best piece of kit ever, it solved all those "you need more downhaul" issues I didnt even know I had. I am Using XT 2.0 for Duotone S-Pace, Loftsail oxygen, and even 20yrs old Simmer Fly which I was thinking to throw away as I was never able to trim it correctly, now with XT I am finaly able to enjoy this sail
I have this extension as well and now I can never go back! Its great! Id love to see a video on more tuning.. foot strap positions and fins for the different Falcons.. Thanks
Dont know if anyone gives a shit but if you're stoned like me during the covid times you can stream all the latest movies and series on InstaFlixxer. I've been binge watching with my gf for the last weeks =)
@@mmilhazes If you have to thread it, does that mean the only advantage is the crank handle? (curious as I have Severne sails and need a new extension).
I had a problem after about a full season on the XT. It started to freeze up when I was detention it after my session and after manually pulling the rope by hand I sprayed it with WD40 and now it works like new. Not sure it was a good idea but hey it’s working great. Cheers.
Here is my balanced opinion on this product. For adjusting on the water or quickly on the beach (without detaching sail) nothing can beat it. There are some disadvantages though. If you do not have Duotone sails with pulleys that have clearance for loop and go (or simple D ring), if your sails have normal pulley alignment you have to thread the rope through a narrow "tunnel" in the extension that takes some time and sometimes catches inside. Its slower than standard threading of line. The ratchet lever is not as easy or precise as a rig winch. When finished unrigging (or preparing to rig), the line needs to be reset in the correct position in the ratchet or you will run out of line either when initially threading or when downhauling, this takes extra time either before rigging or after unrigging (maybe 20 sec). The alloy RDM version is much heavier than other extensions. It only comes in 36 cm, some people do not like putting more than 30cm of an extension inside a mast (I don't subscribe to this belief). In sum, if easy adjustability on the beach or on the water is your primary concern and you do not want to use a rig winch, then this product is great.
Hi Thanks. This confirms my experience. I am not sure what you mean by threading through the tunnel. I just live with the rope not looking quite as parallel. Wish there was a video for us that dont have duo tone sails.
Thanks for this post ! I've just purchased the new UNI Xt. The instructions say to use all rollers for 6.6 and above. I noticed you used only two for the loop and go function. That is very reason I bought the extension. I can't see how to the loop and go option for three rollers works. Most likely it's the non mechanical me that can't figure it out
Hey Thomas, I haven't tried the UNI XT myself, but yes - I think for the 'loop and go' to work you can only use two side pulleys. However, I believe that since in the UNI XT you don't have the handle to easily downhaul the sail, the load would be simply to high to pull down while just having 2 pulleys engaged for a sail bigger than 6.6(if that makes sense?)
Hi Rytis, it would be nice to have comparison of slalom sails or boards 2020. Or just make video what gear do you use for different wind ranges (I mean more details on setup)
Hi Rytis, great video! Love your content. Could you do a review on the Duotone Shox Upgrade Kit? I'm very interested in its usefulness, but there are no videos regarding the shox system on UA-cam or Vimeo. It looks as if you are using the shox system. A video on that would be great!!
Hi , I imagined it was possible to change downhaul on the water without disconnecting the sail from the board, but in your video you disconnected, is it completely necessary?
@@davemarch1811 Its extremely easy to change the downhaul on the water with board attached. If the lever is on the upside its easily accessible. You might have to fuss with the downhaul lines to get them out of the way or the loop of your uphaul line, you just crank it once or twice to add outhaul, or set it to the minus setting to release downhaul. Releasing downhaul requires you to angle the lever all the way down. According to BigWinds windsurfing dealer in Columbia River Gorge, if you have a mechanical u-joint, it gets in the way of the lever if you want to release downhaul if the board is attached. Standard tendon joint is fine, from personal experience very easy to release downhaul.
@@davidhmws thanks David. Agreed! I've had mine for a few months now. Super convenient and easy to adjust with rig attached with the type of sails I use
Hey Timur, Well first of all if it is less then 2 years old - Duotone warranty should cover all issues. Without taking a look at it, it's hard to tell which part malfunctioned and what needs to be changed.
I would really appreciate any input from anyone. When I tension down the loop with my fingers, I need to make the loop very very long or else I don’t have the strength to get it pulled down over the base pulley. At 67, I end up using my back and pulling with a screw driver and it always seems to fall short and take an enormous amount of time and effort. I also noticed that in the beginning of the rigging the lines cross and somewhat straighten out. They do not align nicely as seen in the video. Perhaps because I am using Niel Pryde sails. Lastly, the rope near the cleat at the bottom seems permanently stuck. I cannot pull at it at all. Others have tried when rigging and got an inch out. The product is new.
It seems like your line is not long enough. If you are rigging by the loop-and-go technique (Duotone sail), you need a long enough line so that the loop will easily reach the base pulley with little or no tension. The line also needs to be long enough so that you have enough line coming out of the cleat (at least 6 inches). If you don't first pull on this line when rigging, then you will spend a long time ratcheting the sail down as it is very slow. I use a handheld cleat to pull on this line in the cleat as much as I am able (4-6 inches), then I use the ratchet lever for the full downhaul. I use this handheld cleat-- chinooksailing.com/collections/tools-pulleys/products/aluminum-tug-cleat When I de-rig I use the handheld cleat to release the line that I tightened back to where it was so that the loop is long enough to reach the base pulley the next time I use. That cleat at the bottom is a pretty tight cleat, which is why I need the hand tool to pull it out of the cleat and to do the initial tightening of the loop. From what I can tell of the alignment of the pulleys on NP sails which I think are like most sails (axis of pulleys parallel to sail), the lines should align nicely just like the video. Are you using the 2 outer pulleys? For my sails (Hotsails Maui, Goya) I had to file down the edges of the center pulley in order for the loop to fit over the pulleys in that space between the pulleys and the edge of the sail. For us old guys (I am 66), the extension falls short of being completely tool-aid free because of this initial pull of line needed at the cleated line. Except for the adjustability on the water (which is great and I almost always adjust on the water as it is so easy), the easiest rigging device by far is the Chinook rigging winch combined with a Chinook extension. It is so easy and so precise, much faster, and the line feeds perfectly into the extension cleat. Can't adjust on the water, have to get tool to adjust on the beach. With either of these methods, I never sit down and never use my back to rig a sail (haven't had to in decades).
David Glad to hear you like me are still windsurfing. I have just bought my xt 2.0 to replace the chinook wench I own and it seems that my results have not been quite as hoped yet still faster than before. Thank you for your detailed and thoughtful answer. All these tips help. I cant wait to try them out. Yes I use the 2 outer pulleys. The release line has only one knot not two as recommended. I will add an extra knot and see how it can be made easier to release. It is wickedly tight in the bottom. Will write again to let everyone know how it went.
David thanks to your reply I am proud to report that I was able to rig in 10 minutes. That is a game changing record for me. Here is what went wrong and how I fixed it. My default rope setup for the extender was all wrong. My Niel Pryde sail uses a regular tack roller position. I followed this youtube guide ua-cam.com/video/R6ar_GNC234/v-deo.html to fix this. Because my lines were crossing, I wrongly assumed that my rolllers were the non- standard type (iow twisted). But it turns out that the rope was put into the wrong hole. I had to convince myself that the right hole actually led to the ratchet hole. It goes in and out on a weird non intuitive diagonal direction. Next, I made the line as long as I could so that the loop and go technique could be used painlessly. I used a kitchen S- shape metal hook which made it much easier to get over the base roller. Despite not owning a handheld cleat, I was able to pull 6 inches out of the cleat but not without a handburn. However, once I noticed that my lines were neatly parallel and perfectly aligned, I was all smiles. De-rigging is some what slower. I pull on the lines towards me with my hand to facilitate removal of the rope and use my S shaped hook with the other hand to get the loop off. This happens while in minus mode. Unfortunately, it is quite impossible to get any movement to release the line where the double knots are. Also, it is still necessary to keep pulling on the line while clicking on the leverage to make sure the loop is long enough till the next rig session. The manual that came with the extender was no way near as helpful as the video by Duo Tone explaining how to change the rope on the extender. It ought to be called simply “ How to use your extender”.
@@claudiafrers8923 I think your routine is now very close to mine. I pull on the line while clicking the lever to de-rig until the line is back to its original position. At that point the only tension on the line is due to the initial pull on the double-knotted line, and it is not very difficult to pull the line off the pulley. Only after all the tension is off is it possible to release the line from the cleat without any tool. With a tool you can pull the line off the cleat, and then super-easy to remove line from pulley. When you are on the water, make sure that the extra line and your uphaul line loop are out of the way of the lever so that you can adjust easily on the water. When you fall lever-side up, it is so easy to add or subtract downhaul. I will adjust once most sailing sessions. Takes 3 seconds, so worth it. At my sailing site, it is often a 10-15 minute schlog back to the beach to adjust settings. It's unbelievable how much more sailing with less effort and more comfort you can do by tweaking the downhaul (and corresponding outhaul) setting.
Thanks for clearing that up David. Regarding adjusting the downhaul on the fly, I would really appreciate it if you could recommend a good video or article tutorial so I can learn more. It sounds exciting.
I love these extensions and have been using them for about 10 years unfortunately they do chew through rope so I always have a bit spare incase Change the rope and it should work fine
best piece of kit ever, it solved all those "you need more downhaul" issues I didnt even know I had. I am Using XT 2.0 for Duotone S-Pace, Loftsail oxygen, and even 20yrs old Simmer Fly which I was thinking to throw away as I was never able to trim it correctly, now with XT I am finaly able to enjoy this sail
I have this extension as well and now I can never go back! Its great!
Id love to see a video on more tuning.. foot strap positions and fins for the different Falcons..
Thanks
Exactly - those are very complex and difficult topics (especially the fins), but I will try to cover them.
Dont know if anyone gives a shit but if you're stoned like me during the covid times you can stream all the latest movies and series on InstaFlixxer. I've been binge watching with my gf for the last weeks =)
@Eden Jaxon Yup, I have been using InstaFlixxer for since december myself :D
Great extension. I use it with severne sails! Nice video!! Keep them coming 😀👏👏
Thank you! On Severne do you just use it with two pulleys like I use it here on Duotone? Or do you need to put them through somehow different?
@@RYTISJAS i cant use it like you do. On severne, naish and some other brand we have to thread it. You can see it the manual, it is the second option.
@@mmilhazes If you have to thread it, does that mean the only advantage is the crank handle? (curious as I have Severne sails and need a new extension).
@@RobManser77 yes, but that is a game changer for your back 😁
@@mmilhazes Thank you.
I had a problem after about a full season on the XT. It started to freeze up when I was detention it after my session and after manually pulling the rope by hand I sprayed it with WD40 and now it works like new. Not sure it was a good idea but hey it’s working great. Cheers.
Yes, it can work. Make sure to clean it with non-salt water regularly too.
Here is my balanced opinion on this product. For adjusting on the water or quickly on the beach (without detaching sail) nothing can beat it. There are some disadvantages though. If you do not have Duotone sails with pulleys that have clearance for loop and go (or simple D ring), if your sails have normal pulley alignment you have to thread the rope through a narrow "tunnel" in the extension that takes some time and sometimes catches inside. Its slower than standard threading of line. The ratchet lever is not as easy or precise as a rig winch. When finished unrigging (or preparing to rig), the line needs to be reset in the correct position in the ratchet or you will run out of line either when initially threading or when downhauling, this takes extra time either before rigging or after unrigging (maybe 20 sec). The alloy RDM version is much heavier than other extensions. It only comes in 36 cm, some people do not like putting more than 30cm of an extension inside a mast (I don't subscribe to this belief). In sum, if easy adjustability on the beach or on the water is your primary concern and you do not want to use a rig winch, then this product is great.
Hi Thanks. This confirms my experience. I am not sure what you mean by threading through the tunnel. I just live with the rope not looking quite as parallel. Wish there was a video for us that dont have duo tone sails.
Thanks for this post ! I've just purchased the new UNI Xt. The instructions say to use all rollers for 6.6 and above. I noticed you used only two for the loop and go function. That is very reason I bought the extension. I can't see how to the loop and go option for three rollers works. Most likely it's the non mechanical me that can't figure it out
Hey Thomas,
I haven't tried the UNI XT myself, but yes - I think for the 'loop and go' to work you can only use two side pulleys. However, I believe that since in the UNI XT you don't have the handle to easily downhaul the sail, the load would be simply to high to pull down while just having 2 pulleys engaged for a sail bigger than 6.6(if that makes sense?)
Thanks
Are you going to make a video of your races from tws like last year?
Yes, I am planning to make one very soon
Hi Rytis, it would be nice to have comparison of slalom sails or boards 2020. Or just make video what gear do you use for different wind ranges (I mean more details on setup)
Noted!
Hi Rytis, great video! Love your content.
Could you do a review on the Duotone Shox Upgrade Kit? I'm very interested in its usefulness, but there are no videos regarding the shox system on UA-cam or Vimeo. It looks as if you are using the shox system.
A video on that would be great!!
Hi mate,
I have never actually tried the shox system so cannot help you here. Sorry
@@RYTISJAS No problem! Do you know anyone who uses the system?
No...
i just got a 5.3 sail, what size mast do i need? sdm or rdm? height?
You should be able to check what mast is suitable on the manufacturer website. if you can use both - at this size i would go for RDM
Hi , I imagined it was possible to change downhaul on the water without disconnecting the sail from the board, but in your video you disconnected, is it completely necessary?
Not really, but for me it is faster and easier this way. I have another video where I show how to connect and disconnect the sail on the water!
Great thanks for the quick reply! I'll check out the other video too :)
@@davemarch1811 Its extremely easy to change the downhaul on the water with board attached. If the lever is on the upside its easily accessible. You might have to fuss with the downhaul lines to get them out of the way or the loop of your uphaul line, you just crank it once or twice to add outhaul, or set it to the minus setting to release downhaul. Releasing downhaul requires you to angle the lever all the way down. According to BigWinds windsurfing dealer in Columbia River Gorge, if you have a mechanical u-joint, it gets in the way of the lever if you want to release downhaul if the board is attached. Standard tendon joint is fine, from personal experience very easy to release downhaul.
@@davidhmws thanks David. Agreed! I've had mine for a few months now. Super convenient and easy to adjust with rig attached with the type of sails I use
Can you tell me what to do if the rope slips during the rigging? Should I change a roller?
Hey Timur,
Well first of all if it is less then 2 years old - Duotone warranty should cover all issues.
Without taking a look at it, it's hard to tell which part malfunctioned and what needs to be changed.
RYTIS JAS , Thanks a lot!
I had one that after 6 months started to slip. I claimed the waranty and duotone sent me the spare parts to replace
Mário Milhazes , which parts did you replaced?
@@timurmachnobetov7762 it was the all rachet and springs , it came a kit from duotone
I would really appreciate any input from anyone.
When I tension down the loop with my fingers, I need to make the loop very very long or else I don’t have the strength to get it pulled down over the base pulley. At 67, I end up using my back and pulling with a screw driver and it always seems to fall short and take an enormous amount of time and effort. I also noticed that in the beginning of the rigging the lines cross and somewhat straighten out. They do not align nicely as seen in the video. Perhaps because I am using Niel Pryde sails. Lastly, the rope near the cleat at the bottom seems permanently stuck. I cannot pull at it at all. Others have tried when rigging and got an inch out. The product is new.
It seems like your line is not long enough. If you are rigging by the loop-and-go technique (Duotone sail), you need a long enough line so that the loop will easily reach the base pulley with little or no tension. The line also needs to be long enough so that you have enough line coming out of the cleat (at least 6 inches). If you don't first pull on this line when rigging, then you will spend a long time ratcheting the sail down as it is very slow. I use a handheld cleat to pull on this line in the cleat as much as I am able (4-6 inches), then I use the ratchet lever for the full downhaul. I use this handheld cleat-- chinooksailing.com/collections/tools-pulleys/products/aluminum-tug-cleat
When I de-rig I use the handheld cleat to release the line that I tightened back to where it was so that the loop is long enough to reach the base pulley the next time I use. That cleat at the bottom is a pretty tight cleat, which is why I need the hand tool to pull it out of the cleat and to do the initial tightening of the loop.
From what I can tell of the alignment of the pulleys on NP sails which I think are like most sails (axis of pulleys parallel to sail), the lines should align nicely just like the video. Are you using the 2 outer pulleys? For my sails (Hotsails Maui, Goya) I had to file down the edges of the center pulley in order for the loop to fit over the pulleys in that space between the pulleys and the edge of the sail.
For us old guys (I am 66), the extension falls short of being completely tool-aid free because of this initial pull of line needed at the cleated line.
Except for the adjustability on the water (which is great and I almost always adjust on the water as it is so easy), the easiest rigging device by far is the Chinook rigging winch combined with a Chinook extension. It is so easy and so precise, much faster, and the line feeds perfectly into the extension cleat. Can't adjust on the water, have to get tool to adjust on the beach. With either of these methods, I never sit down and never use my back to rig a sail (haven't had to in decades).
David Glad to hear you like me are still windsurfing. I have just bought my xt 2.0 to replace the chinook wench I own and it seems that my results have not been quite as hoped yet still faster than before. Thank you for your detailed and thoughtful answer. All these tips help. I cant wait to try them out. Yes I use the 2 outer pulleys. The release line has only one knot not two as recommended. I will add an extra knot and see how it can be made easier to release. It is wickedly tight in the bottom. Will write again to let everyone know how it went.
David thanks to your reply I am proud to report that I was able to rig in 10 minutes. That is a game changing record for me. Here is what went wrong and how I fixed it. My default rope setup for the extender was all wrong. My Niel Pryde sail uses a regular tack roller position. I followed this youtube guide ua-cam.com/video/R6ar_GNC234/v-deo.html to fix this.
Because my lines were crossing, I wrongly assumed that my rolllers were the non- standard type (iow twisted). But it turns out that the rope was put into the wrong hole. I had to convince myself that the right hole actually led to the ratchet hole. It goes in and out on a weird non intuitive diagonal direction. Next, I made the line as long as I could so that the loop and go technique could be used painlessly. I used a kitchen S- shape metal hook which made it much easier to get over the base roller. Despite not owning a handheld cleat, I was able to pull 6 inches out of the cleat but not without a handburn. However, once I noticed that my lines were neatly parallel and perfectly aligned, I was all smiles.
De-rigging is some what slower. I pull on the lines towards me with my hand to facilitate removal of the rope and use my S shaped hook with the other hand to get the loop off. This happens while in minus mode. Unfortunately, it is quite impossible to get any movement to release the line where the double knots are. Also, it is still necessary to keep pulling on the line while clicking on the leverage to make sure the loop is long enough till the next rig session.
The manual that came with the extender was no way near as helpful as the video by Duo Tone explaining how to change the rope on the extender. It ought to be called simply “ How to use your extender”.
@@claudiafrers8923 I think your routine is now very close to mine. I pull on the line while clicking the lever to de-rig until the line is back to its original position. At that point the only tension on the line is due to the initial pull on the double-knotted line, and it is not very difficult to pull the line off the pulley. Only after all the tension is off is it possible to release the line from the cleat without any tool. With a tool you can pull the line off the cleat, and then super-easy to remove line from pulley.
When you are on the water, make sure that the extra line and your uphaul line loop are out of the way of the lever so that you can adjust easily on the water. When you fall lever-side up, it is so easy to add or subtract downhaul. I will adjust once most sailing sessions. Takes 3 seconds, so worth it. At my sailing site, it is often a 10-15 minute schlog back to the beach to adjust settings. It's unbelievable how much more sailing with less effort and more comfort you can do by tweaking the downhaul (and corresponding outhaul) setting.
Thanks for clearing that up David. Regarding adjusting the downhaul on the fly, I would really appreciate it if you could recommend a good video or article tutorial so I can learn more. It sounds exciting.
Lasted 6 months then the rope started slipping, no information on how to fix this, piece of crap
Should be warranty then...?
I love these extensions and have been using them for about 10 years unfortunately they do chew through rope so I always have a bit spare incase
Change the rope and it should work fine