![]() ![]() It's got a dump valve on the strut to easily evacuate that and pack up, and there is also one out on the wingtip to dump all the air from the leading edge. Just like all other Duotone wings in the past couple of years, we have the Air Port valve, and as I mentioned, you're going to need that special Duotone adapter for your pump. It's nice to have that punchy, solid connection when you're pumping or on the light end, but on the high end it is a little bit more physical and demanding in gusts and those really inconsistent situations. It does feel more direct and punchy when you're pumping or if you hit a gust, so it's both good and bad. It is a stiffer canopy material, so I would say it's a little upgrade in terms of stiffness and rigidity through the canopy this year. The new canopy material is a little bit heavier than the previous year, but it is more durable. It also does a good job of helping to support that canopy shape. That's going to make the wing a bit more ergonomic and comfortable to hold. Just like last year, we do have a bent strut. It balanced out really nicely from those two points, so it's pretty set-it-and-forget-it with this wing. I did find on the 4.5 that on the inside stanchion was a nice spot. There is a hole in the stanchion that you can loop through, and I did that on the rear handle, but I like to have my front rope attachment free to move around to help adjust for the wind range and help balance the wing out, so I have that looped around the handle. There are no formal harness line attachment points, so if you're using a rope like I am, you're just going to connect to the handle stanchions. There are no changes there, and really none needed, from my perspective. They're very comfortable, very grippy and easy to ride with lots of control and very direct input into the wing. These are solid handles, and they're removable via a Phillips number three screw head, just like last year. Moving down, we have the Duotone hard handle system. It allows you to pick which leash you like best, whether that's a wrist leash, a waist leash, or maybe you have a specific brand or type that you really like. That's a good thing the Kaohi leash is one of my favorite leashes and I can use that without paying extra to have a Duotone leash included that I wouldn't have used anyway. ![]() The leash connection is here but, as I mentioned, a leash is not included, so you'll want to add a leash if you don't already have one that you want to use. ![]() It's lightweight and it's got a nice neoprene pad underneath. It is a little stiffer for this year, though it is still pretty thin and a bit too floppy to always have complete control in crazy conditions, but it does the trick. Starting from the top down, we have the leading edge, or surf, handle. You'll also need to buy a pump adapter if you don't already own one or have a Duotone pump, otherwise you won't be able to pump up your wing. With any Duotone wing, you're not going to have a leash or a harness line included. This year we've got some slit windows rather than the big window, upgraded canopy material, a little bit more dihedral in the wings, and fewer battens in the trailing edge. It's actually phenomenal, and I think this is going to be the choice for most riders out there between the two. I rode the "standard" construction, not the D/Lab with Aluula, but that's not to say that this is a lesser wing. There are some notable changes this year, but they didn't get away too much from the Unit DNA. This is the version 3, so they've really done a lot of refining over the past couple of years. I'm Tucker, and today I'm going to bring you a review on one of the most hotly anticipated wings this year, the 2023 Duotone Unit. Welcome back to MACkiteboarding Wing Wednesdays. ![]()
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