Product Description
Introducing the Ride Solar: A Surf Kayak Designed for the Taller and Heavier Riders!
While you’ve been enjoying the incredible surf experience with our Zenith and Sirius, we understand that taller and heavier surf kayakers have been eagerly awaiting their turn. The wait is over! The Ride Solar is here, specifically shaped from scratch for you!
Our commitment to innovation is evident in our design process, utilising CAD and CNC plug production to create a unique plug for each new model. Inspired by the Zenith, the Solar stands out with its distinctive features.
We’ve enhanced the Solar with a larger cockpit for easy entry and exit, increased volume to provide ample space and buoyancy for larger limbs, and added a touch more width for faster planing. The widest point near the hips enables tight turns, powering through the wave’s bottom, up the face, and into the air!
Ride’s meticulous attention to detail is evident in the forgiving front rails, allowing smooth re-entry after pushing the limits with lip smashes or technical aerial manoeuvres. Combining manoeuvrability and speed is a challenge, but Ride has succeeded. By fine-tuning the rocker, we’ve unlocked impressive speed without sacrificing the Solar’s turning capabilities. Whether it’s choppy, fat, hollow, or slow, the Solar will accelerate your radical assault.
As with all Ride kayaks, the Solar boasts exceptional quality. It comes with mini cell foam outfitting and and foam seat set to your preferred height. The integral cockpit rim provides added strength, improved aesthetics, and a superior seal for your spray deck.
Specifications:
– Length: 239cm
– Width: 67cm
– Cockpit: Key Hole
– Maximum Paddler Weight: 90 – 120 kgs
Included Features:
– Bonded front and rear mini cell foam pillars
– Ride shaped foam seat with hip pads
– Ride ‘Bloc’ minicell foam backrest
– Set of mini-cell foam foot blocks
– 3 fins in standard thruster design
– ‘T-Piece’ foam thigh brace
Customisable Fit:
– Each boat comes with a surform to shape the backrest and other foam parts for a personalised fit.
At Ride, we aim to meet your special requirements. Let us know, and we’ll do our best to accommodate you. Get ready to experience the Solar and elevate your surf game to new heights!
Mutant
Eclipse
Zenith
Mike Barry – :
So I have my solar just over 2 months now, and have not got to surf it nearly as much as I like.
The solar is marketed as a big boys Zenith.
I also own a Zenith. I’m 90kg, and on the upper end of the weight range for this, and most definitely on the lower end for the Solar.
The first thing I noticed was how much room this boat has.
Big guys will have no problems in this. As a smaller chap, it is luxury, I have so much space.
Compared to my zenith which I need to squeeze into, in the Solar, I can very quickly hop in and out, I have plenty of room for my feet and toes. And with the supplied foam T-Piece, I can still get tight in the boat.
For me,
I added foam under the seat to bring me right up to the cockpit and use the t-piece to make it a secure fit. The supplied outfitting makes it easy to create a quick custom fit with no messing.
Paddling:
The paddling speed of the solar is quite impressive, one thing that had me worried was the extra volume and would paddling out over crashing waves be difficult, I can’t duck dive this like my zenith.
However, the extra paddling speed makes it easy and with good timing, it easily hops big foam piles. The width of this boat also makes it extremely stable. So in messy swirly conditions, it poses no problems.
I can also quite happily pop the deck and give my legs a rest, re-adjust at any time due to the stability.
Speed:
This boat is quick.
For me, most noticeably in take off, The extra width and volume means once the wave is with you, you take off and begin to plane very quickly. At my weight, its almost as quick as an eclipse or equinox.
Down the line, you will notice the low rocker on this boat keeps it moving fast, it travels easily over lumpy sections of the wave, and if you hit it off the foam, the extra volume floats it easily over the foam and keeps the momentum going.
Maneuverability:
Being used to a zenith, I was worried I would struggle with the extra width. On day one I did, not because the boat doesn’t turn, just because nothing can turn like the Zenith.
Once my outfitting was right, I got this boat turning and driving no problem, where the Zenith cuts through a turn, I find the Solar confidently drives through the turn, the extra volume keeping it on top of the water and maintaining all that speed. I got flipped fast a few times, but now that i’m used to this, I love that instant drop and drive I get from a boat that accelerates instantly without needing to shed any water. Having very tight outfitting has helped me keep that rail from tripping when I turn tightly into the pocket.
The extra width also creates a cool feeling of release if you really crank a turn hard, the whole boat easily lifting through the turn showing all the hull.
One thing that is very apparent with the Solar is what I have come to describe as the “Ping”,
when you hit the lip, or hit a foam pile, there is a very definite Ping or Pop feeling as the boat goes loose and rockets over the foam or burst through the lip. Its awesome. It lets you know something great is happening, and is a very unique feeling to this boat.
Verdict:
Over 95kg. Buy a Solar. Simples.
Under 95kg,Expert Paddler – want the best turning boat out there – buy a zenith.
Anyone 90kg to 95kg – If you want comfort and speed, something that will drive quickly out of turns, and really pop off the lip, the Solar is a great option. Also, its fast, very fast 🙂
After 4 weeks with my solar, I was happy to paddle it in heavy over head waves in a comp and it took me to third among a difficult international field.
7 weeks later, I was again confident in my solar at the worlds.
I’m looking forward to more time in this boat and really figuring it out.