knots or so.. untill 25+ . Later on I will buy a mode 3.5 V2 for high performance and in strong(ger) winds.

For me it's 5m, 10-20 knots.
4.2 15-25
3.5 the rest :)

Thanks for the good news. I have traded up my Mode 5.5 for a 5m nova v3. Hopefully a lot funner to use than the Mode, and gets me going on my sinker board when the wind is sub 15kn. My other wing is a nova v1 4.2m which I'll replace soon too.

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Powis said..
Thanks for the good news. I have traded up my Mode 5.5 for a 5m nova v3. Hopefully a lot funner to use than the Mode, and gets me going on my sinker board when the wind is sub 15kn. My other wing is a nova v1 4.2m which I'll replace soon too.

What was it that you didn't like about the Mode?

I had some big quality issues with one side of the wing (believed to be fixed after the first batches) which marred my experience.. wasn't able to heelside tack it and after flagging on a wave I was unable to bring it back into riding position easily. So after 8 months of not enjoying and thinking I was the problem I finally looked onto what was going on and subsequent got warranty for twisted frame..
I think I have realised the 5.5m is excessive size for a 70kg rider... and despite this it wasn't really a session saver with my sinker board as it prioritizes high end performance rather than low end grunt to get me up and going. Will verify once the 5m v3 Nova arrives..

Got myself a Nova V3 4.2m and want to get another bigger one. Would you go for the 5.0m or the 6.0m? I am around 90kg and usually sail on lakes. Or would you rather spend the money on the Mode 5.5m?

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rukra said..
Got myself a Nova V3 4.2m and want to get another bigger one. Would you go for the 5.0m or the 6.0m? I am around 90kg and usually sail on lakes. Or would you rather spend the money on the Mode 5.5m?

The Modes are excellent as long as the construction quality is good.
I am looking forward to checking out the upgraded 2023.
I have a 4.2 2022 which was replaced under warranty and construction now looks ok so far but only had 6 or so sessions on it.
The Modes fly perfectly and make jybing easy due to the nice float over head through out the jybe.

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rukra said..
Got myself a Nova V3 4.2m and want to get another bigger one. Would you go for the 5.0m or the 6.0m? I am around 90kg and usually sail on lakes. Or would you rather spend the money on the Mode 5.5m?

How tall are you? Can you comfortably handle the wingspan of a 6m?
What board volume, foil, wind speed are you planning on using a 5, 5.5, 6 m in?Based on your weight and riding conditions, I'd say get a 6m just to have more low end, but that's without knowing some key points of your riding ability and your height.

At 90 kg's I'd recommend the 6M. If you're looking for a more complete coverage and your area has light winds much of the time. Or perhaps the 5.5 and then something like a 7M Loft if you're going out in really light winds.
I also have Modes and love them but their a different creature. The Nova is a wing that's just easy, you can hand it to anyone w no tips or advice and they just plug in real quick. The Mode is more medium to high range where the Nova is more low-med range for a given size. The Mode shines lit up and overpowered, just keeps going faster and pulls forward. Upwind is right up there w the best. Think about what level you're at and your wind 70% of the time. Let us know how it goes.

Rukra, go for the 6m. I have a spread of 6m - 4.2 - 2.9
The range of the V3 Nova has gotten bigger meaning you can use in windier conditions too. So with 6m you have the size for low winds and towards the crossover point to switch to 4.2m.

With the previous editions the hole between 6m and 4.2 was bigger and I was tempted to get a 5m. Not anymore

Thank you guys for your feedback. At the moment I still have the Slingshot Slingwing V3 in 5.0 and 6.5 that I want to upgrade to the Novas/Modes. I am 178cm and handling the 6.5 was no big deal.
So, I will look towards the 6.0 Nova V3. Thank you again

First sesh with my 4.2 2023 Nova today in winds gusting 25+kts. I went out with my 5m SLS Slick first, but was a bit overdone. The Nova delivered good forward pulling power and I was straight up on foil (Axis ART999). A downside I immediately noticed was that the Nova wanted to fly all over the place, whereas my Slick stays put. I was struggling with gybes as the wing would swing around putting me off balance. I'm only a novice, so this could simply be my skill/technique deficit ? By the end of the session I had adjusted to the Nova and was feeling more comfortable, but I'm undecided as to whether this wing is a keeper or not. It could be that the Nova 4.2 is too close in wind range to my 5m SLS.
Although I still prefer a boom, the handles are nice and a good diameter: not too big, but just as important - not too small. Construction quality seems good and the wing comes with a nice hand leash and bag.

Typical North - top notch quality.
North are getting more and more popular around my beaches in northern Europe.

And i hear a lot of good things about the new Mode and Loft pro wings.
Im thinking of adding a Loft pro to my collection of V3`s.

To bad they are so expensive, not close to Duotone though, they are just in the absurd end.

UK Winger 80kg. I've been using v3 4.2 and v3 6.0 for about a year now. 6.0 excels on lakes/inland (gusty & lighter wind) and for its size is super stiff for pumping in marginal wind. The 4.2 is a great all round coastal wing for more consistent conditions. Both have huge wind range and are still in excellent condition despite plenty of use. Pretty sure I will stick with North going forwards as they tick all the boxes for me.

I've had the 6.0m v3 also for almost an entire season now and it doesn't dissappoint! I just switched from 4.2 v2 to 4.2 v3 and it feels great, like it's not there at all. So natural!

The range on the 6.0m is amazing. I can still use it comfortably close to the 4.2 range.

@CliveB4, any experience with playing around with different pressures in LE and strut? If so what are you learning

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MProject04 said..
@CliveB4, any experience with playing around with different pressures in LE and strut? If so what are you learning

Just used it at stated pressure. Forgot to fully tighent the dump valve on the strut once so slowly deflated relative to the LE. The handles kept it stiff enough to pump home but not a msitake I will repeat....but as a safety feature its another great reason to lock the clip on the hose linking strut & LE.

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CliveB4 said..
UK Winger 80kg. I've been using v3 4.2 and v3 6.0 for about a year now. 6.0 excels on lakes/inland (gusty & lighter wind) and for its size is super stiff for pumping in marginal wind. The 4.2 is a great all round coastal wing for more consistent conditions. Both have huge wind range and are still in excellent condition despite plenty of use. Pretty sure I will stick with North going forwards as they tick all the boxes for me.

Nova or mode? How does the 6m flag in light wind? Compared it to other wings?