my old 5.5 North Mode needs replacement and don't like their new track system. i have a duotone float 3.5m. have seen plenty of favorable reviews on that and the 4.5 float, but nothing on the 5.5. no interest in the Unit. has anyone tried the 5.5 float and can comment? thx.

p.s. - i'm mostly interested in wave riding, no jumps, flagging/low end is main concern. i'm about 90 kgs.

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beached57 said..
my old 5.5 North Mode needs replacement and don't like their new track system. i have a duotone float 3.5m. have seen plenty of favorable reviews on that and the 4.5 float, but nothing on the 5.5. no interest in the Unit. has anyone tried the 5.5 float and can comment? thx.

p.s. - i'm mostly interested in wave riding, no jumps, flagging/low end is main concern. i'm about 90 kgs.

yeah and I was not impressed. Float design works well in 4.5m and below.
5m is the biggest I'd consider.
I am same weight as you and with the 5m Float and midlength I can get out in 10kt easy.

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SlowlyButSurely said..

yeah and I was not impressed. Float design works well in 4.5m and below.
5m is the biggest I'd consider.
I am same weight as you and with the 5m Float and midlength I can get out in 10kt easy.

not sure if you actually own the 5m Float, but if so, would you buy it again or go elsewhere?

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beached57 said..

SlowlyButSurely said..

yeah and I was not impressed. Float design works well in 4.5m and below.
5m is the biggest I'd consider.
I am same weight as you and with the 5m Float and midlength I can get out in 10kt easy.

not sure if you actually own the 5m Float, but if so, would you buy it again or go elsewhere?

I did own 5.5, 5 and 4.5 while I was waiting for the new Armie XPS MK2 to be released.
Hands down the 4.5m was the best sail I tried past couple of years (and I tried many).
Then the XPS MK2 arrived and I was happy with the switch.

I love everything bout the Floats except the inflation system (very prone to failure in the valve) and lack of windows.

This year off you like the Float, I'd recommend to looks also at Armstrong XPS MK2 and Naish Neutron
same light feel and handling as float but a bit more refined.

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SlowlyButSurely said..

beached57 said..

SlowlyButSurely said..

yeah and I was not impressed. Float design works well in 4.5m and below.
5m is the biggest I'd consider.
I am same weight as you and with the 5m Float and midlength I can get out in 10kt easy.

not sure if you actually own the 5m Float, but if so, would you buy it again or go elsewhere?

I did own 5.5, 5 and 4.5 while I was waiting for the new Armie XPS MK2 to be released.
Hands down the 4.5m was the best sail I tried past couple of years (and I tried many).
Then the XPS MK2 arrived and I was happy with the switch.

I love everything bout the Floats except the inflation system (very prone to failure in the valve) and lack of windows.

This year off you like the Float, I'd recommend to looks also at Armstrong XPS MK2 and Naish Neutron
same light feel and handling as float but a bit more refined.

How do Duotone and Armstrong compare size-wise? A long time ago I heard that Armstrong ran big (a 4.5 was like a 5.0 from another brand). But then I hear the same about Duotone - a 3.5 Unit is like a 4.0 F-One Strike.

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Faff said..

SlowlyButSurely said..

beached57 said..

SlowlyButSurely said..

yeah and I was not impressed. Float design works well in 4.5m and below.
5m is the biggest I'd consider.
I am same weight as you and with the 5m Float and midlength I can get out in 10kt easy.

not sure if you actually own the 5m Float, but if so, would you buy it again or go elsewhere?

I did own 5.5, 5 and 4.5 while I was waiting for the new Armie XPS MK2 to be released.
Hands down the 4.5m was the best sail I tried past couple of years (and I tried many).
Then the XPS MK2 arrived and I was happy with the switch.

I love everything bout the Floats except the inflation system (very prone to failure in the valve) and lack of windows.

This year off you like the Float, I'd recommend to looks also at Armstrong XPS MK2 and Naish Neutron
same light feel and handling as float but a bit more refined.

How do Duotone and Armstrong compare size-wise? A long time ago I heard that Armstrong ran big (a 4.5 was like a 5.0 from another brand). But then I hear the same about Duotone - a 3.5 Unit is like a 4.0 F-One Strike.

at least Float vs XPS v2, fairly lined up in size. In handling, too with the exception of of the 5 and 5.5m float which are not my favs. Prefer much more the 5m and 5.5m XPS v2

I own Floats up to 4.5, have Units for 5 and above. Bought them after trying Armstrong (too heavy for me in the big sizes, don't flag as well as the Float), Fone Swing (doesn't have the low end power the Float has), PPC, Neil Pryde, Core. I'm now switching to 5m and 5.5 Floats for wave riding in bigger sizes too. The flagging and low end power of these wings is unmatched, for me. I ride waves, mostly point breaks. I don't care about top speed or upwind angles, all I care about is flagging.
re inflation system, I've been riding North kites, Duotone kites and now Duotone wings for about 15 years, never had an issue. I make sure I blow sand off the hose and never had any trouble.

I rode the Float 5m a few weeks ago at a duotone demo day in some smaller rolling style swell, it rode fine, for me I found it just worked with nothing to write home about good or bad.. I did prefer the new SLS 4.5m unit which I rode back-to-back. On this day I preferred the unit, it's faster and more powerful and perhaps the smaller size suited the wind better that day, but I was surprised at not finding a massive difference when riding swells etc. I could ride either and have fun and not be too focused on the wing they are easy to adapt to .

I am traveling in Japan with my Float 5.5 right now. I have used this wing since it came out and I can only speak to its absolute perfection in terms of basic usability and ripping. Just yesterday I stepped off of the beach at a new location and healside tacked onto a wave like I was on a 4 meter so I have no idea why anyone would suggest that it is limited somehow in design. This wing became a daily driver on a switch from the unit wing and there are specific reasons as a wave rider why I find the Float superior to the unit. The name as implied is accurate...the wing drifts up when luffing and 'rests' in a floating way. This is especially helpful on tacks, and really helps make healside tacks easy. The key reason that I prefer the float is that the boom position is closer to the leading edge than the unit. When the boom connection is as close as possible to the leading edge you get the benefit of better pistol grip control when you wave ride while holding the boom instead of the LE handle. As that connection point moves back from the LE a down pressure results in the pistol grip mode and forces you to quickly grab for the LE handle to resolve I also find that tacks are faster with more control the further forward you can get your grip when initiating the tack. I owned floats and units at the same time (same model year), and I have sold all of the units. I do fear that duotone might not be continuing the float so I hope mine last a while. As a side note, I have owned duotone wings in sequence since the first entry into the market in August of 2019. Duotone wings are different than other brands and offer the best grunt in my opinion for low end power. I feel that if you come to winging with a windsurfing mindset duotone is number 1 if you are thinking of sail control from that perspective, but I do respect that most people come from kiting and I get why there are differences in opinion since each rider has such unique requirements to match their use cases and local spot. As always just thought I'd share my opinion with no intention of casting shade on other people's insights.

I have 3.5 and 4.5m Floats and for me best value and as good as more expensive windwings.
Above 4.5 I have 2026 dlab Units which have some of the Floats characteristics.

I'm a Slick user for 2 years 3-4m mod3 5-6m D-labs . I've recently replaced my most used 4m with a2025 unit and I found a lot more power and it tacked like a dream so I've been shopping for 1 wing to replace my 5and 6 d-lab as my 6m is hard to pump as I'm only 5'10. I was looking at a 2025 5.5 unit but maybe I should look at a 5.5 Float ? Being able to tack heel and toe is important to me .

Any one using the 5.5 Float as there light wind wing ? Thanks

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SoloPelican said..
I am traveling in Japan with my Float 5.5 right now. I have used this wing since it came out and I can only speak to its absolute perfection in terms of basic usability and ripping. Just yesterday I stepped off of the beach at a new location and healside tacked onto a wave like I was on a 4 meter so I have no idea why anyone would suggest that it is limited somehow in design. This wing became a daily driver on a switch from the unit wing and there are specific reasons as a wave rider why I find the Float superior to the unit. The name as implied is accurate...the wing drifts up when luffing and 'rests' in a floating way. This is especially helpful on tacks, and really helps make healside tacks easy. The key reason that I prefer the float is that the boom position is closer to the leading edge than the unit. When the boom connection is as close as possible to the leading edge you get the benefit of better pistol grip control when you wave ride while holding the boom instead of the LE handle. As that connection point moves back from the LE a down pressure results in the pistol grip mode and forces you to quickly grab for the LE handle to resolve I also find that tacks are faster with more control the further forward you can get your grip when initiating the tack. I owned floats and units at the same time (same model year), and I have sold all of the units. I do fear that duotone might not be continuing the float so I hope mine last a while. As a side note, I have owned duotone wings in sequence since the first entry into the market in August of 2019. Duotone wings are different than other brands and offer the best grunt in my opinion for low end power. I feel that if you come to winging with a windsurfing mindset duotone is number 1 if you are thinking of sail control from that perspective, but I do respect that most people come from kiting and I get why there are differences in opinion since each rider has such unique requirements to match their use cases and local spot. As always just thought I'd share my opinion with no intention of casting shade on other people's insights.

2026 Units flag much better than 2025. (But I've never used a Float).

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Beans said..
I'm a Slick user for 2 years 3-4m mod3 5-6m D-labs . I've recently replaced my most used 4m with a2025 unit and I found a lot more power and it tacked like a dream so I've been shopping for 1 wing to replace my 5and 6 d-lab as my 6m is hard to pump as I'm only 5'10. I was looking at a 2025 5.5 unit but maybe I should look at a 5.5 Float ? Being able to tack heel and toe is important to me .

Sounds like the 5.5m unit would best suit you.I had these exact wings (mod3 slicks and upgraded to 2025 units), I now have a mix of unit DLAB/SLS and the DLAB do have a larger wind range. I find the unit tacks better than the float. It also floats well.. I ride mine in the surf.. if you can demo do it for sure, everyone is different.

Thanks guys

Any one know when the new Floats (inc sls version apparently) will be released into the shops?

March
speak to your shop as first batch will be pre orders. general stock in April I expect