Sizes Available: XS, S, M, L
Sizes Tested: M
Ion Says:
The Sol Curv 11 features ION’s revolutionary thermal composite CURV material known for its light weight and great durability. It offers an outstandingly light yet incredibly robust harness construction. With a flex index of 11, it is one of the medium-stiff to stiff models in ION’s product range. All loads are distributed perfectly through its stiff 3D pre-shaped center part. Together with the low outline, this medium-stiff harness offers great freedom of movement, further enhanced by the flexible side parts. On top, the Sol Curv 11 is equipped with ION’s popular C_bar 3.0 and Kite_Knife Multitool 2.0. The C_Bar 3.0 comes without the hook therefore you can choose between ION’s hook options to fit your personal preferences. The hook must be purchased separately.
Visit for more info: www.ion-products.com/water/kiteboarding/harnesses/kite-waist-harnesses/sol-curv-11/
TKB Says:
With a flex index of 11, Ion’s Sol Curv is on the medium-stiff to stiff side of Ion’s range and is the stiffest women’s model they make. The exterior of the harness features a rigid shell made of Ion’s thermo composite Curv material which delivers impressive durability and stiffness at an eye-opening low weight. It’s also in line with their environmental initiatives as the Curv material is 100% polypropylene, 100% recyclable and can be manufactured entirely without the use of any toxic resin. Their 3D Plus Spine technology is a stiff 3D pre-shaped center part that runs vertically down the harness spine to provide back support and a locked-in feeling while distributing load across the entire harness. The Sol Curv has a relatively low profile and sits right in the lower lumbar region of your back. Additionally, the sides are rather slim providing plenty of freedom of movement in your upper and lower torso area. The interior features Ion’s Hyper Foam which is a relatively high-density foam with a bit of shaping that provides a comfortable and adaptable fit yet does not retain water so the harness keeps its lightweight feel. It’s lined with a smooth feeling neoprene that rolls over both the top and bottom of the harness with a little extra thickness to ensure there’s padding around the entire shell.
The harness has quite a bit of flex laterally but since the 3D Plus Spine remains rigid with marginal flex vertically, the stiffness/flex rating of 11 seems just about right. The back of the harness is equipped with a handlepass slider featuring a stainless steel ring that ensures your safety leash slides smoothly from side to side. The webbing straps tuck nicely into the elasticated rubber pockets on either side of the harness and Ion’s webbing buckles, also tucked inside and protected by the pocket, offer a lightweight, easy to adjust press down tab style buckle for easy dexterity and adjustability. The closure system on the Sol, which Ion calls their ”˜Internal Flex_Belt’, features an elastic waistband with one side that is fully lined with Velcro while the other side has about a 6″ strip making this harness highly adaptable and accessible to a wide range of rider sizes. The closure system also features Ion’s super handy Kite Knife Multitool which slides up and Velcros into an external pocket in the waistband and has a pull-down tab for easy access. Props to Ion for adding both a PH3 driver bit and 3/32 hex key which are ideal for changing fins, footstraps and the modular hook system of Ion’s C_Bars.
Our harness came with Ion’s C-Bar Slider 3.0 which is one of the lightest spreader bars we’ve tested. This bar connects to a stiff, foam backplate that is about 5″ high, and while at first it may look tall and a bit of overkill, it does an excellent job of ensuring that your harness stays in place and the spreader bar doesn’t ride up or roll up into your ribs. The quick-release buckle system which Ion calls their “Tension Lock” system is a unique concept that basically means no more messing around with adjusting webbing and buckles each time you put on or take off your harness. Set your buckles on your webbing to your preferred fit and tightness one time, then place the hooks in the locking bars on the side of the C_Bar 3.0 spreader bar and tension it back on itself until it buckles closed. It’s quick, set it and forget concept allows you to adjust your harness for a customized fit so that you can get it on and off quickly with the exact same fit every session. The Slider 3.0 features a single rope made out of Dynema webbing that felt rather slick and silky. We found that this translates to a highly smooth slide with no hiccups or snags across the entire span of the sliding rope. The sliding rope is also easily interchangeable with three other hook options (aluminum, stainless steel, quicklock) just by removing three screws on the backplate. Overall, the Sol Curv 11 is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a locked-in, low profile hardshell harness with quick and easy entry/exit.
