Pyranah Ripper First Look

The past week in Austria, I managed to get my hand on the new Pyranha Ripper Prototype.

Over the past few years we've seen river play models popping up with the Braap and the party Braap, from Liquid Logic. The Axiom from Dagger, and more recently the Antix from Jackson Kayak and Rexy from Exo Kayaks.

It was time for Pyranha to bring their newest boat to market. Taking what they have learnt from years of #PlayTheRiver and updating it into a modern design.

The Ripper is a evolution of the 9R Series creating a super fast hull which is fun and predictable the perfect platform to build a river, play kayak.

The top deck shows good volume distribution with volume upfront to punch through waves and enough rocker to prevent the bow from pearling, the tail is lower volume but enough to be stable yet still playful.

This is the Large Ripper Prototype, I've seen the drawings for the medium and people will be please to see its keeping the same length but an altered volume distribution and rocker profile to suit the lighter paddler.

I took the Ripper out on the River Inn, in Austria. A nice cruisey run through the Imst Gorge one of the most popular Raft Runs in the region. The section is full of big waves and wave trains to surf and play. 

I had swapped over from my 9RL to the Prototype Ripper L and immediately felt at home. The Ripper had the same characteristics the feeling of security and safety upfront.

 

The fun really came when you start dropping the tail. Whether to change direction, a quick squirt will have the boat turning effortlessly.  This makes the boat super maneuverable. As you approach wavetrains you are left with so many options, you can kick the edge and pull the nose high. Pull a boof and send her charging through, or flick the hips and follow through with a kick flip. 

Personally I wondered if the boat was too safe and could be a little more playful but after picking a small eddyline, I had the boat vertical and squirting with little effort. 

As I paddled the river the more I got used to sweeping and holding the edge like a slalom boat to allow the boat to pivot effortlessly, 

For guiding I was able to carry the same equipment straight out of my 9RL a little squashed but it fitted securely. On the river the speed of the boat is perfect, being able to have fun but not be left behind. The ability to chase swimmers and boats confidently with no worries of instability and the extra maneuverability really helps.

Inside the boat comes as standard with the newest Stout 2 Thigh braces, and new super soft hip pads. This gives a lot of support and confidence to the user with no flex from the thigh braces you fell like your getting out the performance you put into the boat. Fitted with the standard Full Plate footrest with plenty of adjustment means all day comfort for paddlers of all sizes.

I always believed a river play style boat was better suited to everyday paddling over an all out creek boat, improving your skill and reactions whilst giving you the ability to have some fun on the way down.

Personally I found some of the bigger boats too easy on local runs finding much more enjoyment paddling something a little more playful, but still safe. 

I think the new Ripper will suit both Advanced paddlers looking to have some fun on the water as well as intermediate paddlers looking to hone their river skills. 

I will certainly be adding a Ripper to my quiver of boats and look forward to many adventure with her. (And Jenny)

Yak Vanguard Dry Suit

So this year I was given the opportunity to get back into Yak Adventure Paddling Equipment.

Over the years the Yak range has always come across as very intermediary and recreational based. in 2014 Yak had a new relaunch with things moving within the Survitec group a lot more focus was given to really developing and upgrading the Yak range to bring it in line with the rest of the industry.

I first saw the new range last year and was very impressed, the team have worked hard to change their brand image to a company who can provide top end equipment for paddlesports. I can safely say they have really done the job bringing new light to an established brand and pushing it on in terms of features and functionality.

The latest line up of Yak Equipment is bright, colourful, functional, comfortable and very usable.

Just before I headed to Europe in September I was delighted to receive a box of goodies from Yak, a company I first met 13 years ago when they first offered me a selection of samples as a local lad living next to the factory in Gosport.

The first Item out of the box was the Yak Vanguard Dry Suit.

This suit comes nicely packaged enclosed with a fleece undersuit and lycra over-socks to protect your latex socks.

What Yak say….

What I Say…..

So I put this suit through its paces on a recent trip to Europe, travelling through France, Switzerland, Austria and Italy stopping at Sickline over an action packed 3 weeks.

The Fit,

As always I picked up a large size at 6”3 I know I'm usually at the top end height wise for most large suits but I'm not wide enough to warrant the XL size. The Vanguard suit is a slightly smaller fit to Peak or Palm especially with the metal zip, the hips of the vanguard is also a little narrow but once on provides a lovely fit but for sure its worth trying on first.

I am personally using the Large size which to start felt a little short but now I don’t notice.

The cut allows great movement and flexibility without fabric bulking or getting in the way. this is helped by the internal braces supporting the lower half of the suit when walking, Other brands with neo waist do tend to slip and bunch when walking.

The Latex seals on the wrist and neck are both a good size not too tight and still comfy enough no cutting needed, the socks are probably suitable on the Large suit for upto about UK12 max at a UK11 they are a good fit and very easy in and out of a boot

Features

Latex wrists and neck – comfy and dry

Neo over cone to protect latex neck and provide extra dry barrier – no velcro for easy donning and removing.

Latex socks – something I’d had mixed feelings about over the years but now having used them I find them super, no bunching and really easy in and out of boots unlike some fabric socks.

twin waist – comfy twin waist with grip to stop it riding up

Brass Zip – super dry and industry standard for immersion suits. personally I like the flexibility of a plastic zip but this zip has caused me no problems and remained dry so I cant complain.

Relief Zip – personally I wouldn't own a suit without a relief zip its probably as important as a PFD on long days on the water!

Style,

So I’ve been know to be a bit of a fashion icon and for sure this suit is no different matching my eyes and…… anyway!

This is where I love the suit, as many of you know I love colour and the Vanguard is available in a lovely aqua blue which just so happens to match the rest of my kit. The lime green styling on cuffs really set the suit off and give it a great shape and look.

For 2016 I have seen a sample of Red top grey pants for those more reserved paddlers.

Dryness,

Having taken the technology from sister company Crewsaver I genuinely feel I could hop in the Atlantic, float to America and still get out warm and dry.

The TX20K 3 layer fabric is the bomb its heavy duty and very dry. the suit incorporates a windstopper within the membrane this makes the suit very warm even in the worst conditions I'm really looking forward to wearing this on the coldest days of the year knowing I'm going to be toasty warm.

In warmer conditions I feel this suit could almost be too warm for sure it doesn't have the breathability of GoreTex but it also doesn't have that pricetag anyways that's not usually anything we need to worry about with cold water this suit is a fantastic addition to the range.

Overall,

I’m really happy with this suit its comfy and dry, the cut is good and the colour is perfect. I will certainly be taking this suit on every adventure in the future!

If you looking for a fantastic suit, durable and warm definitely try the Vanguard on for size, its a fantastic price for a full package which is going to keep you dry!

For Sale Here @ I-Canoe.com

- Almost forgot

The free undersuit is cosy and warm whether worn inside the drysuit or in the van when driving its a neat piece of kit and amazing that its included with the drysuit.

The Lycra socks are designed to help protect the latex socks, personally I haven't used these as I love how easy I can put my boots on now with no bulk.

Pyranha Kayaks FREE connect upgrade!!

www.thekayakstore.eu

Great Outdoors become Pyranha specialist dealer.

 

Pyranha Specialist Dealer and service Centre

Great outdoors are pleased to announce they have been taken on as a Pyranha kayaks specialist Dealer and service centre. This means the store offers the best service available, from boat selection, colour options as well as boat outfitting and upgrades we offer the same care and service that we ourselves would expect.

Great outdoors has show commitment to the Pyranha brand carrying a large fleet of demo boats for events and our staff offer expert knowledge in the boats.

At present only a handful of stores in the UK have been taken into this scheme with The Great Outdoors not only first Irish store but first store in Europe to fully complete all aspects of the specialist dealer programme.

This means we can offer special deals on boats as well as exclusivity on new designs, meaning we will have you new boat first. We can then outfit and tune your boat before you hit the water to give you the best experience possible once on the wet stuff.

We hope to hold this fantastic connection for years to come with both companies shareing the same beliefs. By offering the customer the best products for their adventures.

This is a fantastic opportunity, look out for us and our team paddlers out on the water, feel free to ask them anything and try their boats.

‘All our paddlers are easy to spot they are the ones with the biggest smiles.’

For more Information and advice or service and repair questions please contact our watersports manager Adrian Durrant. adrian@greatoutdoors.ie

Pyranha Kayaks 9R Review

The New Pyranha Kayaks 9R just how good is it?

I was lucky enough to get my hands on one of the first Pyranha 9R’s coming out of the factory with the plan set for 5 weeks of travelling and paddling it was a great opportunity to test the new machine.
After collecting my new toy from the factory and hastily unwrapping it from its plastic cocoon the first thing that stood out was "boy she's a narrow one!" and we weren't wrong at just 64cm almost the same width as a new small Burn 3 it was narrow. Length wise she tucks in at 271cm or about 8ft11” to sneak inside that 9ft race limit

With all of the Pyranha boats using the new C4S outfitting is a dream come true, having been out of action the past 3 months with a shoulder injury I've had a lot of time to look at outfitting and seat positions in relation to comfort and optimal position. I really believe the seat in a boat like the insole of a shoe. It is what provides the support and balance for which everything connects. If you have a good seat the backrest and hip pads are just a luxury.
So once unwrapped I took to the outfitting, lifting the seat both front and back pitching it ever so slightly down at the front. I feel that this keeps you sitting upright and by holding good torso tension really allows you to get the power down.
Adding the foam plate to the footrest and some hip pad shims to really lock off the fit she was ready to hit the water
At 190cm and 86kg the thoughts of a 72.4 gallon boat just sounded small but with ample footpace and a really nice knee position this boat felt comfy from the off.
The boat came as a display and flat water demo for the 2014 Junior Paddlefest (flat water because there was no water in the river) with a lot of hype and attention, the rocker profile had just about everyone astounded wondering if you'd ever touch the water.
Weighing in at just under 20kg makes this boat a dream to carry and lift with some big boats around all carrying big weights this made a healthy change.
As I arrived in Oetz with my new toy I couldn't wait to get her on the water, starting with a warm up on the lower Oetz, a cruisy run nothing big and scary but enough to get a good feeling for the new boat.

Being my first time on a river in about 4 months since my last visit to the Oetz with the Pyranha team van after King of The Alps I was working my way slowly to try not to aggravate the injury
From the off, she was fast... Like really fast.... Really really fast! The light weight boat meant you could accelerate quickly and once at cruising speed extend the stroke and she will glide on all day long.
As you accelerate you feel the boat lift keeping the nose high and dry, shedding water and crushing over just about anything. In and out of eddies she was fast and manoeuvrable, turning on a sixpence and charging out, the new rail was predictable and true. The narrow width meant you could really pitch the boat into turns to snap it around. Something the Shiva just wouldn't quite do, the ability to switch edges on landings meant you could carve away from drops and flares without as much as a paddle stroke, just speed and edge.
Whilst pushing the boat on the Vent and middle Oetz and you start to get an idea just how good this boat is, On first look this boat is designed primarily for racing but in a river environment the 9R is fantastic, responsive and fun, surfing waves and carving around the river, the lifted bow stays high without pearling, boofs are stable and predictable and the landings are soft.
Having spent a week warming up in the Oetz valley it was time to play on the Wellebrucke, now this was what the 9R was built for so I really wanted to see how she behaved.

Unsurprised the boat was just plain brilliant, it couldn't be faulted, fast and smooth (maybe something to do with the pilot) but a fantastic ride. She held the lines tight and switched edges with ease the feeling of accelerating away from champions killer and towards the finish line is something words cannot explain with this boat its all about the feeling, the feeling as the boat lifts and drives, the feeling as it releases and the skip and bounce as the power goes down and the speed you come away with, blink and you'll certainly miss it.

Having leant my boat out to a few guys to demo the feeling seems to be mutual, its such a fast responsive boat that just wants to be pushed, by easily adjusting the seat position you can slip forwards or back to engage the rails and hold her online. I did wonder if I'd see her again with all the love of the boat i felt like a mean old man taking the toy away from the kids.
So the question on everyone's lips 'your boat works in Austria now lets see it on your local low volume runs! Will it work?' So on return to the Emerald Isle I was straight to Cranafest taking place in Buncrana, Co. Donegal for a dam release race down the claw a class 4 drop. Still not ready to race I set about lapping the course to see how the boat worked now it had to touch rocks. Again the boat handled superbly hitting the flare in the centre and engaging just enough rail to pull right, by getting in an extra stroke on the lip let the bow continue to lift as you pulled the last stroke the bow cleared the thundering foam below and sailed away towards the finish line.
With the lads watching in astonishment they thought I had just got lucky but after them test driving her for themselves they were hooked! 2 near on perfect lines took 1st and 3rd place out of 122 people taking part in the night time floodlit time trial. The 9R was really proving her worth then taking a third place in the silver expert men's boater x and a 2nd place in the expert women's boater x, the 9r was on fire, only just managing to get it back into my van next up was the Dublin local run the Avonmore.
Many paddlers first taste of whitewater, a class 2/3river with plenty of S moves rock spins and the mighty Jacksons to finish. The 9R was still so much fun making every move with ease even the extra length never once inhibited her on a shallow Irish river. spinning like a demon. As we hit Jackson's I was but a passenger, the nose stayed high as I came through the curler and skipped down the ledge as if it wasn't there. The drop took but a few seconds the smile on my face endless! The 9R had passed the Irish test.
If your looking for a fun, lightweight, responsive, predictable, comfortable, elegant, fast, and fecking deadly boat you need a 9R!
I'm loving the extra speed offered by the boat as well as the rocker makes the river a drier place, This is certainly going to be my boat of choice. Over the winter I'm keen to try and push it to its limits with some big plans already in motion and plenty of steep technical Irish rivers to run the 9R will look after me, and once the races kick off again I'm certainly going to struggle with my boat in hot demand by some talented paddlers its going to get a lot of use.
If your thinking of changing boats certainly don't write the 9R off as an out and out race boat, its definitely needs to be pushed more than other boats but will reward you for the extra work. its going to make a fantastic day to day creeker and river runner with huge potential.
 
If you want to give her a go give me a shout instore adrian@greatoutdoors.ie
Or get yours online here

www.thekayakstore.eu
Thanks to Shooter and Maria McNally for the extra photos