North Nova Pro 2025 VS 2024

Direct fitting the boom like the standard Nova and ditching the track system would be a great start to dropping weight

These are my impressions of the 2025 Nova pro in 4.2 and 5.4 after about 20 sessions. That's 30 hours and 230 miles pretty evenly split, probably a little more time on the 4.2.

TLDR: They are well built and come with a good bag/accessories. I like the boom but not shiftlock. I like the windows and valves. They have good low end for their size and great upwind VMG(speed and angle) but feel quite heavy. The 5.4 is ok to use and has a decent wind range but is a bit nervous. The 4.2 is very unstable at all times and is really a pain to use. I plan to replace the 4.2 soon, and decide about the 5.4 after trying a different 4 meter. I don't know if my wings are representative of most 2025 Nova pros.

For context I'm an intermediate winger without experience with a lot of different wings. I can ride around regular and switch, get all my gybes, play around carving hard and breaching tips, and get some of my tacks. I don't jump or have any significant time in waves. I'm riding a 66L Omen Emissary with North MAv2 foils. I'm upgrading from 2023 Nova wings in 4.2 and 5.0. I also had a 7.0 Nova light air for a while and have rented a few different wings on vacation.

Both wings feel very well built and like they will last a long time. I really like the feel of the boom. I know many people don't like windows but in my busy spot I find them helpful and the ones on the Nova pro are perfectly located so you see through them while holding the wing in the normal position. The valves just work, and while a small thing that's one of the quality of life things that kept me away from the duotone unit. The bags are high quality and hold the wings ok with the boom attached, and compress down smaller with the boom off for travel. You also get some repair materials which I appreciate.

While I like how the boom feels in the hand I am not a fan of shiftlock. While waiting for the second boom to arrive I had one boom to use between the two wings. It works ok but it is actually a little hard to get the front one on where the strut starts to curve away from the boom. I stripped 2 shiftlock screws trying to get the front secured over a 3 or 4 sessions, and they stripped before the boom was tight. I think because they are M6 and it seems like the nut is thinner with fewer threads than standard it strips too easily. You need to partially deflate the strut or push down really hard on the boom to prevent this. Even fully tightened the front of the boom on the 4.2 creaks and you feel movement in gusts. In my opinion there is no real benefit to shiftlock as I can't imagine any situation where moving the boom or handles forward or back would be helpful. They are long enough to just move where you hands sit. I don't really believe the bolt ropes meaningfully increase stiffness in the strut, and they can't help with the weight. I had wanted to try the j handle but it was never in stock. I think shiftlock was a cool idea and worry North is too invested in it to move away, but something like the unit where you have 4 holes on the strut and either use 2 or 4 screws for handle or boom makes more sense. They should cut their losses on shiftlock because it's not worth any weight or cost penalty at all.

I think both wings have a decent low end to get on foil easily but they do feel heavy. I know there was some discussion of their weights and if that really matters while flying. Perhaps the actual weight doesn't matter but these wings feel heavy in a way that detracts from using them. Gybing at the lower end of their range the tail will drop noticeably and you are holding the wing up at arms length instead of flying it which is tiring. Holding the wing up waiting for a gust to take off my arms also get tired more quickly.

For the rest let me talk about each wing separately:

5.4

The 5.4 does have a lot of power for the size, so it's a very manageable light air wing size wise. Weight wise it's the worse of the two because its just heavier from the increased size, and you are more likely to be using it in marginal conditions. The tail dropping in gybes and lulls is very noticeable. I do find the tips bend a little too easily for hard pumping at the recommended 7 psi, but at 8 it's good. It handles gusts ok for the size but is a little nervous and has a tendency to try and do it's own thing through transitions. It is also very eager to flip over in the water. Overall it's an ok wing, I don't love it but can have a good time winging with it.

4.2

The 4.2 on the other hand is pretty frustrating to use. The low end power is again good for the size, but I find it very challenging to pump effectively which limits the ability to take off. It does not handle gusts well at all, having a tendency to violently dive towards the water and catch a wing tip causing a crash if you don't react instantly. It doesn't seem to work well in a partially powered position, so it's all or nothing. This is very tiring when in the upper end of the wind range. As mentioned above the shiftlock creaks and you feel movement in gusts, which does not inspire confidence to go far from shore. For what its worth the canopy is very tight right behind the leading edge, more so than the 5.4. I tried using it several PSI under the recommended pressure but this did not do much to tame it.

I find gybes and tacks to be quite challenging with this wing as well. Again the tips have a tendency to dive or dart back in the previous direction, and you have to really force it through the turn instead of flying it. For tacks it fights you turning into the wind. When you fall in the water the wing wants to flip over more aggressively than any wing I have ever experienced by a large margin. Even if you choke up on the leash 6" from the wing it will find a way to flip over. If you do manage to keep it right side up it will porpoise violently enough it actually makes it pretty hard to get back on the board.

Overall the 4.2 has a pretty aggressive mind of it's own. On a very steady day in the middle of it's range it's ok, but any gusts, shifts, or higher winds and it's genuinely unpleasant and frustrating. I took my old 4.2 out back to back and while it was much slower and the angles were far worse, it was in many ways more enjoyable to use.
I reached out to North and they responded quickly, and we went back and forth as they asked for more info. In the end based on my pictures and description they could not determine anything was wrong. They suggested I could reach out to the retailer I purchased it from, or to either of the two closest dealers to me. Unfortunately I'm not close to any retailers (also why I couldn't demo before buying) so I have not been able to go either try another nova pro or have them try mine as they are many hours away. I have a hard time asking the retailer I purchased from to handle this when there is no clear defect, and North have already said they can't see anything wrong, so I have not yet done that. Based on this experience I think that had there been a clear defect North would have handled it quickly.

So that's my experience with the 2025 Nova Pro. If they both behaved like the 5.4 or if this was a mode ultra or another race oriented wing I might think that this behavior is by design. As a freestyle wing, even a high performance one, the behavior of the 4.2 just doesn't work. I'm not sure if there's a problem with my wing or if I just really don't like the design. I'd love to hear if anyone has a 2025 4.2 they love. For my part I plan to replace the 4.2 with something else and then evaluate replacing the 5.4 once I find a wing I like. Open to any suggestions for favorite 2025 wings. Might try the unit SLS even with the dumb valve.

I've had similar warranty experience with North. other brands have immediately recognized the issue and take care of it, but North really makes you have to unnecessarily justify the case. Very frustrating - I have clear photos showing how the wing was incorrectly sewed affecting performance, but they're making me go back and forth unnecessarily with both them and my shop. I heard Mike Raper on a podcast saying customer service and taking care of the customer is very important, but they will push back on customers "abusing" the process - unfortunately I think they've taken it too far.

I've had 2 north wings and both have had issues (one outside of warranty). I really wanted to like North wings because they seem to have great materials and a solid design, but their construction doesn't seem to have the consistency of other brands.

well I flew the new one, the violent diving at the water is fixed but it still has a slight tendency to do so - I have to say I'm not a fan.

It's got a terrible low end and this was the overriding experience for me - and the first basic requirement of any wing, which is get you onto foil.

People on 4m were getting up around me, I'm on a 4.8m and getting nowhere. Switched to an old 2024 5m Duotone Unit - got up no problem at all. I prefer the Mode PRO 2025 - it's better all round, it also doesn't have a great low end but then it's not meant to have that but it was still more intuitive than the Nova and pumped better.

The only redeeming feature was it tacked pretty well (as did last years Nova PRO) , aside from that it was heavy and really not that nice to use. I will do a full review but I'm going to struggle to put positive elements into the review. I'm not sure what has happened here but the 2024 Nova PRO was a better wing.

For those who have owned/tested the Nova Pro (2024 or 2025) and the Mode Pro (2024 or 2025), what are the differences between these two wings and for which type of rider/program are they most suitable?
I'm hesitating between the Nova Pro and the Mode Pro for a large build of 1m89 and 110kg, for Freeride practice and an intermediate level, knowing that I'm looking for a model that is easy to pump and allows for quick takeoff, so a good low range but which remains healthy and easy in its high range.

about to order the North Nova Pro 2024 4.2m based on the great comparisons in this thread (so far riding the normal Nova in various sizes). Which boom size did you choose? I'd go for the 1100mm one. Only downside vs the 950mm would be a bit higher weight. Appreciate any feedback / considerations!

I guess I got lucky w my year 25 version Nova Pro 4.2.
We're finally getting wind and got to play w it today. Fast, powerful, great on jumps and so easy to jibe and tack.