Duotone 2024 Unit vs Slick - what to get?

I have been a Duotone boom user since my first 5m Echo and using mostly SLS Slicks with one V3 and an 8m Ventis. Hardly use the 8m since I bought the 6.5m V3. So unsurprisingly my vote would be for the Slick. I prefer the full boom to the handles and think the other differences are pretty small now. The boom does give the chord of the wing some stiffness over the handle wings IMHO.

What I would appreciate from Duotone is a two part travel boom that fits in the inflatable Sky Air board bag. Can't believe this hasn't been considered by Duotone. I am using the original carbon booms not the SLS version.

Also its nice not to be told by soft handle brand users how rubbish booms are anymore because most of those brands are now selling wings with booms or at least long hard handles.

....just curious - are you boom aficionados using the wings in Waves??

As a long time Slick and Unit user (21, 22 and 23), I really like both. Slick is slightly advantageous for wing manouvers as being able to slide the hands along the boom is a bit better. Unit is good in that you can't leave the boom at home - Doooh! And it does feel like it has a bit more low down to get you flying than the slick. But both are fantastic wings.

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michaelpaf said..

CraigGDuotone said..
Hi Michael,

Slicks coming soon, 13.3.24, have tried some of the protos/pre-production, a nice upgrade to the 2023, especially in power and low end. As a Unit user myself, located mainly in fresh water/Lake locations, I prefer the Unit for the low end power and lift for lighter winds/jumping. But both Wings have their positive points, the Slicks usually have a better top end, slightly less lower end/raw power.

For the combo you mentioned, 85kg/95L board (you did not mention the foil size), I'd go for either a 5.5 or a 6.0 size Wing, depending on your local conditions of course. And depends on the other sizes in your quiver. 5.5 better for 12-15+ knots, below that, the 6.0 is always nice to have, but wider span/bit more "bulky" during manouevers. Hope that helps.

ps Long front handle on the Unit 24 does replace a lot of the boom feeling/necessity, but there are still differences in the wing characteristics (Slick more compact, bit softer, better top end/Unit more low end and lift, better for tacking&waves)

Hey Craig, thanks a very lot for your inputs. My 90% setup is slingshot PTM899 (900cm?) with the 360 V rear wing. For maximising the low end power we test currently the PFI928 vs E990 VS E1090 vs G1007.

For maximium low end you mentionend the unit has more power. How less / big is the difference out of your point of view?
Seems we have quite the same conditions. Our main spot has often typical gusty low end conditions. In the winter it's way more better but starting with february, march every knots of wind you don't need for fun could be essential.

You mentionend the low end power of the 24 prototype increased. Is that them comparable with the unit?
Yes...I love boom and if I don't loose to much I tend to slick.
How big is the windrange out of your point of view?

This guys here described the slick like the best wing ever ?:

The 2023 Slick... TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE? | Windsurf Pro and Average Joe REVIEW | Secrets of the Send - YouTube

Thanks again !! :-)

Hi Michael, sorry for the delay, got some frozen water surfing in on the weekend. It's hard to put a number on the exact difference, I would say 2-3 knots in terms of being able to pump up onto the plane- thing is, on a gusty lake, there is almost always a little gust to get going. It's more noticeable with the very light wind thermals, where the wind is constantly 8-10knots, no bigger gusts - that is where the Unit has the edge (in the bigger sizes for that wind speed and the same in smaller sizes then for strong winds). Not a huge difference, for people who have good conditions - for what you describe, yes, I know the feeling.

2024, close but not as powerful, the Unit remains the most powerful, due to the wingspan and general concept. But compared to the SLS or older versions, there is a LOT more power than before in the 2023 and 2024 Slicks. Wind range on a Slick 2023 or 2024 6.0 is probably around 8-18knots, ie going thru holes/top end - but of course currents/swell/salt or fresh water and mostly rider skill make the difference.

Looking at Cabo Verde GWA event yesterday, they are riding 5.0's with 40L boards and getting over-foiled with 650/550 front wings- it's glassy and 8-12 knots...:-) So the rider skill is often the biggest difference, obviously that is a different game altogether, but shows it's sometimes hard to compare user comments. Sounds like you like the Slick, maybe wait for the 2024? or get a good deal on the 2023.

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CraigGDuotone said..

michaelpaf said..

CraigGDuotone said..
Hi Michael,

Slicks coming soon, 13.3.24, have tried some of the protos/pre-production, a nice upgrade to the 2023, especially in power and low end. As a Unit user myself, located mainly in fresh water/Lake locations, I prefer the Unit for the low end power and lift for lighter winds/jumping. But both Wings have their positive points, the Slicks usually have a better top end, slightly less lower end/raw power.

For the combo you mentioned, 85kg/95L board (you did not mention the foil size), I'd go for either a 5.5 or a 6.0 size Wing, depending on your local conditions of course. And depends on the other sizes in your quiver. 5.5 better for 12-15+ knots, below that, the 6.0 is always nice to have, but wider span/bit more "bulky" during manouevers. Hope that helps.

ps Long front handle on the Unit 24 does replace a lot of the boom feeling/necessity, but there are still differences in the wing characteristics (Slick more compact, bit softer, better top end/Unit more low end and lift, better for tacking&waves)

Hey Craig, thanks a very lot for your inputs. My 90% setup is slingshot PTM899 (900cm?) with the 360 V rear wing. For maximising the low end power we test currently the PFI928 vs E990 VS E1090 vs G1007.

For maximium low end you mentionend the unit has more power. How less / big is the difference out of your point of view?
Seems we have quite the same conditions. Our main spot has often typical gusty low end conditions. In the winter it's way more better but starting with february, march every knots of wind you don't need for fun could be essential.

You mentionend the low end power of the 24 prototype increased. Is that them comparable with the unit?
Yes...I love boom and if I don't loose to much I tend to slick.
How big is the windrange out of your point of view?

This guys here described the slick like the best wing ever ?:

The 2023 Slick... TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE? | Windsurf Pro and Average Joe REVIEW | Secrets of the Send - YouTube

Thanks again !! :-)

Hi Michael, sorry for the delay, got some frozen water surfing in on the weekend. It's hard to put a number on the exact difference, I would say 2-3 knots in terms of being able to pump up onto the plane- thing is, on a gusty lake, there is almost always a little gust to get going. It's more noticeable with the very light wind thermals, where the wind is constantly 8-10knots, no bigger gusts - that is where the Unit has the edge (in the bigger sizes for that wind speed and the same in smaller sizes then for strong winds). Not a huge difference, for people who have good conditions - for what you describe, yes, I know the feeling.

2024, close but not as powerful, the Unit remains the most powerful, due to the wingspan and general concept. But compared to the SLS or older versions, there is a LOT more power than before in the 2023 and 2024 Slicks. Wind range on a Slick 2023 or 2024 6.0 is probably around 8-18knots, ie going thru holes/top end - but of course currents/swell/salt or fresh water and mostly rider skill make the difference.

Looking at Cabo Verde GWA event yesterday, they are riding 5.0's with 40L boards and getting over-foiled with 650/550 front wings- it's glassy and 8-12 knots...:-) So the rider skill is often the biggest difference, obviously that is a different game altogether, but shows it's sometimes hard to compare user comments. Sounds like you like the Slick, maybe wait for the 2024? or get a good deal on the 2023.

How does the 2024 Slick compare to the SLS in terms of bottom end? Would it be fair to say a 2024 4.0 is like a 4.5 SLS?

I use slick in the waves all the time flagged from the front handle, does flop a bit (2023 slick) but manageable, low end is fantastic and I get down to 8knots w/5m and sinker w/big foil.

I heard 2024 slick release is April and not to customers until May, hopefully earlier though!

Mod3 is the real deal, I have approximately 300 sessions on mine and it's still pretty good actually. I had a 2022 Unit and it was bagged horribly after 50+ sessions.

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MrFish said..
2024 Slick demos are in shops in NZ. Look nice.

Hey Mr Fish, what shops? im in Auckland and there is a sad lack of duotone retail up here, Assault seem to be the closest in Tauranga.

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CraigGDuotone said..

michaelpaf said..

CraigGDuotone said..
Hi Michael,

Slicks coming soon, 13.3.24, have tried some of the protos/pre-production, a nice upgrade to the 2023, especially in power and low end. As a Unit user myself, located mainly in fresh water/Lake locations, I prefer the Unit for the low end power and lift for lighter winds/jumping. But both Wings have their positive points, the Slicks usually have a better top end, slightly less lower end/raw power.

For the combo you mentioned, 85kg/95L board (you did not mention the foil size), I'd go for either a 5.5 or a 6.0 size Wing, depending on your local conditions of course. And depends on the other sizes in your quiver. 5.5 better for 12-15+ knots, below that, the 6.0 is always nice to have, but wider span/bit more "bulky" during manouevers. Hope that helps.

ps Long front handle on the Unit 24 does replace a lot of the boom feeling/necessity, but there are still differences in the wing characteristics (Slick more compact, bit softer, better top end/Unit more low end and lift, better for tacking&waves)

Hey Craig, thanks a very lot for your inputs. My 90% setup is slingshot PTM899 (900cm?) with the 360 V rear wing. For maximising the low end power we test currently the PFI928 vs E990 VS E1090 vs G1007.

For maximium low end you mentionend the unit has more power. How less / big is the difference out of your point of view?
Seems we have quite the same conditions. Our main spot has often typical gusty low end conditions. In the winter it's way more better but starting with february, march every knots of wind you don't need for fun could be essential.

You mentionend the low end power of the 24 prototype increased. Is that them comparable with the unit?
Yes...I love boom and if I don't loose to much I tend to slick.
How big is the windrange out of your point of view?

This guys here described the slick like the best wing ever ?:

The 2023 Slick... TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE? | Windsurf Pro and Average Joe REVIEW | Secrets of the Send - YouTube

Thanks again !! :-)

Hi Michael, sorry for the delay, got some frozen water surfing in on the weekend. It's hard to put a number on the exact difference, I would say 2-3 knots in terms of being able to pump up onto the plane- thing is, on a gusty lake, there is almost always a little gust to get going. It's more noticeable with the very light wind thermals, where the wind is constantly 8-10knots, no bigger gusts - that is where the Unit has the edge (in the bigger sizes for that wind speed and the same in smaller sizes then for strong winds). Not a huge difference, for people who have good conditions - for what you describe, yes, I know the feeling.

2024, close but not as powerful, the Unit remains the most powerful, due to the wingspan and general concept. But compared to the SLS or older versions, there is a LOT more power than before in the 2023 and 2024 Slicks. Wind range on a Slick 2023 or 2024 6.0 is probably around 8-18knots, ie going thru holes/top end - but of course currents/swell/salt or fresh water and mostly rider skill make the difference.

Looking at Cabo Verde GWA event yesterday, they are riding 5.0's with 40L boards and getting over-foiled with 650/550 front wings- it's glassy and 8-12 knots...:-) So the rider skill is often the biggest difference, obviously that is a different game altogether, but shows it's sometimes hard to compare user comments. Sounds like you like the Slick, maybe wait for the 2024? or get a good deal on the 2023.

Hi Craig,
no issues, no hurry....hope you njoyed frozen water session also when I don't know how to surf on frozen water
Thanks a very lot for your impressions. I know that the rider skills can make a very very huge difference. And just also knowing and practised often enough how to pump the wing, the board etc.

So we get also good deals on new 2024 models. So I really tend to the new ones. Yes I love boom, but also i love to fly early.
I love range to hold the quiver small and the efforts on a often wind changing day. At windfoil in 90% of conditions I took on sail and was able to use the whole session also when fin guys changed 3 times their sail.

But 2-3 knots sounds much more as expected. Would mean if for the unit 8 - 10 knots are enough with same rider and setup the slick needs 10-13 knots. This could be a real session killer.

Out of your feeling from the tests of the 24 modell went the difference down in 2024? And if how big was it for you?
Friend of me who rides a 23 Slick mentioned that the windrange of slick seems to much bigger as for unit. When takes on size the unit drivers change 2 -3 times the wings.
Have you just experience about possible quivers? As the stuff costs not less money my goal is to cover with 2 Wings 95% of sessions...
Is a 6,0 and 4,5 setup realsitic?

Thanks a lot and have great day

I would like to use the Slick as a downwindwing. Ride out with the Slick, deflate it and then back with the paddle. To do this, I would like to use a paddle instead of the boom. The paddlehandle fits wonderfully into the boom mount. At the rear end, I would attach the paddle with velcro to the strap attachment where the boom comes in. My concern is that the load on the strut will be too great, because the paddle does not have the same supporting function as the boom. In this case, the paddle would look more like handles that have been attached to the strut. If you compare the strut diameter of the Slick with the diameter of the Unit, you will see that the Unit has a much thicker strut than the Slick. Has anyone ever attached a paddle to the Slick? And if so, how? Maybe Craig knows more? Thank you so much for your help!

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airsail said..

caracol said..
I would like to use the Slick as a downwindwing. Ride out with the Slick, deflate it and then back with the paddle. To do this, I would like to use a paddle instead of the boom. The paddlehandle fits wonderfully into the boom mount. At the rear end, I would attach the paddle with velcro to the strap attachment where the boom comes in. My concern is that the load on the strut will be too great, because the paddle does not have the same supporting function as the boom. In this case, the paddle would look more like handles that have been attached to the strut. If you compare the strut diameter of the Slick with the diameter of the Unit, you will see that the Unit has a much thicker strut than the Slick. Has anyone ever attached a paddle to the Slick? And if so, how? Maybe Craig knows more? Thank you so much for your help!

If your downwinding your on a big front wing and long low drag board. So you will be using a much smaller wing than usual, say a 3.5 rather than a 5mtr in similar conditions. Hence bugger all load on the wing so I doubt you would have any issues.

I was thinking about the same thing. Velcro wrapped around the rear pocket loop might be enough if generally underpowered as Airsail said. As a more robust option I was going to get a piece of schedule 40 PVC (thick wall) around the right diameter (1 1/4" OD) and cut it to ~ 4". Just sand the edges smooth. No need to end cap it. Then I would either slit the pipe on both sides of the main pocket loop to accept Velcro or even just use contact cement or a tiny screw/bolt/washer to secure the Velcro to the pipe.

Now you have two Velcro straps and the load is distributed through the pvc pipe similar to the boom instead of just pulling on the webbing. A 4" length of 1 1/4" pvc won't add any serious weight. When you pop the paddle, just resecure the straps, leave the pipe in the rear pocket and fold up the wing. Thinking I could also use a d-strap instead of Velcro and a carbon tube section instead of Sched 40 PVC, if you want to get fancy. You could even use wood dowling and epoxy coat it. Slitting the tube would take a bit of shop tool finesse but quick/easy if you're DIY handy. How well will it work? Who knows,..cheap/easy to try. I make my own 320 gram carbon booms and rear strut Gopro Max mounts

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On question I have still regarding the boom: There are two options at the boom. Is the much more expensive carbon boom the money worth? What are the big differences between the booms? Especially on the water?

The SLS boom has a smaller diameter. In the summer I don't care much. But in the winter, if you wear gloves, the smaller size is much better.

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RossDK said..

On question I have still regarding the boom: There are two options at the boom. Is the much more expensive carbon boom the money worth? What are the big differences between the booms? Especially on the water?

The SLS boom has a smaller diameter. In the summer I don't care much. But in the winter, if you wear gloves, the smaller size is much better.

In the winter, I think a boom made from a broken ice hockey stick is the clear winner. Lightweight and the surface is made to be gripped with gloves on. I still use the hockey booms in the summer, but I use a version with a rubber grip because the bare hockey stick doesn't have quite as much grip when it's wet (as long as it's dry, it's fine). I also like the rectangular cross section.

Apart from the handle vs boom... What about the differences in the wing. For example, the wingspan of the unit is between 12 and 14 cm wider relative to the same size Slick. The only exception is the 5.5 where there is only 3 cm difference in the wingspan. The Unit is marketed more for waves vs the Slick but a wider wingspan seems counter intuitive to this.
Is the wider wingspan offset by a shorter cord on the Unit? Therefore let tip flying close to the water surface?

I have the 6.5m Slick SLS and a 5m Unit D/Lab. The cover on the boom is joined on the inner of the boom and is coming off the boom. This is a pain vs the Unit handles that are just fine. I would have thought the join for the boom should be on the outside of the boom, not where your hands are loaded against it.