The 2023 Duotone Unit is a wing design that is the latest in the Duotone wing line up that offers hard handles and pitched for those who like surf/downwinding, jumping/freestyle and freeriding. The only discipline missing from the marketing is racing and I think Duotone will leave that for the stiffer/lighter Unit D/Lab.
The biggest development with the 2023 Unit is the canopy. The MOD3 fabric boasts double the strength in the warp direction and 3 times the stretch resistance in the bias direction (picture below to explain), making it significantly more durable than traditional canopies. We have noticed a few wings starting stretch even after limited use. Duotone have created this MOD3 material specifically for wings. As the progression of the sport has increased the wing performance has also improved but the materials did not change and this has caused wings to stretch and warp under the increased load. Higher speeds, bigger jumps and bigger crashes have led to new materials being needed and this MOD3 canopy feels incredibly strong.
This new material paired with the tried and tested rigid handles, enables the wing to get you up flying really quickly. The stiffness of the canopy/handles and improved grunt/low end power all work together to allow you as the rider to pump effectively up onto the foil and then sheet in and go.
Often with improved low end there is a sacrifice with top end control but due to the tighter canopy and new optimized dihedral angled wingtip the strut twist is minimal giving a nice stable wing through the range of power. When over powered or looking for some more control the wide handles give plenty of room for micro adjustments on the go (slide both hand forward to open the wing up to spill excess power) or drop the pressure in the wing by 0.5 PSI and the wing tips will flex off giving a softer feel to the whole wing.
This same wing tip angle also helps stabilize the wing for better drift when surfing or flying the wing neutrally through manoeuvres.
So overall the wing really does cater for all types of riders whether you’re drawing flowing lines in the surf and open ocean swells, looking for lift and hang time in tacks and jumps, or simply like riding with extra power in the smallest wing possible.
The Duotone Unit 2023 delivers Power & Stability which are two key ingredients for most riders. We got to try the 4m Unit in a flat water, waves and did some epic up wind to enable some huge downwinders and the wing delivered with great success in winds of about 15-25 knots on a 36L board and 850cm² foil.
Check out the King Of Watersports Buyers Guide that explains the differences in wing types and shapes here.
Make sure you check out all the wings available at King Of Watersports here – https://www.kingofwatersports.com/foil-wing/foil-wings