The SUPER HERO’s consistent evolution makes it an even better World Cup sail with an extremely wide range of use in the wave. It continues to deliver great high-end performance even in gusty and/or nuking conditions such as the Canary Islands or South Africa, remaining under perfect control with high winds and during extremely overpowered jumps. And yet it also boasts powerful acceleration capabilities at the lower wind limit, alongside an adjustable power/drive, which comes in handy when sailing in down-the-line spots like Maui or Mauritius.
To achieve this extraordinary overall package, designer Kai Hopf is tasked with combining numerous individual designs into a single concept. This includes the BATTEN-FREE CENTRE, additional MINI BATTENS, the HOLLOW LOWER LEECH and our unique RADIAL LOAD SWOOSH running from the clew. Only then can this four-batten wave sail offer a wind range whose breadth is without rival.
In terms of handling, the superiority of the SUPER HERO is beyond doubt thanks to its low weight. The batten rotation is beautifully soft, even with minimal outhaul tension. The top works very actively and thus supports the propulsion. Therefore you can confidently choose a sail size smaller than with many other wave sails.
SUPER HERO HD
Although generally sharing the same structure, the SUPER HERO HD dispenses with monofilm even in the window panel.
3D View
Reviews
Any comments or questions? Here you’ll find first hand R&D / rider Information.
The more info you provide, the more specific the advice/help will be. Please let us know:
Your skill level
Your body weight and size
Mast(s) you plan on using with the sail
Board(s) you are using
Conditions/spots you are sailing at
Please note: To help as many people as possible follow the thread, the forum language is English only.
64 comment(s)
Hi, How should I thread the downhaul rope with this double tack roller when using a standard extension like the EPX.XT (that doesn't have loop and go)? I can't work out how to thread with the double pulley without crossing ropes, Thanks
ReplyHi Sam,Welcome to the thread and thanks for bringing this up. In general on nocam sails you should just 2 of the 3 rollers on the sail.As for how to properly thread the rope on the EPX.XT please see attached picture. https://uploads.disquscdn.c...
ReplyIs it possible to remove the blue center blocker piece? I get the advantages of the loop and go but for legacy extensions it would be nice to use the correct rigging. When you have imperfect alignment the pulley cuts into the rope due to the extreme angle shown above.
ReplyDon't attempt to remove the blue center piece. It is not a cover but a functional piece.
ReplyHi Raoul,my current quiver for bump n jump and small waves riding is superstar 4,7 and 5,3(2022 models)and superhero SLS 5,7. I want to buy sail for stronger wind and have two options: Superstar 4,0(2022)or Superhero 4,2(2024). Which one will have more high wind control and range. Boards Goya custom 3 92 liters and Fanatic Skate 100, weight 85 kg.Thank YouPavel
ReplyHi Pavel,Welcome to the thread.Actually the Super_Star 4.7 and 5.3 and the Super_Hero SLS 5.7 make for a pretty good fit since they have a similar draft location thus feeling.As the next step down I would rather go for 4.2 cause 4.7 - 4.0 is a pretty big step. Also in the smaller sizes the lower draft position of the Super_Hero will help you to keep control on your Goya Custom 3 - which is a pretty nice board btw.
ReplyHello,Are there any changes in the 3.0, 3.4, 3.7, 4.0 Superhero from 2022-2024?Thank you.
ReplyHi Ipy,Over the last 3 years our main focus went into the Super_Hero SLS. This extensive R&D is one of the reasons why this sail became such an incredible sail. Therefore on the original Super_Hero we have only improved some small profiling details on certain sizes. But really nothing major.
ReplyHi, I would like to ask a question regarding the downhaul trimming. Should I rig according to the VTS downhaul dots when the sail has no outhaul applied or should I trim according to the dots when outhaul is already applied. I noticed that the outhaul tension affects the loose leech significantly.
ReplyHi Daniel,Welcome to the thread and thanks for bringing this up.As shown in our rigging instructions and YouTube clips the VTS downhaul dots should always be checked on the fully rigged sail means incl. boom and outhaul tension applied. Cause you are fully right changing either one of the tensions (down- or outhaul) will always have a counter effect on the other tension. Means as soon as you change the downhaul tension you will need to re-adjust the outhaul tension as well. And vice versa.
ReplyHi Raoul,I have a few questions regarding sail properties, draft position etc.1. I own and do like my NP fly 2017/2018 4,8 and 4,2. Do you consider these sails as forward-up or center-low sails?2. My other sail set are Severne blades in big sizes and S-1 for 4,6 and down. the blades are for sure forward-up sails, but there is a huge difference in behavior between these sails, the S-1 feel much lower/ centered than the blades. Do you still consider these as forward-up?3. For me the mixture between forward-up and center-low seems perfect if you consider different sail sizes. I love the blades in the big sizes 5.3and up because they provide this light handling and maneuverability that lower sails don't provide. Why do you see this differently?4. Talking about the center of draft: Are you really talking about the center/forward position in the sail or about the harness-line position? Because if you lower the center of draft, the harness lines need to move further rear, just due to geometrical reasons, even if the center remains forward or even moves further forward.Enjoy the wavesJörg
ReplyHi Joerg,Thanks for bringing up these interesting questions.Following to your questions:1. Fly: up until 2018 all NP wave sails had a rather high draft position. With its 3 battens though the Fly had the "lowest" draft position. But compared to our Super_Hero for example it still had a higher draft.2. The Severne wave sails have always been higher draft sails. But you are right the Blade has maybe the highest draft of all wave sails on the market while the S1 has a high but not not super high draft position. 3. Well actually you are kind of right here. A higher draft has its advantages in the bigger sizes as it lifts the board thus improving planing power. Plus coming from a big freeride sail (which are in general higher draft sails) you won't have to adjust your sailing style too much. Lower draft sails on the other hand give you way more control especially when getting overpowered. This is why we have incorporated a size specific draft position on our Super_Hero SLS where the bigger sizes feature a higher draft while the smaller the size gets the lower the draft becomes.4. The harness line position is defined only by the horizontal draft position. Means on draft forward sails you need to position your harness lines further forward than on draft back sails. Please let me know in case you need any further assistance.
ReplyHi Raoul,first of all thanks for your fast and informative reply. 1,2, ok3. leads to a question regarding the characteristic change over sail size. When I (70kg) am sailing my 4,7 or 5,3 as my biggest wave sails I want especially in onshore North Sea conditions a reactive and light sail, that allows me to be in planing conditions for riding the wave and also for jumping. My friend (100kg) uses barely a smaller size than 4,7, where control is everything he wants, I often use a 3,6 when he is riding 4,7. Could the change of mast stiffness (by length) solve this issue for sailors with different weights or does this "kill" the performance? If possible I always use the softer (shorter) mast for my wave sails.4. I agree partially, for a given draft height bringing the draft point forward leads to a harness line mounted further forward.Please find a simplified sketch of what I mean regarding harness line position and draft point. The green dot marks a lower draft point, probably quite realistic for this sail. The connection between mast foot and draft point crosses the boom height at the original harness line position, while the yellow dot marks a higher (probably too high in reality) draft point. Although both dots are on the same 30% forward location, the lower draft point requires a more rearward harness location. When sailing I can experience this when retrimming my sail, for instance more downhaul to open the top, make it lighter, less drag and faster. Although the draft moves slightly forward (an assumption, not measured) in the sail, due to the fact that it moves significantly lower I have to position my harness lines further rear.I have to admit that this is more or less an "academic" question, because it does not affect my trimming or sailing, but interesting to realize that when duotone discusses horizontal draft point position they only consider harness line position.Enjoy sailingjörg
ReplyHi Joerg,Re 3: Normally it's the other way around. Lighter guys usually are more struggling with control rather than getting going while it's the opposite with heavy sailors. But both a heavy and a lightweight sailor will face conditions being underpowered (where a higher draft helps) as well as being overpowered (where a lower draft helps).But you are right if there are 2 masts being recommended for a sail a very light-weight sailor should take the shorter (= softer) one while a heavy-weight should take the longer (= stiffer) one. In general a light-weight rider should look for a "softer" sail (lower sail foil tension, less battens, softer mast)Re 4: Right this is getting very academic :-) Simple solution: take a Duotone sail where we mark the correct position to place your harness lines :-) :-)
Replyhello , I have a problem with my 2021 super hero (3.7-4.2-4.7) ,which among other things now that I have learned to know them and have become very familiar with them, I really like them on the waves and they manage to be both powerful and neutral on the waves, the problem is that despite have a lot of power, in small wave or bump and jump conditions, I find them with little lift for jumps, this has never happened to me with other sails from other brands, I tried different Downhaul-outhaul settings (minimum and maximum) but not I managed to make it valid for jumping, not even in overpowered conditions, it's as if the sail pushes the board downwards even at high speed and even with a lot of power it doesn't launch me vertically upwards enough and I don't feel that push of lifting that other sails have that allow me to exploit the wind even in the air (hang time), my level on jumps is quite good, could it be a characteristic of the sail that perhaps was designed in this way? I use the Super Hero with the Fanatic Grip.
ReplyHi Leonard,Welcome to the thread.Actually all your findings are fully correct. The Super_Hero features a low draft position. On the newer sail webpages we have added a KNOWLEDGE BASE SAILS (e.g. here: https://www.duotonesports.c... Under BRAND COMPATIBILITY - SAIL-QUIVER BRAND COMPATIBILITY we have described the differences between a low and high draft position quite well.
ReplyThank you Raoul.
Replyplease I ask for one more piece of advice, for years I have been used to using sails with an advanced high draft such as severne or old neil pryde, is there a different technique for jumps between the two types of sails? what do you recommend for me to best use the super hero on jumps even with small waves or chops?
ReplyHi Leonard,With lower draft sails you need to jump more actively.
ReplyGood afternoon.Please let me know if the North sails RDM 430cm 75% Carbon mast fits the DUOTONE Super Hero 5.7 square meter sailGoya Quad 104 boardSincerely, MaximEmail: maxim1870@list.ru
ReplyHi Maxim,On the webpages of the 2024 sails we have included a knowledge base sails where we cover exactly this question:"HOW FAR BACKWARD COMPATIBLE ARE DUOTONE MASTS?In general, at Duotone, we modify our mast curves just very, very moderately, if at all, from one year to the next. There are 2 reasons for this:1. we try to keep our masts compatible with our sails for as long as possible to avoid forcing customers to always buy a new mast with their new sail. 2. our sail designer Kai is always trying to reduce the "design variables" as much as possible. This way he can constantly improve the sails performance. And since the mast curves have a tremendous impact on the sail, he is not very eager to change the curves.Even on our high-performance Platinum mast series, the bend curves are only slightly adjusted from year to year. All other mast series generally remain completely unchanged. This means that as long as you are not a Word Cup pro, you can use 10 year old or even older Duotone masts (or from our previous brand) in our sails."
ReplyHello! I've purchased a 3.7 Super Hero HD 2022 and I'm wondering how to rig it with a classic extension? There's a blue thing instead of the center pulley. Does it mean it's only compatible with a power xt extension?Couldn't find any info on that on the page or the youtube channel.Thanks
ReplyHi Silverthorn1111 - what a cool alias :-) The 2022 version had a tack roller featuring just 2 rollers.Cause actually on a no-cam sail there is only very little difference in the downhaul force between using 2 or 3 rollers.We have described this in detail on the Uni. XT webpage https://www.duotonesports.c...It’s under KNOWLEDGE BASE - USING ALL 3 ROLLERS OF YOUR SAILS TACK ROLLER VS. QUICK LOOP USING ONLY THE 2 OUTSIDE ROLLERS ►VIDEOGood thing is that tack rollers featuring 2 or 3 rollers work equally fine with any extension.
ReplyHello Raoul,My Super Hero 4.2 is extremely efficient. Maybe the best sail of my quiver. I am thinking about buying the same one (2023 model) in 3.7. What is the boom max ? It would be 150 cm. But I am not sure...Have you got the answer ?Thanks a lot.Nicolas
ReplyHi Nico,Thank you so much for the positive feedback on the 4.2.When you use the boom in the highest position and use the maximum outhaul tension the boom length is 152cm.
ReplyYou're welcome. Thanks a lot for your answer.So is there a mistake for the 4,2 boom max ? It is 150 cm...
ReplyHi Nico,Ah now I got it.It is right the 3.7 has a slightly longer boom than the 4.0. The reason is that Kai is a big fan of rather long boom lengths below 4.0 which avoids the small sails becoming too twitchy.
ReplyHello Raoul,Ok. Really clear. Thank you.
ReplyHello Raoul,Another question. With a 370 cm, why do we have to add 4 cm and not only 2 cm ?Thanks.
ReplyHi Nico,Again a very detailed but also very good/valid question.This simply comes from the fact that the shortest setting on most non-Duotone RDM-extensions is 4cm. So within our "eco-system" (means using a Duotone extension) using 2cm is even better.
ReplyHello Raoul,Thanks a lot. Perfectly clear as usual. Everybody should have a Duotone extension.PS : If you are looking for customers' points of view for the development of your products , I am your man.
ReplyHello Raoul,I just received my Super Hero 4.2 (the 2023 one) and my Gold 370. The design of the sail is amazing. Can not wait to try it. A question about the mast. Is there a difference of diameter between the Gold 370 and the Gold 400. I am going to use these two masts with the same boom. Will I have to adjust the tightening of the front-end at each change of mast ?Thanks a lot.
ReplyHi Nico,Happy to hear that you like the optix - wait until you've tried it on the water :-) All mast lengths have a slightly different diameter. This become apparent when having masts with different carbon-%. Cause even though that they are made on the same mandrel a lower carbon content needs to be compensated with an increased wall thickness thus leading to a thicker OD.But in your case with Gold vs. Gold you wan't have this issue. Plus there is no taper in the base on RDM masts. So you won't have to readjust the front-end rope length.
ReplyHello Raoul,Thanks a lot for your answer. I ask the question because the connecting sleeve of my 370 has an unusual shape. It seems quite thick. I join pictures. There is a stop at the base of the sleeve. It's not the case with my 400. Any stop. I thought it was a question of diameter.. https://uploads.disquscdn.c... https://uploads.disquscdn.c...
ReplyHi Nico,Ah now I got it.Over the years we have changed the construction of the connection joint ring. We have switched from an aluminum to a carbon ring construction (like shown in your pic). On some masts there is even not a ring at all. This only works when the (overlapping) connection part is glued into the base. Each of these constructions has its pros and cons so it’s hard to say which one is the best. But none of the connection joint constructions has any influence on the diameter in the boom area.
ReplyHi Adam,Thanks for bringing this up.The closest to the Super_Star is the Duke cause it features a very similar draft position.So I would recon going for the Duke then.Please let me know in case you need any further assistance.
ReplyHi Duotone, is a 2022 Super Hero 3.7 working with a Unifiber Enduro EVO - C80 flex top RDM, 3.40 m (The new Unifiber mast chart does not make things easier). Rider weight is 67 kg.Greetings Matthias
ReplyHi Matthias,Hmm hard to say since we have not Unifiber masts in our sails. In general our smaller wave sails work best with a pure constant curve mast whereas the bigger sizes are best with a slightly softer top.Therefore I have the feeling that your mast won’t work very well in our sails.I‘m sure this is not the answer you were looking for. But since the correct mast (bend curve) so THE one thing ensuring performance and wind range we prefer to give you an honest assistance rather than going for a fast sales success by just replying „it’s gonna be wonderful“.
Replyhi Raoul , i find that the super hero 2021 works very well in onshore side-on conditions with constant wind, but when i use it in very gusty wind conditions side or side-off down the line, it gets very nervous and very stiff in the arms, it often happens to me that during the bottom turn rips the sail out of my hands, I've tried many combinations of settings but I haven't found the right one, what kind of settings do you recommend in those conditions in order to have the most comfortable sail both for surfing and for having control in jumping? I use the duotone silver mast and duotone silver boom
ReplyHi Leonard, I am glad you like the Super Hero for onshore side-on conditions. When it comes to side off down the line it is also a great sail. Normally in offshore, the wind is more gusty so I normally used a sail size smaller (on a floaty board) compare to onshore on the same wind range because there is a lot of wind on the surface of the wave so if you are too over power you get to loaded off the top of the wave while doing a top turn. The Super Hero is power full but it has a good wind range. I hope my tip can help you
ReplyHi I have recently purchased a F Pace 5.8 for Windfoiling. It’s great . I have a North 400SDM mast & want a 5.0 wave sail mainly for Windfoiling but also for bump & jumpWould you recommend the 5.0 Super Hero or the Super Star for Windfoiling ?
ReplyHi Paul,Thanks for bringing this up and sorry for the delayed reply.One or maybe the most essential feature of a foil is that it need a forward oriented draft position. And that’s why the Super_Star works very well for Windsurf Foiling whereas the Super_Hero is not really the best foil sail.Happy to hear that you like your new F_Pace. One thing to consider though: due to the much reduced drag when flying foil sails require softer masts. And RDM masts are softer than SDM mast. Means I would definitely recon to at least try a RDM mast on your F_Pace. I’m pretty sure you‘ll be surprised about how it will improve your sail.
ReplyHi , i am french rider, from atlantic coast (Britanny) and usally in Leucate3.4/4/4.5/5./5.7 2021 Hero with North/Duotone mast gold or platinim 340/370/400/430 . ( and 6.2 Star to complete wave quiver )Quiver for two , my girlfriend and me. Nothing to add. very easy to ride, in low or high wind. so we will be complete quiver with 2.8 now vor may girlfirend ...
ReplyHi Pascal,Thanks a lot for the positive feedback.Happy to hear that you like your Super Hero quiver.Re Now 2.8: I promise you your girlfriend will love the Now cause it's like the Super Hero just a bit softer to fit for lighter weight people.
ReplyHi Raoul, I have a SuperHero 4.7 (I believe it's 2019 or 2020) and I just bought a new Duotone Silver RDM mast 400cm. When rigged for the first time, I had a strange problem because the battens could not rotate at all. What can be the reason / how can I make it work? Thank you!
ReplyHi Giuseppe,That is very very strange indeed.How much downhaul have you applied? Up to the VTS dots I assume?How much outhaul did you put on the sail?Have you used the Super Hero with a different mast before? And if so which kind of mast was that and did it have the same issue?Maybe add some photos so that I get a better understanding what might be the issue.
ReplyThanks Raoul for your reply. I bought the sail 2nd hand, it's in very good condition and the previous owner used to rig it with an old north sail mast. I put 5cm of extension, and applied downhaul up to the max - I was not looking at the VTS system though. On the outhaul, I was at around 163cm with an old boom with a RDM/SDM adaptor. I'l try to rig it again with a new Duotone boom when I'll receive it next week, and try to play with outhaul a bit more looking at VTS. I'll let you know if it works and will add some photos if I still have the issue. Thank you
ReplyHi Giuseppe,Please never trim according to the specs. Use the specs only to setup the components.Trim the downhaul always according to the VTS dots.Concerning the outhaul trim please proceed as following (after having applied the correct downhaul tension):- Pull the outhaul until you start feeling a resistance. Therefore pull with 2 fingers only. - Now fix the rope in the cleat as this is your starting point- From this point on you need to pull 8cm of rope for minimum outhaul tension and up to 16cm for maximum tension
ReplyHi Raoul, is the same outhaul valid for those 2021 using the duotone mast? 8-16cm is a lot compared to other sails from other brands, it would be nice if you made a detailed rigging-tuning video.
ReplyHi Leonard,Please note that with the usual 2:1 outhaul transmission 8cm rope length translates into 2cm eyelet movement which is really not a lot.Re rigging/tuning video: already filmed and it’s being edited at the moment. So should be online within the next couple of weeks.
Replyperfect, I'm happy that the video will come out. thank you very much.
ReplyMaybe more of a question to Simmer and Unifiber, but Duotone are so open with your numbers, appreciate that very much. I will try to get an answer from the others as well.I'm looking at buying a Super Hero 3.4 which I found for a good price. The rest of my wave line is all Blacktip 2019 and a SX8 340-mast (and an SX10 370 for the larger sails).Simmer says their rigs are cc with hard bottom and flex top. No numbers, do you know more?Unifiber says Simmer and Duotone has similar curvature. (but in the previous method, Duotone cc and Simmer Flex)You say cc, and that Simmer is less than ideal (70-80%).What gives? Who is right? Is the difference actually not that big? :-)I am 192 cm, 82 kg, sail in Sweden on a Starboard quad 79 2016.
ReplyHi Niclas,Our compatibility suggestions are based on personal tests of non-Duotone masts in our sails. But obviously we cannot test every length (usually we test RDM 400 and SDM 460 masts since these are the most common lengths). Plus we are not able to do these tests every year. When we had tested the Simmer masts in our sails (approx. 3-4 years ago) we felt they worked ok but we could definitely feel a difference to our masts.But again this might be different with the RDM 340 length.
Replymy 3.7-4.2-4.7-5.3 sail set with MaverX brand 340-370-400 masts respectively
ReplyHi Thomas,As mentioned below in the conversation with Leonhard unfortunately we have not tested MaverX masts in our sails thus we don't know if they work in our sails or not.
ReplyThanks for your answer Raoul, I'd like to see a video or some images-photos to understand what the right profile of the super hero must be in relation to the first lower batten.
Replyhi, the super hero in the 2021 model is it normal that the first batten the one under the boom protrudes outside the mast? I noticed that it protrudes both when the downhaul is at minimum vts and also when it is at max vts, if I position it standing out of the water doing a simulation I see that it struggles to pass to the other side, I would not want it to be damaged the mast and also the sail, rig with constant mast.
ReplyHi Thomas,Could you please let me know which mast you’re using with your sails.
Replyok, thank you.
Replyhi, are maverx mast rdm compatible with super hero 2021? if they are compatible, with what percentage of work?
ReplyHi Leonard,Our SAIL-MAST BRAND COMPATIBILITY recommendations are based on personal testing of different brand masts in our sails. Unfortunately we have not tested MaverX masts in our sails. Therefore instead of giving you a peace of mind answer "go for it it's gonna work fantastic" I prefer to give you an honest reply that we simply do not know if or how good the MaverX masts work in our sails.
ReplyHi,When using the vario top i have a doubtIn old super heros, the vario top adjust guide was to,place the 370/400 sticker at the top of the metal sleeves (see pictured attached).Is it the same for super heros 2021 or now the reference is the visor/window in the top cap?thanks
ReplyHi Alberto,Thanks for brining this up.Last year we have slightly modified the vario top cap. We have included a window for markers of the vario top webbing. Means you have to adjust the webbing length until the marker shows up in the top cap window.
Replyperfect, thanks
Replyhello, my super hero 2021 has luff 378 so it requires 8cm of extension, my extension has jumps of 2.5cm so I could have 7.5cm or 10cm, it would be better to adjust the variotop to compensate for the difference or it would be better to use the extension at 10cm?
ReplyHi Leonard,The absolute max luff length of the 2021 Super Hero 4.2 is 378cm. Attention: this is measured with OUR extensions. Unfortunately nearly every brand measures slightly different. So here is what I would do: fully downhaul your sail (block to block) with your extension set to 7.5cm and see if you reach the VTS Max dot. If so everything's fine. If not you need to use your extension at 10cm and extend the vario top accordingly. In general you should try to use as little of the vario top as possible as every cm sticking out of the top just stiffens up the top (= negative influence on the twist) plus makes the top of the sail become heavier (due to the enormous leverage at the top you feel every single gram).
ReplyOn the compatibility subject, would using a 2019 North Platinum 400 RDM on a 2020 Super Hero 5.0 any different than the newer Duotone masts ?Thank you,Pierre
ReplyHi Pierre,Welcome to the thread.There are 2 reasons why we only moderately amend our mast curves:1. our customers should not be forced to buy a new mast each time they upgrade their sail and/or buy an additional size2. To generate the best possible sails, our sail designer Kai always tries to keep the design variables as constant as possible. And changing the mast bend curve has a tremendous effect on the sail design.
ReplyOn the compatibility subject, would using a 2019 North Platinum 400 RDM on a 2020 Super Hero 5.0 any different than the newer Duotone masts ?Thank you,Pierre
ReplyHi,I just heard Victor Fernández saying in an interview that the 2022 Hero has more flex-top for a lighter feeling. Is this done by the shape of the sail or do the masts have a changed bend curve?Best regards,Joeri
ReplyHi Joeri,Thanks for reaching out cause there seams to be a slight misunderstanding. Yes the new Super_Hero offers more elasticity. This is mainly achieved through the new ONE PIECE SLEEVE (see above under Duotone Design Philosophies - No Dacron luff on wave sails). But the 2022 Super_Hero is still designed around the same masts (bend curve). Means it’s not more flex-top than before.In addition to a lower physical weight the new Super_Hero also feels lighter in your hand. This achieved through a slightly higher draft position. But it’s still a Super_Hero with a rather low (+ centered) draft position. Please let me know in case anything’s still unclear.
ReplyClear as glass. 👍
Replyhow flat can i trim my super heros in strong winds?what is my visual guideline?i understand super hero concept needs deep profile to keep the draft stability,but with strong winds i dont want excess power. 4.0 is my smallest size SH, so i cant switch to a 3,7 or 3,4 to de-power...
ReplyHi Gustaaf,Could you please let me know which model did you receive, the 2021 or the 2022 model?
Replyit is from 2019..
ReplyHi Gustaaf,Your 2019 model features a VTS dot in the panel between the first and the second batten. This shows you the maximum downhaul tension.How to achieve the correct outhaul tension we had already in the Super Star thread. Here is what I had replied back then:„For the outhaul you should proceed as following: - pull the outhaul rope using your thump and index finger only. This way you can really feel when the resistance starts (= neutral tension) - fix the rope in the cleat- from this neutral tension you need to pull another 4cm of rope length to achieve the Min. outhaul tension. - the Max. outhaul tension is achieved when pulling 16cm of rope past the neutral tension“Please let me know in case you need any further assistance.
Replywhat is my visual indicator for max outhaul in high wind??? in strong winds in pull downhaul to VTS max setting, but i am not supposed to pull the outhaul to much, is that correct? deeper profile needed to keep the draft stability even in huigh winds?
ReplyHi Gustaaf,So you have the 2022 model right? Cause on all 2022 sails we have put additional specs on the clew. In combination with a 2022 (Platinum or Silver) boom (which will feature a new fitting called VTS TAIL) you then can SEE when you have achieved the correct outhaul tension.
ReplyHi, my weight is 94kg and I use a old North Volt Code 4,2 from 2013 and Volt Code 4,7 from 2014 with a 400 rdm North gold mast from 2017. In my opinion both sails have no power. The 4,2 has no power even at 40 knots in El Medano Tenerife. I use a JP freestyle wave 93 lit. How can I trim the Volt 4,2 for more power? Now i have buyed a new Super Hero 2020 4,7 qm and i hope this sail has more power. The question is, fits the 2017 North Gold Mast 400 rdm for the 4,7 Super Hero 2020 and should I also buy a 4,2 Super Hero or ist the Volt 4,2 similar to the Super Hero. Thanks for Your answer - Robert.
ReplyHi Robert,Welcome to the thread and thanks for the info about your setup.1. Volt vs. Super HeroThe Volt has a forward-up draft position (like the Super Star and Super Session). Means it's quite different to the Super Hero which has a centred-low draft position. As described above draft forward-up sails are very on-off ("nervous"). Especially in gusty conditions (like sometimes in El Medano) and used by a heavy sailor (like yourself) such sails need to be sailed very "precise". Cause as soon as you slightly sheet out the power instantly goes off.With its entered draft the Super Hero though has a progressive power. So once you get used to the different feeling (compared to your Volt) I'm quite certain that you will be more happy with the Super Hero.2. 2017 Gold RDM 400 on Super Hero 4.7We try to only very slightly modify the mast bend curves from year to year to have them being compatible as long as possible. So yes you can still use your 2017 Gold RDM 400 mast on the 2020 Super Hero. Also the 4.2 would work on that mast. But please note the ideal mast (stiffness) for this size ifs the RDM 370.So my recommendation would be to sail the Super Hero 4.7 a couple of days first to get used to its different feeling (compared to your Volt). And you like it you can then add/replace the 4.2.Please let me know in case you need any further assistance.
ReplyHi, I surf with an old North Volt 4,2 from 2013 and 4,7 Volt code from 2014. In my opinion, both sails have no power not even at 40 knots in Tenerife El Medano. My weight is 94 kg and i use it with a north gold mast 400 rdm and jp freestyle wave 93. Either i have the wrong trim nore the Volt has no power. I don´t know how i should trim the sails for more power. Now I buyed a Super Hero 2020 4,7 and I think to buy a 4,2 Super Hero. Now my question, can I use the north gold rdm 400 for the 4,7 and has the Super Hero 4,2 more power as the North Volt 4,2. Thanks for your answer Robert
ReplyHi, I would like to buy a new super hero sail for use in strong and often very gusty wind (25-40knts), I am light weight (65kg ) , currently I have two gaastra manic 4.5-5.0 sails, according to my weight would it be better to take a 3.4, 3.7 or 4.0? I also own the 340 mast, I read that they are very powerful and I don't know which one to choose, I would use a 75L board.. Regards.
ReplyHi Leonard,Welcome to the thread. in addition to your Manic 5.0 + 4.5 I would recon going for the 4.0. Maybe the 3.7 might also work but the step to the 4.5 is really big. So you might end up in a situation where it's too strong for the 4.5 but the 3.7 won't get you going yet.And yes the Super Hero is a bit more powerful than your Manics - but this counts just for the bigger sizes (4.5 and up).Please let me know in case you need any further assistance.
ReplyHello,I received my Super Hero 5.0. I noticed that the triple tack roller does not exist anymore. It is a double tack roller. I have got an Uni Xt Extension. Will it work properly ?Thanks.Best regards,Nicolas
ReplyHi Nico,Happy to hear that you've added another Duotone sail to your quiver. Thanks for reaching out concerning our Tack Roller 2.0 cause we've spent some time on this new design. We already had the same question on the 2020 E_Pace thread. Here is what I had replied there:"Hi Onno,Glad you‘ve brought this up cause we did a running production change on the tack rollers. Now all nocam sails come with a 2-roller tack roller while the cam sails still come with 3 rollers.Please have a look at the Uni.XT webpage under TIPS & TRICKS - USING ALL 3 ROLLERS OF YOUR SAILS TACK ROLLER VS. QUICK LOOP USING ONLY THE 2 OUTSIDE ROLLERSHere we explain in detail why using just 2 rollers on nocam sails is a very logical thing to do."
ReplyHello Raoul,Thanks for your answer.First session yesterday. The sail is amazing. Really happy.I understood the way to rig the sail. However, using just 2 rollers it's a bit harder.One question. What's the ideal distance between the sail's rollers and the extension's rollers ?
ReplyHi Nico,Thanks for bringing this up.Let me quote our sail designer Kai when I had asked him the same question approx. 20 years ago: "well in general you should try to trim the tack (roller) as close to the base as possible. Cause leaving a gap means the tack can move away from the mast (towards the clew). Let's say your tack can move by 1 cm this means your draft will move back (and forth) by exactly the same amount. Now imagine what your draft does if you're a lazy guy leaving a gap of 5 cm to your base..."
ReplyHello Raoul,Thanks for your answer. It is clear.Another question. What is the best way of rolling up the sail ? I have got a problem with the top of the sail after having rolled up the sail. There is a big undulation... Furthermore, at the end, the sail is too long for the bag... I need help ! Thanks.
ReplyHi Nico,That’s strange cause I always thought that rolling up our sails is quite straight forward:You roll up the sail starting at the top (cap). And then you slide the sail into the bag with the clew first.Attention: when you want/need to store your sail bag upright the opening side (with the mast sleeve) should face downwards. This way you prevent the clew from getting crunched.
ReplyHello Raoul, Thanks for your answer. Ok with these rules. I was looking for small tips...
ReplyHey there Duotone team.This may be a long post, and I apologize ahead of time for that. So I am looking into a new windsurfing quiver. I weigh 80kg, and I am based out of the gorge. My current quiver is a set of super heroes, North 3.7, Duotone 4.5, and North 5.3 with an 85L board. All in all, the 4.5 is my most used sail by far, and this quiver has served me incredibly well as a budget quiver, but I am finding I am increasingly wanting to be out on the 3.4 days that are fairly common out here. I recognize that I will need to replace my board with something smaller, but that is a different topic.I have been floored with the range on these things. Despite the wide spread between the North 3.7 and the Duotone 4.5 (which has a small hiccup in the sizing, but workable at a 0.8m spread), I truly don't notice any issues going from my Duotone 4.5 to my North 5.3 (really, the 0.8m spacing isn't felt at all). I like how simple the quiver is, and buying three instead of four sails definitely helps when you only have so much money.I notice that the Duotone Super Hero has a notably better range and overall feel than the North Super Hero, and were it not for my most used sail being it, this quiver wouldn't work. I do not mind learning how to tinker with and learning how to adjust my gear for the conditions. This quiver has done a hell of job at teaching me that.So to my actual question. I am looking into replacing the whole quiver with Duotone sails as I am starting to crave higher wind conditions and they have a much better feel and range to them. I am inclined towards going with a 3.4, 4.0 and 4.7 as my sails. After making a 0.8m jump from a 3.7 to a 4.5 (with the 4.5 carrying the bulk of the work since it has the greater range) the jump from 4.0 to 4.7 with both sails having more range to them doesn't leave me nervous at all. I am wondering if the 0.6m jump between the 3.4 and the 4.0 sail will cause problems though. I recognize that wind force isn't linear as speeds go up, so does that mean that the jump from the 3.4 to the 4.0 (being 0.6m) will feel just as big as the jump between my 3.7 and my 4.5 (being 0.8m)?I see the 0.4m difference between the 3.0 and the 3.4, so all in all I am left with a sense that this quiver could work totally fine without much stress. Do you guys have any input for me as I go about this purchase?Many thanks, Gage M.
ReplyHi Gage,Thanks for providing this clear insight about your setup and conditions you will be using the stuff. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity visiting the Gorge a couple of time already so I do know your home-spot a bit.First of all with your weight going for a 3.4 at the Gorge in the summer is definitely a good idea. I get you're aiming staying with 3 sails and accepting to change the trim on them to really get the whole wind-range out of them.Usually I would say going 4.0 - 3.4 is really stretching it - same as if you would have asked me for your my opinion on your current 4.5 - 3.7 setup. But it should work if you use the complete trim range on both sails.Please let me know in case you need any further assistance. And finally have a great summer at the Gorge and as you guys say "just say no to 5.0" :-)
ReplyHallo Raoul,Als Besitzer einer ganzen Palette Super Heros, 4,7 4,2 3,7 von 2019 und einem 3,4er https://uploads.disquscdn.c... 2021 ist mir aufgefallen, dass die Gabelbaumaussparung sowie deren Skala beim 3,4er um ca 4-5cm nach oben gewandert ist wobei das Schothorn sogar etwas tiefer sitzt. Referenzpunkt ist die Rolle des Vorlieksstreckers. Gibt es hierfür einen Grund, fährt man inzwischen etwa die Gabel generell höher?
ReplyHi Wurzelfreak (what a crazy alias btw :-) To help/reach as many people as possible we have decided to run the product threads in English only.So here is a translation of your inquiry:"I'm owning a whole set of Super Heros 4.7, 4.2, and 3,7 from 2019. On the 3.4 from 2021 I have realised that the boom cutout has been moved up by approx. 4-5cm while the clew is even lower now. Is there a reason for that or do you put the boom higher in general now?"First of all sorry for the delayed reply.Actually there is a simple answer to your question: in the past we used to have different boom cutout heights. Means the smaller the sail got the lower we put the boom cutout. Since we had received quite some complains on that we have decided to have the boom cutout at the same position throughout all the sizes (just like all the other brands do). But in general it's still a good idea to lower your boom the smaller the sail gets which improves the high-end control.
ReplyOk, thank for the answer and sorry for my bad english ;-)
ReplyWhy is the pocket on the mast base of the sail on the opposite side to the handle on the ratchet system. It makes ticking the excess rope after down haul tricky. Surely better to have the pocket on the top so ripe can be tucked easily?
ReplyHi Simon,Thanks for bringing this up.Actually there is simple reason why we had to move the pocket to bottom (port tack) side: Since 2 years we have added a slot/window to into the protector. So once you have found your personal trim sweet spot you can „mark“ this with the included Velcro patch. From this moment on you won’t have to look up to the VTS dots anymore when rigging your sail which makes it much fast and even more accurate. Since the rope pocket would cover the slot we had to move it to the other side. Some people even prefer this location as it’s next to the standard cleat of the Power.XT - and at the standard cleat side you usually have more excess rope than compared to the ratchet side.
ReplyHello! Last season I tried Hero sails (2017 5.3 & 5.8) for the first time and was very impressed by its sailing perfomance. But rigging / derigging process really confuses me... When mast putted into the mast sleeve I have to additionally apply force to put top cup on the mast and especially to push it out. If I am tired after sailing and there is no one to ask to hold the sail, then attempts to push the top cup out can take two-three minutes, during which the sail is in a crumpled state, which has a bad effect on its condition. Such problem takes place on both sizes with two different masts (Goya 430 & Ezzy 400). If I forget about it cup puts on crookedly and once even flew away :) I'm not a newbie and many years rigged other sails of different brands without such issue - just jently pushing mast inside mast sleeve and top putting on by itself :) The other annoying problem is rolling: Hero is the only sails in my quiver which can be rolled up only from one of the side, because another has awfully placed eyelet (it took many time to find it for the first time!) which does not hold sail tightly. I hoped that these problems are went out last years, but it seems that Duotone Super Hero has same top visually. And I'm not joking - this is the only reason stopping me for buying full SuperHero quiver, because sailing is really awesome. Am I alone with such problems? Or I just clumsy? Or original "3D top cup" of the sail can be comfortably putted on only to original mast? And why sail can't be rolled up symmetrically as any other sail?))) Thank you!
ReplyHi Sergei,Thanks for reaching out.First off I'm really happy to hear that you like the performance of the Super Hero.Now to your issues:1. Mast stuck inside the top capInstead the common pin system we use a top cap which sits on top of the mast tip. With this system we believe to create a better transition of the downhaul tension into the sail body (= improved twist >> bigger wind range). The downside is if your mast top/tip has a too big diameter it can get stuck inside the top cap. To improve this it might help to grind off the edges of the plastic plug of your mast. Another trick for de-rigging (if you're alone) is to use a screw driver and jam it into the grass just below the top webbing. this way the top is fixed which makes it easier to get the mast out. Or just buy a Duotone mast :-) 2. No option to roll up the sail on port tack (clew facing to the right-hand side):I'm glad that you've brought this one up cause there is a very good reason for that.During the very beginning all sails had been designed to be rolled up on starboard tack side (clew facing to the left-hand side) - before brands like Severne and Point7 thought it would be a great idea to do something "different". This has led to the booms and extensions to be developed accordingly. Means the cleat of the extension sits on the right-hand side so when you rig your sail (with the clew facing to the left-hand side) the cleat is on top. Cause if it sits on the bottom it is a real pain for rigging. Same counts for the hinge of your boom front-end. Out of my own experience I can just say if I have to rig a sail with the extension cleat and the front-end hinge on the wrong side it's just so annoying and time-consuming that I'm about to give up. Just like going from a right-hand steering wheel to a left-hand steering wheel :-) Therefore we had decided to avoid giving our customers the option to roll up the sail on the "wrong" side.This might not be the perfect solution for your individual needs but at least now you know our idea/philosophy behind this. Cause I strongly believe that we need to make Windsurfing as easy and fast to access a possible.And that's the reason why we have invented the VTS dots, the Power.XT, our factory calibrated batten tensioners and all the other prints/hints on the sail. Our most important aim is to get everyone onto the water as fast as possible.
ReplyThank you for the answer! I'm often sailing alone (early in the morning before the job or even during lunch break) - so it's important not only to be quick before sailing but after too)) Screw drive is a good hint - I'll try. Funny, but for people who don't know that one of the sides is wrong, rigging both is not a problem - I didn't think about cleat position after few first tries. Maybe this problem more actual for big sails or 30% masts?)) But even if you prefer rig one side, it's much easier to rotate dry sail before rigging with mast inside then wet wrongly rolled up sail without mast being in dry clean clothes, because taking off your wetsuit is the first thing after session :)
ReplyHi Sergei,Easy solution just „learn“ to always rig, de-rig and roll up your sail with the clew facing to the left-hand side :-) Less options = less complicated + faster.
ReplyHello, I am about to buy two sperheros, one in 4.2 and one in 5.0. Now I am wondering about mastlength. I am coming from Goya sails and have a 430 and 400 Goya mast (both 90%) and I am tall (197) and therefore heavy (90kg, dry and hungry) For the 4.2 a 370 mast is recommended with the 400 as possible alternative. Would the 400 be ok for me or should I still get a 370? Thanks for short response.Carsten
ReplyHi Carsten,You can use a RDM 400 on the 3.7 but it’s not ideal since there is a part of the mast sticking out at the top which is not ideal for a perfect twist/release. And this even counts for a heavy weight like yourself. This comes from my own experience since I have exactly the same weight than you.Most people argue „hey the few times I‘m using such a small sail it doesn’t need to be perfect“. Well my point of view is that when you are „forced“ to use such a small sail conditions are pretty challenging or at least very different to what you are usually sailing. And therefore you want to have the most comfortable/controllable equipment.
ReplyHi there, I‘ve bought a 2020 Super Hero in 5;3. My weight is about 85kg. Is ist possible for me to use the sail also with a 430 RDM (Luff 432). Regards, Axel
ReplyHi Axel,Unfortunately the Super Hero 5.3 only works with the RDM400. Even for your weight the RDM430 is simply too stiff for this size.I know this is not the answer you were looking for but at Duotone we always prefer to give you an honest answer. Cause only if your sail-mast-combo is correct you will really enjoy the full potential/performance of your rig.
ReplyI have a 4.0 s/hero and use the 400rdm as alternative to the preferred 370 option, with my 72 kg how much of a compromise is this, settings say i can use 400 as alt.Secondly if i buy 370 with i could rig my 4.7 in a softer way for my lightweight sons, using 34cm extension (rather than recommended 400), what do you think of that theory?
ReplyHi Gustaaf,Welcome to the thread.Ok with 72kg you‘re on the rather „light side of life“ :-) Therefore on the 4.0 the RDM370 will make a difference you will definitely feel. The sail will become softer thus more controllable - which becomes the most important factor the smaller the sail size gets, especially for lighter sailors…Using the RDM370 on the 4.7 though will definitely make this sail too soft - at least for an adult. But if your kids are still below 60/65kg than that should work fine for them.Please let me know if you need any further assistance.
ReplyThanks for quick reply, useful about the control, i will consider getting a 370 mast then
ReplyHello Raoul,Have you ever considered developing a compact version of the Super Hero or Super Star? Combined with easily stowable mast and boom? The whole rig in a backpack would make a lot of sense.Kind regards,Hotze
ReplyHi Hotze,The product you’re talking about is already existing from RRD.
ReplyI know Raoul, but I always prefer to stick to one brand, to keep everything as compatible as possible. On the other hand: I’ll use the compact quiver quite stand-alone, only on holidays, so I might indeed check RRD. Thank you!
ReplyHi RaoulCould you give us the % of bend curve, bottom and top, for each classic rdm sizes (340>430) for the duotone rdm wave masts ?
ReplyHi Thomas,Like any other brand we don’t give out the exact percentages per length. That’s simply due to the fact that you cannot reproduce these numbers. The measuring tolerances are so small (within a millimetre) that measuring a mast with 2 different machines will already lead to different numbers. Therefore we have the exact same (computer laser) measuring machine at our factory and in our R&D center to ensure same results. Therefore our SAIL-MAST BRAND COMPATIBILITY recommendations (see above on this page) are „just“ based on our on water tests using other brands masts in our sails. Means these recommendations should only be seen an orientation. Golden rule if you wanna be on the safe side: always try to buy the mast from the same brand like your sail.
ReplyHi Raoul,Quick question; Currently using blades on blue line masts. I like the blade but considering to move to a 4 batten sail. I have sailed the S1 but the power is much higher in the sail above the boom while the blade has the power concentrated under the boom which I like more especially in overpowered conditions (more control)So where is the center of power located at the super hero's and how will they work on the serverne masts?Thanks!
ReplyHi Griff,Please see above under BRAND COMPATIBILITY - SAIL-QUIVER BRAND COMPATIBILITY. There we have explained the draft locations of the different sail brands in detail.Please let me know if you need any further assistance.
ReplyHi Raoul, I live on Maui and recently blew out a couple of my Ezzy sails so am in the market for a new quiver. I just tested the 2020 Superhero HD and loved it, even though I couldn’t get it to rig right on my Ezzy mast. I have a couple questions. When do you recommend the monofilm vs HD versions? How much more does the HD version weigh? Any handling difference? Secondly, it seems that I’ll need to buy duotone masts to get it to rig right. Will I really notice a significant difference between the platinum and gold masts?Thanks.
ReplyHi Tom,You guys are killing me - first Philip from CPT and now you from Maui (my 2 most favourite spots together with Mauritius)..."Blewing out a couple of Ezzy sails" - I thought that's impossible since these sails really do have an incredible build quality. At least until last year when even Ezzy started using super thin XPly for the center panel - but that's a different story...HD vs. monofilm: We already had this question in the E_Pace thread so let me quote what I had replied back then: „Actually there is zero difference between (our rather "thick") XPly and monofilm in terms of puncture resistance and UV-wearing longevity. Cause these 2 factors are dependent on the film thickness ONLY! That's the reason why our XPly has the same thickness as monofilm whereas some other brands use XPly which is up to 60% thinner. Obviously this means that the weight is also nearly identical. The only difference is that in case you get a hole into the XPly laminate (e.g. through falling into your sail with your harness hook first) the threads in-between the XPly film layers MIGHT prevent the hole from ripping through the whole panel (which happens with monofilm). Might means out of our experience if the impact is so big that the film can't withstand it then in 70% of the cases also the threads will not stop it from tearing the panel apart. Even though monofilm and XPly share the same Polyester film material they do have different stretch characteristics. The reason for this is that XPly consists of 2 film layers which are glued together. But since they are not glued together under tension there is always a certain "give" in the XPly laminate. For smaller (wave) sails this is beneficial as it makes them more forgiving (especially in overpowered conditions). The bigger the sail size though this might turn into a spongy softness compared to the very direct feeling of monofilm... Long story short XPly gives you "piece of mind" maybe cause you are looking through a "jail-fence" all the time :-) "But especially on a wave sail this "jail fence" makes it much harder to see through. Therefore you can realise HD sailors (no matter which brand) by spotting the face of the wave leaning back their sail and looking over the front of the mast :-) That's also the reason why none of our team riders uses the HD version.Platinum vs. Gold: That's a tough one. The sales guy and equipment freak in me would definitely recon the Platinum mast :-) In reality the Gold mast should give you approx. 90% of the max possible performance - just like the carbon content suggests...Please let me know in case you require any further assistance.
ReplyThanks Raoul. I have now tested 6 brands of sails and the Super Hero is the winner, so I’m going to buy a quiver! A question from your reply: if there isn’t much difference in terms of the durability of xply and monofilm, why doesn’t your warranty cover monofilm?
ReplyHi Tom,Well that's a good question :-) Ok let's fo for a bit more in-depth tech background here: UV is making the Polyester film (which is the base for both monofilm and XPly laminate) become brittle over time (the more and higher the UV exposure and the thinner the (total) film thickness the faster this happens). If the Polester film is new you need quite a hefty impact to get the monofilm or laminate to explode (at least the rather "thick" film/laminates we use). At such a massive impact the XPly threads won't make any difference in terms of rip stop - at least from our real life experiences. But the XPly threads do make a difference when the film gets brittle thus it needs much less impact for the film to explode. That's the reason why we have excluded monofilm from our warranty. Cause if you leave your sail laying on the beach under full sun light you can kill the Polyester film within 2-3 weeks - at least in places with strong UV-radiation - which are becoming more and more due to the increasing holes in the ozone layer...Stoked to hear that the Super Hero has also become your personal winner :-)
ReplyOkay. Thanks for the clarification. I still think you should cover it, so your claim of having the best warranty is accurate for everything.🙂 I did decide to go with the monofilm window version. I’ll now be extra careful leaving it out in the sun. My Ezzy sails were 5 and I’m guessing 7 years old (second hand). Both got tears in 5 different panels all at once, some small some large. They both had an older version of xply where the tears happened. The threads did stop the whole panel from blowing out, but truthfully they’re still not usable. When I sail them taped, I just get new tears because they are so brittle. Considering I sail 150-200 days a year, I think they lasted pretty well. Hopefully I’ll get 5-7 years with the Duotones.
ReplyHi Tom,Okay, now that puts a different light to the whole story. Cause when you reached out saying that you were "blewing out a couple of Ezzy sails“ I really couldn’t image how this could be possible - knowing the build quality of the Ezzy sails being on par or maybe even slightly higher than ours (at least until last year). But putting 150-200 days a year on your gear over 7 years that‘s 1.050-1.400 days of usage - in the sun! And on Maui you usually have one, two sizes which you use 60-70% of the time. But even if you would use all 5 sails equally often that‘s still approx. 200-300 days of usage. Let’s be straight I can already tell you that even our sails won’t last that long.As with any product you use the lifespan is always dependent on how often and „heavy“ you use a product. "Heavy" in our case means wave- and UV-impact - which you have quite a lot of both of this on Maui. When designing a product you always base the construction on an "average" usage to avoid that it comes out too heavy (over-engineered) for the majority of customers. You also need to find the best compromise between durability and performance. More durability means more weight and less performance, usually. Our 5 year warranty is based on an "average“ usage.Maybe for your particular situation you might wanna consider a different "tactic": sail your stuff for 2-3 years and sell it second hand to still get some bucks out of it (my guess 200-250). Then it's a simple math and my gut feeling is that it's gonna cost you less and you'll be on the "latest" stuff more often.
ReplyThanks for the advice. I’m windsurfing less now that I’m winging. And of course the duotone wings are great. I’m looking forward to getting my quiver soon!
ReplyHi Raoul. I have just bought the 2021 Super Hero 3,7. I'm using it on a Gold 370 mast. By what percentage ( or considerable vs very little) do you think its performance will improve by using a 340 and which brand would you suggest if not going to buy Platinum? By performance I'm referring to ability to handle super strong gusts. I sail in Cape Town, SA, so selection of other mast brands limited. I stand corrected, but there is no longer a Duotone Black 340 ?
ReplyHi Philip,Well for a guy like myself (90 kg and living in south of Germany) a 3.7 is not the sail I will use quite often - actually I haven't at all the last couple of years :-) Therefore an investment for an additional 340 mast wouldn't make sense. But living in CPT (I only have the best memories of this part of the world!!!) I assume you use this size quite regularly. Plus I assume you are around or below 80 kg. And then the additional 340 mast could definitely make sense. Which brand to suggest? Please check the BRAND COMPATIBILITY - SAIL-MAST BRAND COMPATIBILITY SECTION further up on this page.Duotone Black: I assume you mean the Blacklabel masts we used to sell under our "former brand" name? We have cancelled this range a couple of years ago.Please let me know if anything's unclear.
ReplyHi Raoul, Hope you don't mind my dropping in this discussion but it's basically the same question as mine below. Question - what is the bend curve of the Duotone 340 RDM mast? I'm thinking this may help match and understand with other brand options. I feel like I should know all of this by now but I've generally avoided it by simply buying the North/Duotone mast :)
ReplyHi Mike,No need for any apologies as this kind of „open discussion“ is exactly the purpose of these product threads. As mentioned above under BRAND COMPATIBILITY - SAIL-MAST BRAND COMPATIBILITY „our bend percentages range between 61-63 bottom and 75-77 top depending on model and length“. From our experience on the RDM masts the NeilPryde masts are the most compatible to ours. But as you said if you’re looking for 100% performance it’s always the safest bet to buy the mast from the same brand you own the sail from.
ReplyHi Raoul. Thanks for the prompt reply. I guess in a way I knew the answer to my question - I should really have a 340 mast for that sail as you say! Perhaps I should just be patient & wait till Duotone bring out the Gold 340 and hope that it is sooner rather than later. Cheers!
ReplyHi Philip,Happy to help.At least I can already tell you that the new hardware range is planned to be released beginning of September.
Reply3.4 versus 3.7.I'd be curious about opinions regarding the 3.4 vs 3.7 size. I have a 4.5 Hero (2016). My smallest sail is a 3.7 Ice (2004). I'm about 78-79 kg. I recently punched a hole through the main panel of the 3.7 Taped up now and still works but probably due for replacement. The 3.7 is not used as alot so I've been using a 370 60% carbon powerex mast (SDM) vs the 100% carbon North mast on my 4.5 (more used). This older 3.7 is nice but not as nice as the 4.5 (newer and better mast). The spacing from 4.5 to 3.7 seems logical on paper and I definitely do not need to go less. The thing is I often find the 3.7 has a narrow range. The 4.5 had a broad range and perhaps stay on this until I'm well into the 3.7 range. Switching the 3.7 definitely helps when the wind picks up. However, it doesn't seem to take much and then the 3.7 is really powered up. I prefer to sail "nicely powered - not over.". When the 3.7 starts getting overpowered it's ok in a straight line and jumping still. However, when I unhooked to play on a wave or jibe, it's hard to depower and I find myself really fighting the sail power.Sooooo. I've never sailed a 3.4. how big of a difference is there with a 3.4 vs 3.7? Is a 3.4 to 4.5 realistically too much of a gap?I would likely get a 340rdm 90% mast. Maybe a newer 3.7 and better mast would expand my range vs my older less optimal 3.7 setup?Appreciate input. I don't see alot of 3.7 conditions so getting a 3.4 and 3.7 doesn't make alot of sense unless I found them cheap and used.
ReplyHi Mike,Welcome to the thread.Actually I think you are facing 2 things with your 3.7:1. Replacing your SDM with a RDM mast on this sail size will make a huge difference. This is simply due to the fact that the smaller diameter leads to an overall softer behavior. And the smaller the sail size the softer the mast needs to get (see MAST BASICS - ADDITIONAL FACTS - 1. MAST STIFFNESS on any mast page).2. Size increments:I would not at all recon to go 4.5 - 3.4 cause the step is simply too big (please see above under SAIL BASICS - GUIDELINES FOR BUILDING UP YOUR PERSONAL SAIL QUIVER). If at all it might make sense to go for 4.5 - 4.0 cause even your current 4.5 - 3.7 is a really big step.Please let me know if you need any further assistance.
ReplyThank you for your quick reply. I believe the Ice was designed around a SDM (or maybe the North version of it). Never thought to try a RDM. The Ice is clearly getting to it's end so I guess I could try it with an RDM, but still would need a new 3.7. everything I read would agree 4.5 to 3.7 is a big gap (though it works well for me) so thanks for confirming. I guess if I sailed that wind range more frequently I would close that gap. My size up is 5.3 but I also have a 4.8 idol (used only in certain situations) since I see more frequent wind in that range.
ReplyFollow up mast question about the Super Hero 3.7. So it needs a 340 mast, which I knew. However, this is not a high use sail for me so it makes little sense for me to get the platinum mast as I have for my 400 & 430 ($$). I found out that the Gold and Silver do not come in 340 size. So I guess this means another mast brand. I notice the Platinum 340 has an IMCS of 15. I see the 340 Goya 70 mast is IMCS 14. The 340 Chinook 90 mast is IMCS 16. They are similarly priced even though The Chinook is higher carbon. All things being equal, I would assume 90% carbon is > 70%. Given the price difference, there must be a reason. So at my weigh (around 78-79kg) which is the better mast for a Hero 3.7? I may be splitting hairs here but would be curious to know from someone that may have actual knowledge of this. thanks!
ReplyHi Mike,Thanks for double checking again.For next season we plan to add a Gold.90 340 to the range but I'm sure that’s too late for you.In the meantime I would definitely go for the Goya mast. As you can see further up on the page under BRAND COMPATIBILITY - SAIL MAST BRAND COMPATIBILITY the Goya masts have a pretty compatible bend curve to ours. From our experience though the Chinook masts are quite different to our masts. Cause in the end the correct bend curve is much more important than a higher carbon content. Yes a higher carbon content usually leads to higher reflex/performance plus lower weight but when the bend curve isn’t compatible it’s all for nothing.
ReplyBig thanks for this! I saw the mast compatibility page but didn't see Chinook so I thought it might have just been missed. Really glad I asked.
ReplyHappy to help cause that's what we're here for :-)Chinook is not very present in Europe but they are a big player in the US that's why I have just added them to the list now. So thanks to you for bringing this up.
ReplyHi Raoul,I thought I'd tack this question to the previous tread as it already has my sail quiver background. In summary, main sails are 5.3 / 4.5 / 3.7. The 3.7 Super Hero was recently purchased this year with the 340 (platinum!) mast. Part of my self-justification for buying new is I can can use the 3.7 in high wind AND also for windfoiling in low 20's wind (works really well for me). That is, it will get good use.So the question I explore is if I got a sail size smaller, what would it be? It would be for the purpose of really high wind on regular windsurf gear (say 30+ gust 40+) and windfoiling (say mid 20s). I note that contrary to general convention, the 4.5 to 3.7 gap works well for me. This may be in part due to the boards I use? Super Hero would be the natural choice given I have the 3.7 version. However, I feel 3.7 to 3.4 is not much of a gap and 3.7 to 3.0 seems too much. I really don't know as 3.7 is the smallest I've sailed. I sort of feel a 3.2 or 3.3 of another brand that is compatible with my 340 Duotone mast AND of a similar feel would be a logical size choice? What are your thoughts?Thanks!
ReplyHi Mike,Thanks for reaching out with this interesting question.Let’s start with the easier part - which kind of sail type? I would definitely recon to stay with the Super Hero. Or with a competitor sail featuring a similar draft position - which are:- Goya Banzai 3.15 (what a „funny“ size btw) or 3.4 (most similar to the Super Hero)- GA Manic 3.3- Simmer Blacktip 3.1So the closest to your „dream sail/size“ would be Goya Banzai 3.15 or GA Manic 3.3Now which size:Usually I would recon 3.7 - 3.4. A difference in size of 0.3 might not sound like a lot but a physics fact is that the wind pressure (which you feel in your hands) raises in square in relation to the wind speed. Means the smaller the sail sizes the smaller the gaps need to become. But looking at your quiver apparently it seams you somehow get away with larger gaps than you’d usually suggest. So I agree 3.7 - 3.2 could possibly work for you as well.Sorry for not being more specific here but again I wouldn’t have thought going 4.5 - 3.7 could work…Please let me know if you need any further assistance.
ReplyThanks much. I get that this is a bit of an atypical question. The point about getting same draft position is VERY useful and I see this on other parts of your website. It's that size gap that is the question and I appreciate your comments. I think I get away with the size gap due to my Boards. My 86L Starboard is super rangy and I use a small fin to keep it loose. The 82L (new) Grip is close in size but a much more controlled Board. The difference does not work out functionally as only 4L in size. So I think when I go down in sail size (large gap) the Board size compensates. Thanks again for your input.
ReplyHi Mike,Always happy to assist as that’s the purpose of our product threads. Cause even the (theoretically) best product only shows its full potential if:A. it’s rigged rightB. you have the right/matching mast to go with itC. it fits to the other equipment you own (other sail sizes, board size, fin size)D. it fits to your personal style, level and size/weightE. It fits to the conditions you sail inAnd since there are so many factors involved finding YOUR perfect product(s) isn’t just a click and buy thing. And that’s why we are happy to assist our customers in the best possible way.
ReplyHi Raoul,So the saga continues... I think I found a 3.4 NORTH HERO in the 2017 year. I thought this "nailed it". The is not a sail size I really need but "want" so the price saving was attractive. HOWEVER, I looked at the North catalogue and in 2017 it was called the "Hero" (not Super Hero) and designed around a 370 mast (400 alternate). Sadly, I do not have a 370 mast... But I do have the 340 platinum RDM... (it would be nice to use this mast more). I looked at the 2018 North catalogue and they call it the "Super Hero" and the best mast is 340. Interestingly, the pictures make the sails in the two years look similar (other than color) and the written description is similar. Also the 2018 desciption does not mention a major overhaul. I understand that not all sail sizes in a model necessarily get the same 'R&D" every year. Given the mast change, I guess I have to assume that the smaller sizes got a lot of change from 2017 to 2018. Anyways, maybe this is the answer but I was hoping you have some additional insight. I don't want to compromise using a mast the sail was not designed for.Thanks!
ReplyHi Mike,You’re in luck.1. You’re right the 2017 model did not change very much in 20182. The Platinum RDM 340 mast is also the perfect choice for the 2017 model. Cause in 2017 the team pushed very much to add a RDM 340 to the range (which we didn’t have before). After testing a softer RDM 340 competitor mast in our small wave sails clearly showed that they improved quite noticeable.
ReplyOk then, so glad I asked! Thank you.
ReplyHello all,Currently I am using a set of 2016 North Sails Hero LTD (Code), 4.5, 5.0 and 5.6 mainly for wave. I also have a 5.2 Soul Wave that I use only in combination with a 10’ windSUP for the really light days - big fun with some swell and little wind. All sails work good in combination with several boards (Quad 83, 96 Freestylewave (sold), 101 Freestyle). The whole set nicely covers all of my windsurfing days, although I think a 5.3 and 4.7 Hero would have been sufficient, since my focus in the last couple of years was more on other water sports.But since my son (2003) started windsurfing last year, I sail a lot more. I use the 101 freestyle board mainly for lightwind days in the waves or even flat water classic freestyle (360, bw360, vulcan, and trying grubbies, duck tack etc.), the Hero does not seem to be the best choice for this. On flat water it really feels like ‘working’ with a lot of downward pressure on the mast foot. A feeling that I hardly notice in the waves, because I use smaller sizes then and let the waves do the work.To be honest: the choice for the more back handy Hero at the time was more coincidental than well-considered, but I think I just got used to it over the years. Sometimes, when I use rental equipment on Lanzarote – where I had 90 percent of my WS days over the last five years or so – I notice the difference between Hero and sails like Volt et cetera. And after some habituation it all feels and works fine for me.The question is.... the 5.0 Hero 2016 is getting a bit worn out, so I consider buying a new Hero 5.0 2020 or 2021 and probably change the other sizes later. Does the new or last year Hero 5.0 fit in my current quiver? Does it have the same characteristics? Does it fit my current windsurfing needs? Or should I opt for buying a new more freestyle friendly set of 4.7 and 5.3 and leave the current sails to my son?Kind regards,Hotz
ReplyHi Hotze,Welcome to the thread.Your analysis are all pretty much on spot. Indeed with its centered-low draft position the Super Hero is not the best choice for new school freestyle sailing. Sails with a forward-up draft position (like the Volt, the Super Star or even more extreme the Idol LTD) are much more suitable for freestyle (as the higher draft improves the pop especially on flat water).But with your statement „after some habituation“ you brought it to the point: due to the different draft positions jumping from a Super Hero to e.g. a Super Star takes some time getting used to as they feel and behave very differently. So usually you should not mix your quiver with different draft sails. At least not the sizes you use on your wave board. Means when using your Freestyle board you could also switch to a forward-up sail.Please let me know if you need any further assistance.
ReplyHi Raoul,Wow, what a prompt reply! This kind of tier-1 customer support indicates that you take your work very seriously. I really appreciate that.Do I understand that the new Super Hero 5.0 2020 or 2021 can replace my old 2016 Hero easily? So I can update my 2016 quiver buying just one new sail? That is good news...Then I only have to decide whether I add a more forward-up draft positoned sail for use on my freestyle board. Could be just a 4.8 Idol, I think. Or a 5.0 Super Star, for this is about the size I use for 75 or more percent of all my windsurfing days. Or I could opt for a combination of 4.7 and 5.3 and see if these sails also become my go-to stuff in the waves. Do I see this right?One final question though: would a 2020 Super Session also do as well? For the flat water stuff I think YES, but for a combination with wave? I am an experienced average wave sailor. Think of: frontside and backside wave riding, aerials now and then, forward loops and some more modern stuff with moderate success.You already helped me a lot, but it would be great if you could share your thoughts on this.Kind regards,Hotze
ReplyHi Hotze,Really happy to help cause that’s what this thread is all about.1. Super Hero 20/21 replacing your 2016 modelSorry missed out on replying to this one. Yes you can replace just one size since the general concept is still pretty much the same. The most noticeable difference is that the new Super Hero has become more stable when overpowered. 2. Sail for your Freestyle board I like your idea to go for Super Star 4.7 and 5.3. And then see if you like them better than the Super Hero even on your wave boards.3. Super SessionThe Super Session is not a bad sail by any means. For flat water bump&jump it‘s any bit as good as the Super Star. But like you described yourself being an intermediate wave sailor (like myself) I would definitely go for the Super Star. I am very certain about this as I was also involved in the testing of the new Super Star - as a „real world tester“ so to say :-) Once again feel free to get back to me in case anything‘s still unclear.
ReplyMany thanks for these tons of valuable information. This really brings me further in my considerations! Regards, Hotz
ReplyI just replaced my old Set of 2005 Gaastra Manic with the 2020 Superhero (4.0,4.5,5.0). Board Naish Global87 singlefin. Big Sails are 2018 Super Session 5,6 and 6.4 on Patrik F Ride 145. 400 and 430 Platinum Mast. 78kg, Homespots Baltic Sea, Klitmöller and lately more often Flatwater (Hvide Sande) because if Kids learning Surfing. Super Session seemed right but after testing the Superhero I must admit I didnt like them. Almost everything explained in your Video about the two points me toward the Superhero. So Im thinking to replace the Super Session with a Superhero 5.7. And maybe opt for a 6.6 Freeride Sail?
ReplyHi Roki,Ok coming from Gaastra you are more used to draft centered sails - similar to the Super Hero. Now the Super Session is a very nice sail just very different in feel/behavior due to its draft forward nature. Therefore you might be better off with a Super Hero in 5.7. Freeride sails though are all more or less draft forward nowadays. So the 6.6 will definitely feel different than your Super Hero sails then. This even counts for the E_Pace which (due to the massive trim range) you can rig so that it doesn’t feel too draft forward. Just to be clear and honest.
ReplyThanks Raoul,as I understand theres no way to go bigger than 5.7 with a draft centered sail, thats the reason to go as big as possible with the 5.7 Superhero. When going alone from home I will look at the weatherorecast and just pack the Superheros. But when going with the Kids (3 of them, we have a lot of Duotone Now´s which by the way were the reason to switch to Duotone ;-) ) I need an option for lighter Wind. Do you think its worth the effort to switch the 6.4 Super Session to an E_Pace ? (on an 430 Platinum RDM). Bigger than 6.6 could also be useful but would mean to add another Mast, and space in the van is already limited...And last: do you think the quiver is OK like this or would you suggest something very different?
ReplyHi Roki,I see you got yourself informed pretty well. You’re fully right draft centered sails don’t make much sense in over 6.0 sizes. Reason is that due to the centered draft they tend to FEEL heavier than draft forward sails.Coming back to your questions:1. Super Session 6.4 vs. E_Pace 6.6: Used on your Patrik F-Ride 145 I would definitely tend towards the E_Pace as this sail fits much better with such Freeride kind of boards. If anything the Patrik F-Ride 145 can be easily partnered with 7 or even 8 sqm sails. Means the 6.6. is rather on the small size for such a board size. So for your body weight a (future) 7.3-7.5 would make your quiver complete.2. Sail quiver setup:I think 4.0 - 4.5 - 5.0 - 5.7 - 6.6 are very good size increments - nothing to complain from my side here :-)Kids >> NOW: Changing from Gaastra to Duotone because of your kids being stoked about their NOW sails is a really cool story. Usually it’s the other way around means the parents/daddy decide about the „family brand“ :-)
ReplyHi,. I have a 5.3 North Idol (2014). It is aging but still has some life in it. I understood that it was designed based on the Hero at that time with a freestyle aspect (idol ltd at the time). It is an outstanding sail for me for basic freestyle (Vulcan, spock) and general bump and jump / wind waves (single fin). Great pop and low end power. I wish I could find another one. I assumed I would replace this with a Hero when the time came. However, it seems like it the Hero has changed quite a bit. Is the hero or super session most like my 2014 Idol? I see the 2021 session is 4 batten which I seem to like.
ReplyHi Mike,If you wanna get a sail which is quite similar (in draft position thus feeling) to your 2014 Idol you should look out for the Super Session. Or our brand-new Super Star (https://www.duotonesports.c... which is a 4-batten design being even more similar to your Idol.
ReplyThanks. Confirms what I thought based on the current descriptions. It seems things have changed.
ReplyHi,I am 85 kg , use a Goya 84 Quad in Onshore European waves. want to go on with Duotone but have never tried them . is the Super hero compatible and recommended? (4.2 to 4.7 mainly) also for less wind i use a Quatro thruster 90lt, shall i consider 5.3 Super Hero too or Super session is more advisable? i seek early planning in the 5.0-5.3 sizes and for the beach that i mainly use it. Thank you
ReplyHi Haris,Due to the centered draft position the Super Hero works extremely well especially on quad fin boards. Can I ask what other kind of sails you have in your quiver which you wanna combine your new sails with? Cause all your wave sails should have a similar draft position as otherwise they will feel very different.
ReplyHi, if i go on with Super Hero, i will get the range of the other sizes too , to have the same feeling. i will change quiver if i am happy . for your info i had 4 batten 4.0m and 4.5m and 4.7m and 5.3 that are 5 batten wave sails. (Of 2016 make and onwards).
ReplyHi Haris,Ok so you have been carefully reading through this webpage :-) As Klaas mentioned if your focus is on riding waves the Super Hero is the one to go for.If you prefer a direct/crisp feeling on the wave or you're more focussed on jumping than the Super Session might be your sail. Or you check back on our website on Sept. 07. :-)
ReplyHi Haris,the Super Hero should work really well with your Boards. I'm only riding Quads and Thrusters and what i really like about these sails is, that they load up and release the energy longer when riding waves compared to a lot of other sails. That really helps drive multifin boards through the turns in frontside wave rides, especially in mushy cross-onshore days, where the lack of wave energy makes it harder to keep speed from the wave itself. Some sails need a specific angle to maintain power, the Super Hero is really forgiving for different sail angles on the wave and that helps a lot when surfing them. If your focus is more on direct grunt and jumping, then there might be something nice coming for you in the 2021 line-up (check back on the 7th Sept), but if you like to ride waves, the Super Hero is my recommendation. I think i'd personally stick with one line of sails throughout the sizes and not mix the quiver too much. Hope this helps. Cheers, Klaas
ReplyMany thanks!
ReplyHello,I just broke my old ice 5.0 and I am thinking it is a good time to rethink my free wave/wave sail/foil quiver. I got at the moment super session 6,0- 5,6; Ice 5,0; Volt 4,5 ; ice 4,2 and wave scape 3,7. I use them with free wave stb 95, stubby 82 and foil board wizard 105 from Slingshot.I am 73-74kg for 1,82mI am thinking going for 6,0-5,3-4,7-4,2-3,7 do you think the 2 new sail could be super hero or should I mix with super session for the 5,3?
ReplyHi Samuel,So you wanna replace the Ice 5.0 and Volt 4.5 with a 5.3 and a 4.7, right? In my eyes these sizes result in a better quiver setup than what you‘re having right now. But to combine the new 4.7 and 5.3 with your existing Super Session 6.0 + 5.6 and your ice 4.2 I would definitely stay with the Super Session (it‘s all explained above under BRAND COMPATIBILITY - Sail-Quiver Brand Compatibility). Or you might wanna wait until Sept. 07 when we come out with the 20.21 wave-freestyle sails as there might be just the sail you‘re looking for. But hey don’t tell anyone as this is still top secret :-)
ReplyHey Duo-Team; rigging question: I have a 4.0 & 4.5 SuperHero HD rigged on a Duotone Gold 370. I feel like, even using the VTS the downhaul tension is not enough creating a pretty deep pocket in the sail. Should the second batten (batten just above boom) be clear of the mast with recommended outhaul? Mine rotates freely but rubs against the mast as it rotates. The foot batten interacts much more with the mast than my previous experience (Naish Sessions from 2001 till they stopped making them). Maybe my boom length is off? Help appreciated! The sails are super stable and forgiving but feel slightly heavy at the boom.
ReplyHi Matt,I am glad you like the sails. I guess this might happen more on the 4.5 that it is deeper on the 370 than the 4.0. If you think is too full you can add more downhaul and uphaul tension. It is normal that it rubs against the mast when its rotates as we wanted this shape to have a longer range also in light winds. The sails are made to be full which give us the drive and lightness we want but you can put more tension to make a bit flatter, it might feel a bit stiffer but the sails still works good. I hope my tips can help you.Victor
ReplyThanks Victor - I'll give it a go!
Replyhi team. Hope you all having fun. Have a question regarding hero sails and comparable masts. Current have 2013 heroes 5.3, 4.7, 4.2 and 2015 3.7. I use all aero masts of 370, 400, 430 all 2013. If I upgrade sails to 2020 or 2021 how would the aero masts I have work with these sails as I see aeros are now version 3 with thicker walls and adjusted curves. Hopefully its just longevity rather than significant bend curve characteristics. A second question is regarding 2015 warps on 2015 platinum masts. Again how would 202 warps work with my 2015 masts please. Appreciate your thoughts. Cheers Nick
ReplyHi Nick,That‘s a pretty easy one:1. The bend curves of the RDM masts have not substantially changed over the last 5-7 years. Means your Aero 2.0 masts will still be compatible. 2. On the Platinum SDM masts though we have constantly tweaked the curves. From one year to the next it’s not that big of a change. But over 5 years they are definitely different now.
ReplyThanks for the info raoul. Appreciate your thoughts. Looks like the warps stay as Im pretty quick still on these with the 2016 falcons of all sizes that i have.however the heros could change keeping the masts as aero 1 models. one last question is the down haul tension now less than the 2013 hero using the cut of the sail to give depth ? this would mean i would not worry about breakages and rely on the cut to work for me more than the downhaul load as I'm 90 kg and would really like the thought of more power in 5.3 and 4.7 without loading up older masts.cheers
ReplyHi Nick,Happy to help.The luff curve gets permanently changed on the Super Hero as it does have an obvious influence on the performance. But since we haven't radically changed the luff curve over the years the downhaul tension isn't that different either to your 2013 model. In general your point of pre-loading the mast through downhaul tension / luff curve leaving less "margin" for the durability during sailing is very valid on high downhaul tension sails like your Warp. On wave sails though it's less of an issue as these sails1. have way less luff curve in general 2. are much smaller requiring softer (= more "elastic"/durable) masts3. are (mostly) used in waves where the limiting factor for the mast is not during sailing but when getting "buried" by a wave
ReplyThanks Jose. Can feel some new Heros coming into my quiver very soon ;o))
ReplyHi Duotone team! I've got some mix Hero quiver with 2017 (3.7 & 4.0) and 2018 (3.4, 4.5 and 5.0) sails. While the sails are in a reasonably good condition i'm always tempted to upgrade to latest models. I know you guys are tweaking and improving year after year the already amazing Super Heros but I wonder if there have been significant changes over the last couple of years to justify and upgrade. Or maybe these changes have affected more importantly to some specific sizes? Apart from that, I rig the small sizes with a 3.40 North Black Label 100% carbon mast and, while i'm reasonably happy with its performance, I wonder if an upgrade to a Gold or a Platinum mast would be justified. Cheers!
ReplyHi Honorio,As a sales guy I would have to tell you that the new sails are day and night compared to your models. But Victor and Klaas will get back to you with a much more in-depth and honest breakdown by size.Re North Blacklabel RDM340: this mast has a bend curve which is very similar to the current Platinum RDM340. Therefore I would say it's not necessary to upgrade into the Platinum mast. So maybe I'm not that good of a sales guy after all :-)
ReplyThanks for your brutally honest feedback Raoul, much appreciated!
ReplyHi Honorio,We're building multiple prototypes year after year in all sizes for the Super Hero. The Super Hero surely made its biggest step in 2017, coming from a relatively flat sail to a deeper profile with a pocket that drives you from turn to turn. After that we've tweaked some years the entire range and focussed more on individual sizes in other years, mostly to achieve an even lighter and more balanced feel and a similarity throughout the range. Mostly we have a favorite size and then try to achieve a similar feel also on other (mostly larger) sizes. Now we're 3 years ahead from some of your sails and for sure you'll feel these improvements we've made year after on all of the sizes.Apart from that you'd change from North to Duotone with that step, which would make you younger instantly ;-)About your 340, i've used that same mast before we had the 340 platinum and i liked it. Of course the platinum reacts faster, but that's not as important when you're on a 3.4 or 3.7 compared to being on a 5.0 for example. If you sail these sizes a lot - like pozo in summer - then i'd think about getting a 340 Platinum, but if you don't sail them that much, then you're totally fine with the Black Label 340.Hope i my answer helps you!All the best,Klaas
ReplyThanks for your input Klaas, I think i'll be younger shortly ;-)Out of curiosity, which are your favourite Super Hero sizes?
ReplyHi Honorio,In the last 3 years we have worked closer to improve most of the sizes of the Super Hero range. We have tweaked the small sizes as much as the big sizes so you will notice the change specially on the 3.4, 3.7 and 4.0, these are the sizes I use in Pozo during the summer time the most.I also used the Black Label 100%, it is a good mast but the Platinum 340 makes our small sizes react faster (3.0, 3.4 and 3.7), as Klaas mention below, if you sail the small sizes a lot it would make sense to got for the Platinum 340, if not you would do ok on the Black Label.I hope my advices can help you.BRVictor
ReplyThanks Victor. I'll see how can I get a platinum but most of the shops are lately reluctant to sell masts with very high carbon content, especially on small sizes, due to the risk of breakage.Can I ask you same question I asked Klaas, what is overall your favourite Super Hero sail? :-)Mine is probably 4.5 as it's the size where I feel the most the perfect balance between the right power and the light feeling. I normally rig this sail while everyone else are rigging 4.7 or even 5.0.
ReplyYou are welcome.My favorite is the 4.5, but it depends where I sail. For example in Pozo, 3.7 and 4.0 are my favorites. On Maui I love the 4.5 in windy days and the 5.0 in light wind floating days cause it has a great light wind range. At home in Almerimar with side on shore conditions. My weight is 83kg. The good good thing or our sails is that they have a great wind range.
ReplyHi guys,I would need your advise on sails choice please. I am 73kg and currently have the following quiver: 5,3/5,0/4,5/4,0 Hero 2017 + 3,7 Volt 2015. I am using the 3,7 with a triwave 76 2015. I would like to extend the top end wind range of my quiver so get a 3,4. Do you think a 3,4 hero will fit with my current 3,7 Volt? I fear that the different of sail design will make the 3,7 Volt and 3,4 Hero the same power (they have the same boom)... Would you have any advise please? Kind regards, Dom
ReplyHi Dom,Definitely a 3.4 would be the right size as addition to your 3.7. Your Hero sails obviously feel very similar to each other with their centred-low draft position. Your Volt though has a forward-up draft position and therefore feels quite different (more direct/crisp, more on-off, more nervous) - see 2nd point under BRAND COMPATIBILITY further up on this web page. So it's more a thing of your Volt 3.7 and the Hero 3.4 feeling different in your hands than being the wrong size.I hope you understand what I mean.
ReplyThanks Raoul, I just learned something from you guys with the Volt being more nervous than the Hero: I did choose the Volt as my smallest size as I found my Hero sails very good is the low-medium range but not in the upper range. I did attribute that to the 4 battens so I choose the 5 battens Volt for my highest winds day :-)
ReplyHi Dom, i'm your weight and i think the 3.4 Super Hero makes good sense to join your quiver. I'm using it quite a lot. You might find out, that you switch directly from 4.0 to 3.4 when it's really windy, just because the sail is the same style and feathers gusts nicely being less nervous. I can recommend to get a 340 mast for the small sails in case you don't have one. It makes the smaller sizes much more comfortable for the usually more gusty winds when it's really windy - especially for our weight.
ReplyThanks Klaas! So if I understand you correctly, there is no "hole" between a 4,0 Hero and 3,4 Hero: when overpowered on 4,0, I won't be under powered with 3,4? Well understood the 340 mast, but do you recommend one mast instead another? A part from being the most expensive, the platinum won't be too nervous for the upper range of the 3,4? Kind regards, Dom
ReplyHi Dom, of course you always fill the gap between 4.0 and 3.4 better if you also have a 3.7 ;-) But i think our sails have quite a good range, you can hold the 4.0 quite long and then rig the 3.4 a little more 'baggy', which gives that size a good low end. You have the 3.7 Volt, so you'll see if you feel that you need that size and if you don't, you can sell it... About the 340, i'm using the platinum, same as my team mates. It's not too nervous, we're all using it in 3.4 Pozo condtions and it behaves well. It's quite a bit softer than the 370, which makes the 3.4 flex like a 4.5 flexes on a 370 mast. Like that strong and gusty winds become much more managable.
ReplyThanks Klaas, I love the soft feeling of the 4,5 hero with the 3,7 (platinum)! Talking about the 4,5, I have broken the lowest mini batten of it. Is it possible to buy it? I am a bit lost in the spares directory :-)
ReplyHi Dom, you're welcome! I'm not sure if there's a replacement for the mini battens (i have never broken any of them). I'll kindly hand that question over to @@raouljoa:disqus , maybe he can help out and knows a way to fix it... BR, Klaas
ReplyThanks Klaas, this Duotone site is really good with ability to talk to you guys that quickly!
ReplyHi Dom,Actually you are the very first guy I know of ever managing to break a mini batten. Therefore we have never added the mini battens to the spare part list. You managed this while Windsurfing? :-) A sail repair guy can easily replace the mini batten.
ReplyHi Klaas, thanks for your answer, I am in the market for a 3,4 then. Regarding the year model, did you tweak the 3,4 slightly and in which way between 2019 and 2020 please? Thanks for you help, Dom
ReplyGood Day Dear Duotone Team.I have the question regarding Super Hero sail.I am going to buy 5.3 Super Hero 2020 and HD version available at my seller only. I know that you have done a good job for improving this size at 2020 and I decided to give a try to it.The question: is there any differences between HD and normal version with mono-film in sail behavior and performance. If yes please explain.Thanks in advance. Waiting for your prompt response.All the best to your good team and thanks for great products!!!
ReplyI just found that no one of your team riders never using HD version. That’s why have the doubts to buy the one ;)
ReplyHi Sergio,We had a similar question on the E_Pace thread already. Below please find what I had replied there. Obviously on the E_Pace the difference between the regular- and the HD version is much bigger as the regular version is 80% monofilm vs. 100% XPly on the HD version.On the Super Hero it's "just" the window panel getting exchanged from monofilm into XPly. This means that you won't feel any difference in performance. But what you'll find is that it's much harder to see through the window on the HD version (kind of looking through "frosted glass"). Sailing on flat water you won't have much issues with that. But on a wave down the line it makes it much harder to spot the wave leeward from you (to time your bottom turn and cut back). Therefore you can easily identify HD sailors on a wave as most of them rake the sail back and then spot the wave by looking in front of the mast :-) And that's why hardly anyone of our team riders uses the HD version."Actually there is zero difference between (our rather "thick") XPly and monofilm in terms of puncture resistance and UV-wearing longevity. Cause these 2 factors are dependent on the film thickness ONLY! That's the reason why our XPly has the same thickness as monofilm whereas some other brands use XPly which is up to 60% thinner. Obviously this means that the weight is also nearly identical.The only difference is that in case you get a hole into the XPly laminate (e.g. through falling into your sail with your harness hook first) the threads in-between the XPly film layers MIGHT prevent the hole from ripping through the whole panel (which happens with monofilm). Might means out of our experience if the impact is so big that the film can't withstand it then in 70% of the cases also the threads will not stop it from tearing the panel apart. Even though monofilm and XPly share the same Polyester film material they do have different stretch characteristics. The reason for this is that XPly consists of 2 film layers which are glued together. But since they are not glued together under tension there is always a certain "give" in the XPly laminate. For smaller (wave) sails this is beneficial as it makes them more forgiving (especially in overpowered conditions). The bigger the sail size though this might turn into a spongy softness compared to the very direct feeling of monofilm......Long story short XPly gives you "piece of mind" maybe cause you are looking through a "jail-fence" all the time :-) But especially in 7.8 I would recon to go for the regular version.Hope you get what I mean."
ReplyThanks a lot for fast and prompt response :) Yes I got what you did mean.... Now it’s all clear for me.... Unfortunately due to COVID19 there is difficulty with sails delivery. I will give a try to HD version and will look like HD version sailor spotting the wave face around the mast :))))But I can see the lot of sailors using the HD version of other brands sails... Hope that I will adapt to it.More over the XPly window on my 4,7 HD looking not really bad.... Its not so transparent as Mono-film, but still ok.THANKS ADN ALL THE BEST!!!
ReplyHi Sergio,Happy to help cause that’s what this thread is all about. Take good careRaoul
ReplyHi I have a 2020 5.7 Superhero and need some advice for rigging it for powered or overpowered conditions Seems super full and needs loads of downhaul and outhaulSomeone said the larger Superhero’s are optimised for float and ride ( not what I need) and not for strong wind.I’m 94kg and will use it on wave and small free ride boardsI have other (older) superhero’s and have no problems with them or my e type and s typesI wanted to stick with superheros but perhaps I should have gone for Supersession..?CheersRoger
ReplyHi Roger,I am also using the 5.7 a lot at home in Almerimar (Spain) or when I compete on Sylt in very onshore light winds on my Freewave Stubby 95 Textrem. I am 84 kg. When I use the sail in this type of conditions that I mention I put more downhaul and less outhaul and the sail feels lighter and brings the nose of the board up. I also put my base on the board a bit farther back from the middle of the box. I really like the 5.7, for example on Maui when the wind is super light in side shore conditions I use it on my big stubby for riding and I use it with less down haul so I get more back hand power which help me to put more rail in the water in a power full wave.I hope my tips can help you.Víctor Fernández
ReplyVictor, Thanks for advice, sounds like you don’t use the 5.7 in powered conditions like I do at 94kg. For me it is more a question of reducing the power. I like the idea of bringing the track back, perhaps lower the boom a bit too?It’s awesome to get such a quick response from you! Hope you’re well and ripping (soon as possible anyway)
ReplyHi Roger,Normally when I am overpower on 5.7 with my weight I change down to 5.3 but with 10 kg more you should be able to sail it longer than I do.I think the higher boom will reduce the power as your board will get more lift. I do not use the boom so high as I want to have more rail on the water from my board so I found my chest high position which works well for me and my stands all the way far apart. Usually the advantage for me on the 4 batten sails is that they have a bigger low wind range but I also change down to smaller size quicker because of this. So I can use a smaller size that when I use 5 batten sails.I am well, thanks. Happy to be able to go on the water on Maui.
ReplyInteresting, continentseven has already tested both the regular Super Hero (https://www.continentseven.... and the M.Plus version (https://www.continentseven.....Very honest opinions especially about the membrane version.
Reply2020 Duotone SuperHero 5.3:The new 5.3 is really, really great. Huge improvement over previous 5.3 models. Feels lighter in the hands, more powerful, and easier to pump but still smooth on the wave. Really appreciate the time spent refining this size as I use it a lot. Pairs amazingly with the new 92 Grip!
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