My new 2025 North Nova Pro 4.8 just arrived (early March).
Following my comparison of the 2025 (V2) 4.8 vs the 2024 (V1) 5.0 model, side by side:
- Refined outline
- Profile with less sweep in the center of the leading edge
- New size range: 4.8 V2 replaces 5.0 V1, added 5.4 V2 , 6.2 V2 replaces 6.0 V1
- Revised windows layout
- Radial load diffusers at the end of the strut and wingtips
- New panel layout and increase of the Matrix canopy use (80%), when compared to the previous model (+-60%)
- Reduced shift lock track size
- New revised and longer handle
- Sizes 4m to 6.2m compatible with ShiftLock Carbon Boom 1100mm
- New Carbon Boom in 950mm (fits sizes 3.5 and 2.9).
- ShiftLock Camera mount only compatible with 950mm carbon boom due to reduced track size
Looking forward to ride new V2 and share my first impressions!
Looking forward to hearing more about how the 2025 rides! I'm due for a refresh of my 2023 nova this spring and was eyeing the nova pro. When you do share your thoughts I'd love to also hear how it compares to the 2025 mode pro if you have ridden it. I was thinking about a nova pro in a larger size like 5.5 and a mode pro in a smaller size like 4.2.
Thoughts on a good 2-3 wing quiver from the current north pro lineup would be great!
Watching with interest, the 2025 Mode Pro looks very good. Have you had any issue with the shiftlock track catching your fingers in transitions at all?
The 2024 wing flew well it was just way too heavy. For me that is the main thing they need to fix but so far I'm yet to see any weight stats for the 2025 nova pro.
Select to expand quoteMeonAsh said..
The 2024 wing flew well it was just way too heavy. For me that is the main thing they need to fix but so far I'm yet to see any weight stats for the 2025 nova pro.
Select to expand quoteTangur said..MeonAsh said..
The 2024 wing flew well it was just way too heavy. For me that is the main thing they need to fix but so far I'm yet to see any weight stats for the 2025 nova pro.
So about 100g lighter than 2024, it's better but it's still one of the heaviest wings on the market.
Select to expand quoteFarNorthSurfer said..
Watching with interest, the 2025 Mode Pro looks very good. Have you had any issue with the shiftlock track catching your fingers in transitions at all?
Hi FarNorthSurfer
I am riding the Mode Pro 2025 V3 and so far no issues at all with the shift lock track.
Same for the Nova Pro.
And I ride both handles and the boom in different sizes.
Best regards,
Frank
Select to expand quoteFoilLifePodcast said..FarNorthSurfer said..
Watching with interest, the 2025 Mode Pro looks very good. Have you had any issue with the shiftlock track catching your fingers in transitions at all?
Hi FarNorthSurfer
I am riding the Mode Pro 2025 V3 and so far no issues at all with the shift lock track.
Same for the Nova Pro.
And I ride both handles and the boom in different sizes.
Best regards,
Frank
Thanks for that. I am up in the North of Scotland and get almost zero chance to demo or see new kit.
Just have to read everything I can and take a punt.
I'm on Duotone Slicks just now but the DLab stuff is way out of my budget for a new quiver. The North Pro wings look good for the price.
Select to expand quoteFarNorthSurfer said..FoilLifePodcast said..FarNorthSurfer said..
Watching with interest, the 2025 Mode Pro looks very good. Have you had any issue with the shiftlock track catching your fingers in transitions at all?
Hi FarNorthSurfer
I am riding the Mode Pro 2025 V3 and so far no issues at all with the shift lock track.
Same for the Nova Pro.
And I ride both handles and the boom in different sizes.
Best regards,
Frank
Thanks for that. I am up in the North of Scotland and get almost zero chance to demo or see new kit.
Just have to read everything I can and take a punt.
I'm on Duotone Slicks just now but the DLab stuff is way out of my budget for a new quiver. The North Pro wings look good for the price.
It is impossible to get your fingers caught in the tracks, even if you tried. They are so thin, so close to the strut and don't have grooves.To reinforce the point, it's as impossibly far fetched as someone catching their fingers on the stitching of the strut 
I have not caught my fingers in the tracks, yet, and I love using the Nova Pro with a boom. It is something of a game changer. Much more precise and forgiving handling, and much more gentle on the hands and fingers. The ribbed pad on the ends of the boom protects the board from boom strike.
The only negative with the ShiftLock is the screws are a little short, and the captive nuts are a bit thin. It's easy to undo the screws too far and have things fall apart. I lost a screw when that happened.
And the screws are unique. Black 23mm x M8 with 13mm torx T40 head. The nearest standard screws are stainless 25mm x M8 with a 12mm head. They work ok, but they're not the same. When fully tightened the end of the thread sticks out a couple of mm.
I have caught the tip of a finger against the strut of the Mode Pro, with handles, and the finger got bent backwards. It was quite painful at the time, but no permanent damage done. Everything that can happen, does happen.
My very early wings had seam stitching directly under the handles. The edge of the fabric and the stitching tore skin off knuckles and the fabric edges frayed badly. I modified the wing to cover the stitching and upgrade the handles, and the manufacturer brought out a new model with similar improvements. Way too much winging with soft handles has caused some long lasting finger damage.
Thanks for the info on the Shiftlock, I was following up beach talk about the system but it was hearsay. There's a lot of disinformation out there.
Regarding the custom screws in the system, thats the one thing that winds me up about the Armstrong High Performance mast and the short front wing screws. It's impossible to buy M7 tracks screws as its not a standard size and the short wing front screws are also a non standard length. Design will for sure say that these are the 'perfect' size for the job. The same with the Shiftlock boom screws. Cynics will say its just another income stream for the brand. Not sure how many grams the M7 screws save when they could have used easily available M8 hardware like an increasing majority of brands.
Any input on the 2025 Nova Freeride? Don't want to start a new thread. Pro's/Con's vs Nova Pro.
Select to expand quoteShlogger said..
Any input on the 2025 Nova Freeride? Don't want to start a new thread. Pro's/Con's vs Nova Pro.
The fixed boom sounds like a much better idea.
Select to expand quoteMeonAsh said..Tangur said..MeonAsh said..
The 2024 wing flew well it was just way too heavy. For me that is the main thing they need to fix but so far I'm yet to see any weight stats for the 2025 nova pro.
So about 100g lighter than 2024, it's better but it's still one of the heaviest wings on the market.
Nova pro 2024 4.2 is 2.55 kg + handles/boom and the Nova Pro 2025 4.2 is 2.7kg + handles/boom. So the 2024 model is actually 150g lighter than the 2025. Or what im I missing? I won't upgrade my 2024 Nova pros until i see a weight reduction, so I'm crossing my fingers for the 2026 model.
Do you really care about 150g or even 250gram?
These wings are really well build and my nova pro 24 still feel like the first day. No stretching and rock solid. I tried some different brands but quickly came back on the nova pro. Yes they where a bit lighter. But you only notice that in really light conditions. Once the breeze is up i dont notice it at all.
Also, boom is the lightest version.
Select to expand quotelarsdegroot said..
Do you really care about 150g or even 250gram?
These wings are really well build and my nova pro 24 still feel like the first day. No stretching and rock solid. I tried some different brands but quickly came back on the nova pro. Yes they where a bit lighter. But you only notice that in really light conditions. Once the breeze is up i dont notice it at all.
Also, boom is the lightest version.
I really like my nova pro 2024 wings, evnen though they are on the heavier side. But coming from a much lighter Vayu aura v2 I could really notice the weight difference when dropping in on waves from tanker/cargo ships going downwind. The nova pro wings didnt flag out as good and got backwinded easier.
That being said i share your view when winging in good wind conditions. They are great wings.
Select to expand quoteBlippblurp said..MeonAsh said..Tangur said..MeonAsh said..
The 2024 wing flew well it was just way too heavy. For me that is the main thing they need to fix but so far I'm yet to see any weight stats for the 2025 nova pro.
So about 100g lighter than 2024, it's better but it's still one of the heaviest wings on the market.
Nova pro 2024 4.2 is 2.55 kg + handles/boom and the Nova Pro 2025 4.2 is 2.7kg + handles/boom. So the 2024 model is actually 150g lighter than the 2025. Or what im I missing? I won't upgrade my 2024 Nova pros until i see a weight reduction, so I'm crossing my fingers for the 2026 model.
I see 2.46kg for the 2024, and 2.7kg for the 2025, so yes seems heavier not lighter. They do all say +/-10%. Add 2 handles or a boom and you are at 3.04-3.19kg.
Not fair to compare it to a dlab price wise but the 2025 Unit SLS is 2.11kg for the 4.5 meter and in the same ballpark price wise. They don't seem to publish the weight of their handles, anyone have them? If the handles are similar the new nova pro is almost 30% heavier than similarly priced and slightly larger competition. I have to imagine you can feel that difference. Maybe there are better wings to compare to, I don't know the characteristics of the unit.
I need to upgrade my 2023 Nova's and have mixed feelings about this. The 2023 was 2.9kg with handles so moving to a 2025 pro from a 2023 dacron the weight increased almost 10%. Now I've been very impressed with the build quality and how long these have lasted for plain dacron wings. It sounds like the nova pros are great in this regard too. If I get an extra season or more of good performance compared to the competition, or they are less prone to damage, that weight penalty could absolutely be worth it.
Feeling wise it's true that most of the time I'm not really aware of the weight of the wing. It probably effects performance and fatigue in maneuvers when you are swinging it around, and I absolutely notice when waiting for a gust to get up or trying to keep the wing off the rocks on shore. You are just holding a weight at arms length haha. How much does weight effect performance flagged out? Doesn't seem like that's a strong point for the new nova.
Anyway, I'm still really considering the the 2025 Nova pros, but the weight is making me want to at least try them against some other brands before committing. If they were a little lighter I'd probably just buy sight unseen since I don't have anywhere to demo around here, but it's making me think I could be missing out. If they feel great while using them I'll accept the weight for durability.
Select to expand quotejoeballow said..Blippblurp said..MeonAsh said..Tangur said..MeonAsh said..
The 2024 wing flew well it was just way too heavy. For me that is the main thing they need to fix but so far I'm yet to see any weight stats for the 2025 nova pro.
So about 100g lighter than 2024, it's better but it's still one of the heaviest wings on the market.
Nova pro 2024 4.2 is 2.55 kg + handles/boom and the Nova Pro 2025 4.2 is 2.7kg + handles/boom. So the 2024 model is actually 150g lighter than the 2025. Or what im I missing? I won't upgrade my 2024 Nova pros until i see a weight reduction, so I'm crossing my fingers for the 2026 model.
I see 2.46kg for the 2024, and 2.7kg for the 2025, so yes seems heavier not lighter. They do all say +/-10%. Add 2 handles or a boom and you are at 3.04-3.19kg.
Not fair to compare it to a dlab price wise but the 2025 Unit SLS is 2.11kg for the 4.5 meter and in the same ballpark price wise. They don't seem to publish the weight of their handles, anyone have them? If the handles are similar the new nova pro is almost 30% heavier than similarly priced and slightly larger competition. I have to imagine you can feel that difference. Maybe there are better wings to compare to, I don't know the characteristics of the unit.
I need to upgrade my 2023 Nova's and have mixed feelings about this. The 2023 was 2.9kg with handles so moving to a 2025 pro from a 2023 dacron the weight increased almost 10%. Now I've been very impressed with the build quality and how long these have lasted for plain dacron wings. It sounds like the nova pros are great in this regard too. If I get an extra season or more of good performance compared to the competition, or they are less prone to damage, that weight penalty could absolutely be worth it.
Feeling wise it's true that most of the time I'm not really aware of the weight of the wing. It probably effects performance and fatigue in maneuvers when you are swinging it around, and I absolutely notice when waiting for a gust to get up or trying to keep the wing off the rocks on shore. You are just holding a weight at arms length haha. How much does weight effect performance flagged out? Doesn't seem like that's a strong point for the new nova.
Anyway, I'm still really considering the the 2025 Nova pros, but the weight is making me want to at least try them against some other brands before committing. If they were a little lighter I'd probably just buy sight unseen since I don't have anywhere to demo around here, but it's making me think I could be missing out. If they feel great while using them I'll accept the weight for durability.
You absolutely can feel the difference.
I reviewed the 2024 Nova Pro last year and whilst I felt it was a well built wing that in general had good performance characteristics it was let down by the weight. Fine if you are nicely powered constantly not so great if your conditions vary.
If you are slogging when the wind drops, holding up an extra few hundred grams at arms length for 15 minutes is no joke.
If you are doing a gybe and floating the wing in lighter winds then the rear of the wing drops on you sooner.
If you are doing any advanced gybes like race gybes or heinekens you feel the weight of the wing when you manipulate it.
If you are surfing wind blown swell and flying downwind on that swell the tail of the wing drops much earlier than lighter wings and gets in the way.
You can argue that if it's heavier built it lasts longer and that may be true if you are looking to keep wings two seasons. But with wing designs still improving yearly I feel it is still more cost effective to sell wings after a year rather than two years when most people know there isn't much life left in them. Plus you get the advantages and improvements of the newer wing designs, which whilst becoming more modest year on year are still worth having.
Wing weight does matter and if you prefer a light playful wing with a good flag out then a heavy wing is not an easy sell.
There is of course a threshold, you can go too light - then durability suffers but I think most brands are managing to, for the most part, strike this balance.
In the North range, weirdly, it is the Mode Ultra that seems to have the best weight dynamics at 2.7kg for a 5m.
Select to expand quotejoeballow said..Blippblurp said..MeonAsh said..Tangur said..MeonAsh said..
The 2024 wing flew well it was just way too heavy. For me that is the main thing they need to fix but so far I'm yet to see any weight stats for the 2025 nova pro.
So about 100g lighter than 2024, it's better but it's still one of the heaviest wings on the market.
Nova pro 2024 4.2 is 2.55 kg + handles/boom and the Nova Pro 2025 4.2 is 2.7kg + handles/boom. So the 2024 model is actually 150g lighter than the 2025. Or what im I missing? I won't upgrade my 2024 Nova pros until i see a weight reduction, so I'm crossing my fingers for the 2026 model.
I see 2.46kg for the 2024, and 2.7kg for the 2025, so yes seems heavier not lighter. They do all say +/-10%. Add 2 handles or a boom and you are at 3.04-3.19kg.
Not fair to compare it to a dlab price wise but the 2025 Unit SLS is 2.11kg for the 4.5 meter and in the same ballpark price wise. They don't seem to publish the weight of their handles, anyone have them? If the handles are similar the new nova pro is almost 30% heavier than similarly priced and slightly larger competition. I have to imagine you can feel that difference. Maybe there are better wings to compare to, I don't know the characteristics of the unit.
I need to upgrade my 2023 Nova's and have mixed feelings about this. The 2023 was 2.9kg with handles so moving to a 2025 pro from a 2023 dacron the weight increased almost 10%. Now I've been very impressed with the build quality and how long these have lasted for plain dacron wings. It sounds like the nova pros are great in this regard too. If I get an extra season or more of good performance compared to the competition, or they are less prone to damage, that weight penalty could absolutely be worth it.
Feeling wise it's true that most of the time I'm not really aware of the weight of the wing. It probably effects performance and fatigue in maneuvers when you are swinging it around, and I absolutely notice when waiting for a gust to get up or trying to keep the wing off the rocks on shore. You are just holding a weight at arms length haha. How much does weight effect performance flagged out? Doesn't seem like that's a strong point for the new nova.
Anyway, I'm still really considering the the 2025 Nova pros, but the weight is making me want to at least try them against some other brands before committing. If they were a little lighter I'd probably just buy sight unseen since I don't have anywhere to demo around here, but it's making me think I could be missing out. If they feel great while using them I'll accept the weight for durability.
Duotone Aluula wings are now only marginally lighter than their std wings and heavier than they used to be. But even their std models are lighter than North. I don't know where the North weight comes from. The leading-edge material feels no stiffer than Dacron. At the same time North is making the lightest windsurf sails on the market.
Select to expand quoteFaff said..joeballow said..Blippblurp said..MeonAsh said..Tangur said..MeonAsh said..
The 2024 wing flew well it was just way too heavy. For me that is the main thing they need to fix but so far I'm yet to see any weight stats for the 2025 nova pro.
So about 100g lighter than 2024, it's better but it's still one of the heaviest wings on the market.
Nova pro 2024 4.2 is 2.55 kg + handles/boom and the Nova Pro 2025 4.2 is 2.7kg + handles/boom. So the 2024 model is actually 150g lighter than the 2025. Or what im I missing? I won't upgrade my 2024 Nova pros until i see a weight reduction, so I'm crossing my fingers for the 2026 model.
I see 2.46kg for the 2024, and 2.7kg for the 2025, so yes seems heavier not lighter. They do all say +/-10%. Add 2 handles or a boom and you are at 3.04-3.19kg.
Not fair to compare it to a dlab price wise but the 2025 Unit SLS is 2.11kg for the 4.5 meter and in the same ballpark price wise. They don't seem to publish the weight of their handles, anyone have them? If the handles are similar the new nova pro is almost 30% heavier than similarly priced and slightly larger competition. I have to imagine you can feel that difference. Maybe there are better wings to compare to, I don't know the characteristics of the unit.
I need to upgrade my 2023 Nova's and have mixed feelings about this. The 2023 was 2.9kg with handles so moving to a 2025 pro from a 2023 dacron the weight increased almost 10%. Now I've been very impressed with the build quality and how long these have lasted for plain dacron wings. It sounds like the nova pros are great in this regard too. If I get an extra season or more of good performance compared to the competition, or they are less prone to damage, that weight penalty could absolutely be worth it.
Feeling wise it's true that most of the time I'm not really aware of the weight of the wing. It probably effects performance and fatigue in maneuvers when you are swinging it around, and I absolutely notice when waiting for a gust to get up or trying to keep the wing off the rocks on shore. You are just holding a weight at arms length haha. How much does weight effect performance flagged out? Doesn't seem like that's a strong point for the new nova.
Anyway, I'm still really considering the the 2025 Nova pros, but the weight is making me want to at least try them against some other brands before committing. If they were a little lighter I'd probably just buy sight unseen since I don't have anywhere to demo around here, but it's making me think I could be missing out. If they feel great while using them I'll accept the weight for durability.
Duotone Aluula wings are now only marginally lighter than their std wings and heavier than they used to be. But even their std models are lighter than North. I don't know where the North weight comes from. The leading-edge material feels no stiffer than Dacron. At the same time North is making the lightest windsurf sails on the market.
I heard that the 2025 Unit SLS has outsold the normal 2025 Unit dacron wing - I don't know if this is actually true but I do know that locally more people bought SLS than they did dacron, so it wouldn't surprise me. This just highlights the focus on lighter wings, so it does puzzle me that North continue to come to the market with these weights.
Select to expand quoteMeonAsh said..Faff said..joeballow said..Blippblurp said..MeonAsh said..Tangur said..MeonAsh said..
The 2024 wing flew well it was just way too heavy. For me that is the main thing they need to fix but so far I'm yet to see any weight stats for the 2025 nova pro.
So about 100g lighter than 2024, it's better but it's still one of the heaviest wings on the market.
Nova pro 2024 4.2 is 2.55 kg + handles/boom and the Nova Pro 2025 4.2 is 2.7kg + handles/boom. So the 2024 model is actually 150g lighter than the 2025. Or what im I missing? I won't upgrade my 2024 Nova pros until i see a weight reduction, so I'm crossing my fingers for the 2026 model.
I see 2.46kg for the 2024, and 2.7kg for the 2025, so yes seems heavier not lighter. They do all say +/-10%. Add 2 handles or a boom and you are at 3.04-3.19kg.
Not fair to compare it to a dlab price wise but the 2025 Unit SLS is 2.11kg for the 4.5 meter and in the same ballpark price wise. They don't seem to publish the weight of their handles, anyone have them? If the handles are similar the new nova pro is almost 30% heavier than similarly priced and slightly larger competition. I have to imagine you can feel that difference. Maybe there are better wings to compare to, I don't know the characteristics of the unit.
I need to upgrade my 2023 Nova's and have mixed feelings about this. The 2023 was 2.9kg with handles so moving to a 2025 pro from a 2023 dacron the weight increased almost 10%. Now I've been very impressed with the build quality and how long these have lasted for plain dacron wings. It sounds like the nova pros are great in this regard too. If I get an extra season or more of good performance compared to the competition, or they are less prone to damage, that weight penalty could absolutely be worth it.
Feeling wise it's true that most of the time I'm not really aware of the weight of the wing. It probably effects performance and fatigue in maneuvers when you are swinging it around, and I absolutely notice when waiting for a gust to get up or trying to keep the wing off the rocks on shore. You are just holding a weight at arms length haha. How much does weight effect performance flagged out? Doesn't seem like that's a strong point for the new nova.
Anyway, I'm still really considering the the 2025 Nova pros, but the weight is making me want to at least try them against some other brands before committing. If they were a little lighter I'd probably just buy sight unseen since I don't have anywhere to demo around here, but it's making me think I could be missing out. If they feel great while using them I'll accept the weight for durability.
Duotone Aluula wings are now only marginally lighter than their std wings and heavier than they used to be. But even their std models are lighter than North. I don't know where the North weight comes from. The leading-edge material feels no stiffer than Dacron. At the same time North is making the lightest windsurf sails on the market.
I heard that the 2025 Unit SLS has outsold the normal 2025 Unit dacron wing - I don't know if this is actually true but I do know that locally more people bought SLS than they did dacron, so it wouldn't surprise me. This just highlights the focus on lighter wings, so it does puzzle me that North continue to come to the market with these weights.
Locally I see more SLS than std Units as well.
North Nova Pro 2025 designer notes with the North crew:
Just had my 1st session on the 2025 3.5 Nova Pro. Not the best conditions gusty 15-25. I've come from 2024 Slicks so I expect it will take me a few sessions to sort myself out.
Flags nice and always seemed manable in the gusts. Boom is nice on the hands.
One thing that stood out was how nicely it felt heal side tacking just seemed to flip over my head effortlessly. The long leash is interesting compared to a coil it got stuck around my head during tacks once or twice until I adapted to it.
Getting it in the bag with the 950 boom is a ball ache, need to rethink my folding or take the boom off!
If anyone has a good way of getting the 3.5 in its bag with a boom post some details please!
Anyone with time on both the Duotone Unit and the Nova Pro? Would love to know how they compare. I'm deciding between them to replace my 2023 Novas and can't try either locally. Thinking about either the 2025 nova pro or 2025 unit SLS in ~4m and ~5.5m.
Hi Joe, I had the chance to ride both the 4.8 and 5.0 back to back. Here are my thoughts:
- The Unit feels significantly lighter in your hands. - The wingspan of the Unit is wider, which means the wingtips are more likely to touch the water.
- The Unit SLS still features a Dacron front strut material, which I've found tends to stretch over time, causing the wing to lose its shape in the long run. This was a key reason for my switch to North wings.
- The Nova Pro (models 24 and 25) incorporates a carbon tape in the leading edge/front strut, which helps maintain its shape over time and counteracts material stretch. My frequently used 5.0 model from 2024 has retained its shape after over 40 sessions.
- Although the Nova Pro feels heavier, once you're in motion, that extra weight becomes insignificant, and the wing maneuvers more intuitively than the lighter Unit. The Nova Pro excels in all types of maneuvers.
- The grip on the North boom/handle is softer compared to the Duotone boom/handles.
- The 25 Nova Pro has slightly looser canopy tension than the 24 Nova Pro, which allows for earlier lift. Once filled with wind, the load distribution is much improved thanks to the new panel layout. So, I'm completely sold on the Nova Pro, both the 24 and 25 models.Cheers, Frank
Select to expand quoteFoilLifePodcast said..
Hi Joe, I had the chance to ride both the 4.8 and 5.0 back to back. Here are my thoughts:
- The Unit feels significantly lighter in your hands. - The wingspan of the Unit is wider, which means the wingtips are more likely to touch the water.
- The Unit SLS still features a Dacron front strut material, which I've found tends to stretch over time, causing the wing to lose its shape in the long run. This was a key reason for my switch to North wings.
- The Nova Pro (models 24 and 25) incorporates a carbon tape in the leading edge/front strut, which helps maintain its shape over time and counteracts material stretch. My frequently used 5.0 model from 2024 has retained its shape after over 40 sessions.
- Although the Nova Pro feels heavier, once you're in motion, that extra weight becomes insignificant, and the wing maneuvers more intuitively than the lighter Unit. The Nova Pro excels in all types of maneuvers.
- The grip on the North boom/handle is softer compared to the Duotone boom/handles.
- The 25 Nova Pro has slightly looser canopy tension than the 24 Nova Pro, which allows for earlier lift. Once filled with wind, the load distribution is much improved thanks to the new panel layout. So, I'm completely sold on the Nova Pro, both the 24 and 25 models.Cheers, Frank
I really appreciate you taking the time to write that out Frank! I've been asking all over before I drop a few thousand on new wings and could not find anyone with experience on both. Was almost considering buying one of each in the same size to decide haha.I've been leaning nova pro because I do value longevity but was worried about the weight in maneuvers specifically. Sounds like that is not an issue.
Any feedback on how they both flag out?
If you have to pick a 2 wing quiver of nova pros what 2 sizes would you pick?
I decided on a 2.9, 3.5, and a 4.8
Hoping to try the 4.8 today for some more feed back..
Select to expand quotejoeballow said..FoilLifePodcast said..
Hi Joe, I had the chance to ride both the 4.8 and 5.0 back to back. Here are my thoughts:
- The Unit feels significantly lighter in your hands. - The wingspan of the Unit is wider, which means the wingtips are more likely to touch the water.
- The Unit SLS still features a Dacron front strut material, which I've found tends to stretch over time, causing the wing to lose its shape in the long run. This was a key reason for my switch to North wings.
- The Nova Pro (models 24 and 25) incorporates a carbon tape in the leading edge/front strut, which helps maintain its shape over time and counteracts material stretch. My frequently used 5.0 model from 2024 has retained its shape after over 40 sessions.
- Although the Nova Pro feels heavier, once you're in motion, that extra weight becomes insignificant, and the wing maneuvers more intuitively than the lighter Unit. The Nova Pro excels in all types of maneuvers.
- The grip on the North boom/handle is softer compared to the Duotone boom/handles.
- The 25 Nova Pro has slightly looser canopy tension than the 24 Nova Pro, which allows for earlier lift. Once filled with wind, the load distribution is much improved thanks to the new panel layout. So, I'm completely sold on the Nova Pro, both the 24 and 25 models.Cheers, Frank
I really appreciate you taking the time to write that out Frank! I've been asking all over before I drop a few thousand on new wings and could not find anyone with experience on both. Was almost considering buying one of each in the same size to decide haha.I've been leaning nova pro because I do value longevity but was worried about the weight in maneuvers specifically. Sounds like that is not an issue.
Longevity is hard to gauge (unless they fall apart). Wings can look completely fine, but be deteriorating slowly. So when you try a new wing, you then realize just how bad your 2-season old wing is. (And then is it bad because it deteriorated or because there's been that much progress in 2 years?)
Im really interested in the quality of the wing. Does that NWeave45 indeed lasts longer? Hows the shape after 1 year? Compared to other wings...
Select to expand quotePatsSurf70 said..
Im really interested in the quality of the wing. Does that NWeave45 indeed lasts longer? Hows the shape after 1 year? Compared to other wings...
I was skeptical but I have a 2 season old Mode 4.2. I remember laughing when I pulled it out of the bag the first time. I was no thinking "No Way this pretty white wing will last". However, this wings still almost looks new and it's had a ton of use, 75% waves, 25% bay. The Nweave45 breaks in nicely over time, easy to roll up after a few sessions and the Matrix canopy is still crisp. I wish the new NovaPro was built w full NWeave and Matrix, but I guess I'll have to trust that they've tried it and it wasn't as wave friendly.
Select to expand quoteShlogger said..PatsSurf70 said..
Im really interested in the quality of the wing. Does that NWeave45 indeed lasts longer? Hows the shape after 1 year? Compared to other wings...
I was skeptical but I have a 2 season old Mode 4.2. I remember laughing when I pulled it out of the bag the first time. I was no thinking "No Way this pretty white wing will last". However, this wings still almost looks new and it's had a ton of use, 75% waves, 25% bay. The Nweave45 breaks in nicely over time, easy to roll up after a few sessions and the Matrix canopy is still crisp. I wish the new NovaPro was built w full NWeave and Matrix, but I guess I'll have to trust that they've tried it and it wasn't as wave friendly.
That is exactly why there is the mode pro in the lineup. Full nweave for a super direct and powerful wing. Nova Pro has dacron, for a bit more forgiving wing. It releases gusts better and easier to handle for freestyle.
