Description
NOVA - Performance Freeride Wing
Sizes: 1.9 / 2.5 / 2.9 / 3.5 / 4.2 / 5 / 6 / 7m
2023 North Nova Wing V3 Review
Tucker's Thoughts:
The Nova V3 is an impressive wing option for almost any rider. However, Beginner-advanced riders who want easy, pull and go performance with versitility will find this wing uniquely suited for them. The impressive grunt and lift gets you up on foil easily in lighter winds and smaller gear but maintins an excellent range into higher winds as well. The frame is solid, handles are stiff, and the canopy is taught so the wing is reactive and easy to control in any condition. For a versitile wing, it has impressive luffing and surf performance for when the waves get good. The easy upwind and top end speed will get you back to the peak quickly to do it all over again. Small details like the long spanning handles, dual boston valve inflation/deflation make the 2023 Nova intuitive, comfortable, and reliable on the water. It's an excellent addition to their lineup for those riders who want a more accessible, powerful, and easy to ride wing compared to the Mode.
if you enjoy wings such as the Duotone Unit, Slick, F-one Strike, you'll find this is a competitive option as well.
North Says:
Your everything. A wing with power when needed, leaving no rider wanting. Maximum low-end to get you up on the foil earlier. Top-end performance that lets you exploit gusty conditions. A wing that feels stable and balanced to fly, has lift through manoeuvres and feels light in your hands.
Description:
The 2023 Nova has a structurally balanced freeride shape for enhanced aerodynamic performance. Engineered for stability in gusty winds, the new Nova has a progressive swept outline and refined profile section, making it easier to handle and more stable when riding. Your front and back arm pressure is even, not backhand-heavy. The wing creates lift so that you can glide through turns effortlessly without any tail drop. Precise yet compliant. The wingtip geometry and balanced dihedral also prevent oscillation side-toside when gripping the front handle, riding downwind swell, surfing, or simply walking towards the water. With a sweet spot so generous, it makes hard things easy. The new draft-forward curvature in the profile section generates more lift in the front of the wing. This makes transitions smoother and, when combined with improved canopy tensioning, boosts Nova’s low-end power. So much so you can drop down a size. The stiffer, more responsive airframe and tighter skin tensioning mean the canopy stays clean through a wider wind range. We’ve minimised flutter and created a clean trailing edge release with reduced drag. To ensure the wing remains stable and comfortable in overpowered conditions, we've tapered the leading-edge diameter, concentrating the stiffness in the LE centre and allowing the reflexed wingtips to dump excess power. Master of the upwind, glide through tacks, float through gybes, and lofty jumps with bonus hangtime. Whatever goal you’re chasing, the Nova will send you there faster.
Features:
- Stable balanced geometry
- Maximum low-end power for instant up & go
- Swept outline with pulled-in tips
- Stiffer, more responsive airframe
- Cleaner canopy and TE tensioning
- Load-bearing panel layout
- Bigger wind range
- Reduced overall weight
- Lighter feel with uplift for effortless transitions
- Tapered reflexed wingtips for top-end de-power
- Depowered trailering stability
- Wide-angle window positioning
- Versatile and easy to use
- Excellent loft and hangtime
- Independent dual-inflation pressure for strut and LE
Materials:
- New N-HTRS High-Performance Canopy Material
- Durable and lightweight Dacron LE/Strut material
- Intuitive rigid GripLock handles (optional Carbon handles sold separately)
- New silicon knuckle guard under depower handle
- New strategic STPU scuff protection
- New lighter-weight bladder material, reinforced in high-wear areas
Specs:
SIZE | 1.9M | 2.5M | 2.9M | 3.5M | 4.2M | 5.0M | 6.0M | 7.0M |
WINGSPAN | 185 | 220 | 254 | 273 | 294 | 320 | 333 | 347 |
PSI | >10 | >10 | >10 | >9 | >8 | >8 | >7 | >7 |
FRONT HANDLE | 400MM | 400MM | 400MM | 400MM | 500MM | 500MM | 500MM | 500MM |
REAR HANDLE | 400MM | 400MM | 400MM | 400MM | 400MM | 400MM | 500MM | 500MM |
WINDOWS | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
BATTENS | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO | NO |
VALVES* |
1x LE VALVE 1x STRUT VALVE 1x HOSE |
2x HYPERFLOW VALVE 1x HOSE |
2x HYPERFLOW VALVE 1x HOSE |
2x HYPERFLOW VALVE 1x HOSE |
2x HYPERFLOW VALVE 1x HOSE |
2x HYPERFLOW VALVE 1x HOSE |
2x HYPERFLOW VALVE 1x HOSE |
2x HYPERFLOW VALVE 1x HOSE |
HARNESS | FIX TO HANDLE | FIX TO HANDLE | FIX TO HANDLE | FIX TO HANDLE | FIX TO HANDLE | FIX TO HANDLE | FIX TO HANDLE | FIX TO HANDLE |
WIND KNOTS** | 6+ | 20-40+ | 18-40 | 16-36 | 12-32 | 9-26 | 8-24 | 7-20 |
WEIGHT KG +/- 10%*** | 1.79 | 2.06 | 2.13 | 2.36 | 2.68 | 2.93 | 3.23 | 3.47 |
Gallery:
1 Review
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North Nova v3 4.2M
Works really well and a great value for the price. I enjoying the smooth power delivery and the ability of the wing to handle gusts. Flags out pretty well though would probably do so a bit better if it were a bit lighter. The main complaint I have with this wing is the valves. I've cleaned out the valves (making sure there isn't sand) but even if I tighten them as much as I can they still slowly let out some air when the wing is inflated to ~8psi. The leak is pretty small and hard to detect but you can hear it if you poor a bit of water around the valve. The wing holds air fine throughout a 2 hr session but hearing the air coming out is not very confidence inspiring. Also for some reason it's hard to get the pressure gauge to register the pressure when pumping this wing (not a problem when pumping my duotone wings) but that could be a problem with how tightly the hose attaches to the valve -- but this would hopefully not be an issue with a better valve design.