Liquid Force Kites Solo V3 15.5m 2017
Reviews / Kites
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At A Glance
Liquid Force’s light, stable, forgiving ride the Solo, is back with some fresh updates for its latest version V3. The Liquid Force Solo V3 sits at the lower end of their range of kites being the general all-round machine.
The Solo V3 is a one strut, medium aspect kite targeting a multitude of disciplines and riding styles; it’s aimed at being simple to use, stable and light. The progressive arc of the Solo V3 tips the kite slightly forward to offer riders better low-end power.
The majority of design changes we see in the V3 Solo come as construction changes. We see a lot of weight reduction with new Dacron material used across the kite as well as a new Triple Ripstop providing less weight with more strength. The overall strength of the Solo has been worked too; we see Liquid Force’s Layered Frame technology and Synergy Struts, the kite comes packed with tech and its built to last too!
The Solo V3 is available in 4 colour variants: Orange / Blue: Blue / Red: Green / Purple and Blue / Yellow. All of which are pretty sweet to cast your eyes on!
Sizes: 3.5, 5, 7, 9, 12, 15.5, 17.5m
The Bar
Liquid Force have had a major overhaul on their bars this year, and we could not be happier to have used such a slick one with the Solo V3! Aside from really enjoying the blue colour, the bar itself has improved tenfold. Named ‘Mission Control’ or the MC bar for short, it now has a very grippy but smooth coating and an effective insert for the PVC center line to slide through. The bar ends are neat and compact with short floats attached.
The bar itself is adjustable between 49 and 55cm for personal preference and kite size. Simply by popping out the capsule at the end of the bar, you can set the leader line to one of 3 positions.
The chicken loop is relatively small, with a sturdy chicken loop and a push away release, which is incredibly simple to reload. An effective swivel connects the chicken loop to the centre line, which is in turn connected to a simple cleat system for the depower. All in all, a simple and effective bar, which is refreshingly clean.
In The Air
We hit the water quickly thanks to the huge Max Flow inflation point. The first notable thing with the Solo V3 for me was the simplicity of its flying. For a light wind kite, we want a kite to fly forwards continuously and not need to worry about any back stall traits. The Solo V3 just wants to sit and constantly climb, when turning the kite flows with no tendency to reverse back even in sketchy light conditions. Secondly, it was insanely light to turn for a 15.5m kite. Turns were fast and somewhat pivotal when you wanted them to be. So far so good, a light, stable and responsive light wind kite.
Power delivery on the Solo is again a smooth experience, power on the bar increases progressively, and the extensive depower was a bonus in the gusts. The quick turns of this kite enable you to build a decent amount of power instead of relying on slow dives and waiting for a large kite to pull through. The kite pulls well upwind, get it powered up and the power remains manageable.
Light, Stable, Forgiving… it’s safe to say Liquid Force nailed it with this kite.
Jumping on the Solo V3 is fun, it’s not a high wind booster, well maybe the 9 and 7m versions might be but the 15.5 not so much. It offers lots of hangtime though as the wind increases, good news if you’re after some floaty multi rotational jumps. Surprisingly the 15.5m Solo performs well unhooked too, we don’t get C-Kite style slack, but we do have a smooth yet powerful kite here that provides enough slack for those freestylers wanting a light wind option.
Relaunching kites in light winds is always tricky, but the Solo V3 was very impressive, even in the waves, the 15.5 relaunched incredibly well.
For
Smooth, simple and easy to use kite. Performs incredibly well in a range of conditions and kiting styles.
Against
We did notice some flapping at the wingtips of the Solo when turning aggressively, however, there are not many one strut kites out there that don’t have any flapping especially at this size.
Overall
Light, stable, forgiving…it’s safe to say Liquid Force nailed it with this kite. The new Solo V3 really is a fantastic bit of kit; its lightweight build makes it super stable in the lightest of conditions. It has plenty of performance in a range of conditions, and its simplicity of use makes it suitable for everyone from a raw beginner through to those wake style ninja’s wanting a light wind ride. Back all this up with all the tech and construction gone into making this kite last and you’re on a winner.
Videos
This review was in Issue 64 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit Liquid Force KitesRelated
By Robin and Sukie
With years of kite sport experience combined, you can be sure you’ll be receiving the highest quality of knowledge on the best equipment the industry has to offer.
