Go Green!

This year, for some odd reason, the instructors have spent an incredible amount of time paddling upstream. Three to five times a week we hop in a river-runner, put in at the Outfitter’s store and attain up to Nantahala Falls. It’s a heck of a workout – at least until the Green Boat arrived two days ago. Now it’s not so hard, and has become significantly more fun.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first – it’s fast, real fast. It accelerates quickly and as you accelerate the bow of the boat rises slightly to maintain speed. The other nice thing about the Green Boat is it doesn’t slough its speed off like a typical river-runner. It starts fast and it stays fast. We also noticed that a well-timed stroke will lift the bow onto waves or holes before you get to them which further prevents the boat from losing speed.

The Green Boat derives part of its speed from its narrow width, so it feels more tippy than your typical creekboat. The advanced paddler (like the one racing the Green) won’t have any problems with the secondary stability, but there may be a bit of a learning curve for us mere mortals.

Additionally, this boat isn’t going to turn like other river-runners/creekers, but it wasn’t designed to turn. This boat was designed to lock in the line the paddler sets, and then drive through that line. This boat won’t be pushed around very easily.

Lastly, this boat is really fun to boof. I’d be giggling before I even got to the boof rock in anticipation of the air I was about to get. Even if you don’t ever plan on racing, do yourself a favor and demo this boat if you get a chance. It’s really fun – which is the reason we kayak in the first place.

2008 River Runner/Creek Boat Reviews

We've had a couple months now to put the new boats through their paces. The following are the instructors' thoughts on the new offerings. For reviews and comparisons of last year's boats click here : Jackson Funs and Dagger Mamba ,here for the Pyranha Ammo, and here for the Pyranha Burn. Without further ado...

Liquid Logic Remix
You’ll probably like this boat if: you’re a driver (as opposed to a floater), you want a boat with speed that can lock in a line.
You probably won’t like this boat if: you’re used to paddling a hard-chined, planning hull boat

Finally! It’s taken a decade for someone to design the next RPM – the most beloved kayak to ever hit the water. Liquid Logic has brought back everything we loved about the RPM, but given it some new-school flavor. The Remix locks in a line well, has good speed, and is easy to roll, thanks to its narrow hull platform. Unlike the RPM though, the Remix floats the paddler higher in the water. This fact, coupled with a more modern chine placement, makes the Remix a stable river runner. The Liquid Logic outfitting is the best on the market.

This boat isn’t for everyone, and like the RPM, if you’re looking to get into playboating or you want a really responsive boat that turns quickly, this probably isn’t the best boat choice. Because of its narrow width a heavy paddler may feel a bit tippy as well. Still, if you loved the RPM, or are looking for a fast, comfortable boat that’s easy to paddle down river, this is a great choice.

Pyranha Everest
You’ll probably like this boat if: you liked the Burn, you’re a serious creeker/big-water paddler, you’re looking for a stable river runner that turns well, you’re a bigger paddler, you like to carry a lot of gear with you
You probably won’t like this boat if: you’re a smaller person

You’d be hard-pressed to find an instructor here who doesn’t like the Everest. Like the Burn, the Everest’s stability is the feature that sets it apart from other boats on the water. Put simply, you place this boat on edge and the Everest will stay on edge for confident, precise carving across pushy currents. The edges were softened a bit from the Burn which means you don't have to worry about tripping over that edge once you cross the eddy line. The Everest accelerates quickly (a highly desirable feature when creeking or big water paddling) and has a nice downriver feel. The increased bow rocker gives the Everest predictable performance in big water and seldom buries in waves. It’s an easy boat to paddle and has a nice balance between tracking and turning. Like the Millennium Falcon though, the Everest has it where it counts, and can boof with the best of them. (The Everest has softer chines than the Burn, which makes landing rock boofs flat a little easier)

If you already have a roll, the Everest won’t feel any different than rolling your current boat. If you’re just learning to roll, or have an unreliable roll, the Everest may feel more difficult to roll. The paddler sits low in the boat, the hull is wide, and the sidewalls are somewhat high. Still, for what it is, the Everest is an easy boat to roll. (Our instructors are in agreement that it's easier to roll than the Burn)

Our instructors love creeking in this boat, but our beginner’s also love it for river running. The ample volume, wide hull, speed, and responsiveness make it a great boat to learn in. This is one of those boats you can’t outgrow. You can learn in it, use it as your reliable river-runner when running rivers right on the edge of your limit, or take it creeking or on over-nighters.

The outfitting is our biggest criticism of this boat – not everyone agrees on its comfort. Larger paddlers have felt quite comfy in the boat while smaller paddlers have remarked that they have a difficult time getting snug in the boat. Still, we love the long cockpit and the step-up center wall as safety features.

Jackson Hero/Super Hero
You’ll probably like this boat if: you don’t like to flip-over, you want a boat that’s easy to paddle, you think of yourself as a class 2/3/4 river runner.

You probably won’t like this boat if: you want something responsive or want a river-runner that can play

I’ll admit it – I judged this book by its cover. I wanted to dislike the Super Hero, but after paddling it I just couldn’t – it’s just so darn easy to paddle. I’ve never felt so stable in a boat in pushy water. It was almost as if waves and holes had no affect on the line I was trying to hit. This boat is predictable, extremely stable, turns well, rolls pretty easy, and is the most user-friendly river runner out there. This is a great choice for the class 2/3/4 paddler looking to paddle down the river in comfort. It’s not the fastest river-runner but it is responsive and turns well. It tends to lose it’s carving momentum once it crosses the eddy-line, so paddlers may need to throw some extra strokes in to prevent slipping out the back of an eddy in faster water.

The Dagger Mamba was our go-to boat for beginner’s last year- it was stable, held its speed, and carved well. The Heros do not carve as well as the Mambas, and are not as fast, but are more stable.

Can you outgrow this boat? Maybe. It’s not designed to be a playboat, so if you like playing your way down a river, this isn’t the boat for you. It would be a fun boat to creek something like the Tellico in, but if you were looking to get into advanced creeking, the Burn or Jefe would probably be a better choice. It’s the perfect size boat to learn to boof though.

Riot Thunder/Magnum
You’ll probably like this boat if: You like an aggressive river runner, you liked the Dagger GT, you like to stop and surf while river-running
You’ll probably dislike this boat if: your edges are still a little wobbly, you want a big stable boat

We really enjoyed the Dagger GT series for novice and intermediate paddlers. The Thunder and Magnum have that GT feel, but with a little more rocker and a little sportier hull, this Riot offering is both more stable and more playful than the GT. We were surprised by how well this boat accelerated and enjoyed its responsiveness and speed carving in an out of eddies. This boat is for the paddler who wants a more aggressive feel while river running without sacrificing the speed and stability that often comes with paddling a true playboat. This boat is fairly easy to roll. We’ve found the people fall into two camps with regards to the outfitting – they either love it or hate it.

Easiest Boat to Roll: Jackson Fun Series
Having paddled the new boats, we still find the Funs to be the easiest boat to roll regardless of your size, flexibility, or strength of hip snap. The Funs are great boats for the C-to-C roll because as the paddler arches out to the second position the boat already starts to come up before a hip snap is even initiated. Paddlers that learn a sweep roll will have an easy time of rolling when they commit to leaning back a bit in the boat. Bigger people that may have a difficult time rolling other boats will find that they can sink the stern down of the Funs and do a “wheelie” up.

A Paddle Offset Study

45° versus 0°

Coke vs Pepsi. Kayaks vs Canoes. Republicans vs Democrats. Star Wars vs Lord of the Rings. These are the timeless debates that occupy our time. These debates have no real answer, which is why they’re fun to argue about. Let’s add the 0 degree vs 45 degree paddle debate to that list. Ok, ok – that one is not quite as fun to argue about. Still, that has never stopped the instructors here from debating the merits of each. (Of course, instructors will debate anything – I once overheard two instructors arguing over what color moss, green or brown, was more conducive to seal launching)

Anyway, instructors fell into three camps in this paddle offset debate – a zero degree paddle would enable beginners to learn quicker; the forty-five degree paddle would enable beginners to learn quicker; it didn’t matter what paddle they used – it was simply a matter of instruction. After about six months of back and forth debate, we decided to design an actual experiment to put the argument to a test.

Typical spirited debate

The prevailing hypothesis was that a paddle with a zero degree offset would make learning to kayak easier. We reasoned that:

• Novice kayakers would be able to go straighter faster with a zero degree paddle
• Novice paddlers would have better blade control with a zero degree paddle and they would therefore execute better strokes.

Method

Only new paddlers participated in this study. At the beginning of our novice clinics the participants were taught how to wet exit but no other instruction was given before the test. In the test we had each participant paddle thirty yards out on a lake, pass behind a fixed object and paddle back to the starting point.

Each participant completed this loop twice, once with a zero degree paddle and once with a forty-five degree paddle. Half of the participants used a zero degree offset first and half started with a 45 degree offset first. After completing the second loop each participant selected a preferred paddle to use for the rest of the clinic.

The participants were video taped just in case something funny happened that we could post on Youtube. Ok, that’s not true. The tapes were used to determine the elapsed time for each trial and to categorize the quality of the strokes executed and to identify the paddler’s final paddle preference. The elapsed time was from the moment the participant’s boat left the beach until the boat touched the beach upon the return. Stroke quality was judged on three dimensions: how well did the paddler reach out on the stroke, how vertical was the stroke, and was the paddle blade completely immersed.

We ran 34 brave volunteers through the experiment in an attempt to answer four questions.

• Since we ran the paddlers through two trials, did they learn to go faster between the first and second run?
• Since we had paddlers use two different paddle offsets, did they go faster with one offset over the other?
• Were there differences in the “quality” of the paddle strokes between the different offsets?
• Which paddle did the beginners choose?

If you’re playing at home, feel free to take a guess before you see the results. (If your answers are correct please fax your resume to human resources at NOC)

Humm....

Results

Question 1: Did paddlers learn to go faster between the first and second run?

Answer: No. Keep in mind that no specific instruction was given about the use of the different paddles. We thought this would have made the 0° paddles more effective because the 45° paddles require a twist with the right hand to get good blade orientation to the water with the left paddle blade. We expected that without instruction new paddlers would struggle with this twisting movement. The lack of instruction about the twist did not seem to matter though.

Question 2: Did one offset enable paddlers to go faster than the other?

Answer: Yes and no. There was no significant difference in the speed with which a subject completed their first run using either a 45° or 0°. However, their was a difference on the second run. The paddlers who started with 45° paddle and then used a 0° paddle were faster on their second run than the paddlers who started with a 0° and then used a 45°. This defied our conventional wisdom – we actually predicted that the opposite would happen.

Question 3: Were there differences in the “quality” of the paddle strokes?

Answer: No. The novice paddlers’ stroke quality was equally modest.

Question 4: Which paddle did the beginners choose?

Answer: Both. Given a choice between 45° or 0° paddles, 18 of 29 paddlers preferred the 0° paddle. This is not a significant difference in preference. (In the videos it was impossible to determine the choice of five paddlers.)

Final Thoughts

The results of our study were inconclusive, and probably raised more questions than answers. We are already planning a second test and are exited about the chance to apply the scientific method to other debates about kayak equipment, boats, and paddling technique.

So in conclusion: Coke, Kayaks, Democrats, Star Wars, Green Moss, hand paddles.

More details here for those of you that just need to see the numbers:

Sample Video of a volunteer during the study

(Note: The Instructor in the kayak is tethered to a cable that is hard to see in the video. This was anchored at the waterline for every test so the the distanced around the instructor was roughly the same for every test.)

Figure 1

Average Elapsed Time for loop 1 versus loop 2 across paddle offsets

Figure 2
Average Elapsed Time for loop 1 versus loop 2 for both paddle offsets

Table 1

Average time for 0° versus 45° for loop 1 versus loop 2

Used 0° first
0° (Trial 1) M = 34.8, SD= 8.6
45° (Trial 2) M = 34.2, SD = 8.5

Used 45° first
45° (Trial 1) M = 30.5, SD = 6.3
0° (Trial 2) M = 29.3, SD = 4.5

Were there differences in the “quality” of the paddle strokes? What of the other data we collected? The table below listed the number of strokes scored as having a vertical catch, good extension and full immersion. As would be expected, before any instruction, the stroke quality for beginners was pretty modest. However, to the point of this study there appears to be no difference in stroke quality for 0° versus 45° paddles.

Table 2

Used 0° first	0°	45°
Catch Vertical =	25	18
Extension =	7	3
Catch Immersion =	38	30
# of strokes scored =	54	54

Used 45° first	45°	0°
Catch Vertical =	21	20
Extension =	1	2
Catch Immersion =	26	26
# of strokes scored =	48	48

Table 3

	Preferred 0°	Preferred 45°
Used 0° first	8	6
Used 45° first	10	5

Note: In the videos it was impossible to determine the choice for 5 paddlers.

In Search of the Perfect Solo Canoe

Our Review of the Esquif Zephyr

Our instruction team set out in search of the perfect whitewater solo canoe. In our search the Zephyr had much appeal so we decided it was a good place to start. The boat is not the perfect canoe for everyone (obviously) but seems to be one of the best for intermediate to advanced paddlers. Small (140 pounds or less) beginners will enjoy the boat very much, especially the light weight which makes car top loading and carrying to the put-in much less of a chore. The following is a brief synopsis of what we found.

Our Rating System
The Zephyr was rated on a scale of 1-5 with 1 being the worst possible score and 5 the best. We compared the boat to other solo boats available today.


Overall Stability: 3.5
Initial: 3
Secondary: 4
Compared to other solo canoes, the Zephyr has about average stability. If you’re an “old school” canoeist, the initial stability will probably seem low but with some of the new paddling techniques, this boat is very stable. Even when I blew my line and bounced my way through a 270 degree turn in Wesser Falls, the secondary stability was amazing for a boat this size and width.

Speed: 4
This boat has a length of just over 11 feet but boat carries speed well and accelerates quickly feeling fast for its length.

Dryness: 4.5
This is one of the biggest strengths of the Zephyr. It is a very dry boat which allows you to paddle harder whitewater more comfortably due to the lack of water in your boat. If you’re running the big stuff it’s very dry for an open boat.


Turn/Carve: 5
The hull is very responsive and turns quickly while the boat is sitting flat and carves well on the edges. One of the things I enjoy most about the boat is that you can “hip surf” a wave. Just by shifting your edge from side to side, with some practice, you can carve the boat back and forth across a wave without taking a stroke. I think that is very cool.

Outfitting: 4.5
When the boat first came out two years ago, there was some concerns about the outfitting coming loose from the boats. From what we can tell, Esquif has worked out any problems and the factory outfitted boats have bomber outfitting in them this year. The placement of the thigh straps and seat provide a firm ride for a wide variety of sizes in paddlers. I personally really like the stock Esquif outfitting and enjoy being able to paddle their boats “right out of the box.”

Weight: 5
Any time you have a canoe weighing in at under 40 pounds completely outfitted, you have to stand up and cheer! Except for composite boats, it’s the lightest thing out there and much more durable for the weight.


User Friendliness: 4
Due to the sharp looking chines of this boat, it would appear to feel “edgy” with constant tripping over the edges of the boat. This doesn’t hold true though since the sides of the boat are beveled and reduce the amount of water piling up on the side of the boat during a turn or moving across the current.

Additional comments:
This is a great boat for the intermediate paddler or even lightweight beginners. If you are paddling an older model solo boat or converted tandem boat, this will be a sporty little rascal that will offer some challenges along with many rewards for your whitewater paddling career. The boat shown in these photos has been cut down an inch over the entire length of the boat to make it easier to paddle by smaller people. We also added the wood gunnels for added lightness and aesthetics. Although it was added to our fleet specifically for smaller paddlers, we find paddlers of all sizes and skills have enjoyed this boat. There has been some concern about the long term durability of the boat and it is holding up well for our instruction programs. We haven’t experienced any problems with our Zephyr’s this year and they seem to be lasting better than the vinyl covered ABS plastic boats. For the most part these boats are on class II-III whitewater and only an occasional class IV rapid.

The Bottom Line
So the question is raised again, “did we find the perfect solo open canoe?” The answer for some, yes! Lightweight paddlers of all skill levels and advanced paddlers will love this boat. Others will find the boat slightly above their skill level, especially if they are of the “McDonalds Generation.”

Wayner

The Mythical Z-Drag

Most boaters have heard of the Z-Drag – they may have even thought to themselves at some point, “This might be one of those times when we need that z-drag thing”. Very few though, (at least in the novice/intermediate ranks), it seems actually know how to set up a Z-drag. And for good reason – you just don’t need to use one all that often. In my boating career, I’ve only set up one z-drag, and I’ve seen lots of pinned boats. Most boats can be unpinned with good old-fashioned elbow grease and/or vector pulls. Exhausting those options though, and assuming you still want your boat back, here’s the simplest Z-drag you could assemble. At a minimum you will need a rope, three prusiks, and two carabiners (preferably locking). The prusiks and carabiners should be in your PFD – it doesn’t do you any good if they’re in the pinned boat.

Jon's basic pin kit shown here is not expensive:
8' of 7mm rope:$3.36 (Tree saver strap, this is the one that goes around the tree.)
12' of 5mm rope: $3.60 (Makes two prusiks about 3' long, 5mm bites better on your typical 1/4 through rope)
2 Carabineers: $12.00
1 Locking Carabineer: $15.oo
2 Nylon wheels, $12
Roughly $35 dollars in addition to the throw bag you already own, remember the post about essential gear here.

Prussic loop completed

Tie one end of the throw rope to the pinned boat. Now hold up a second, if you are going to span part of the river with a rope, you need to make sure that kayakers coming from upstream have some warning and can pull over before they are clotheslined by your rope. Okay now you can proceed with tying the figure-eights or bowlines to the security bar, both of which are good knots for this purpose. Attach a dampener to the rope – this could be as simple as hanging a pfd or shirt over the rope. If you apply enough force, those security bars/grab loops on the boat can pull out. The dampner knocks the security bar down before it reaches you or your friend’s face. Tie one of the prusiks around a tree and clip your first carabiner to it. Run the throw rope through this carabiner. Now run that rope through the second carabiner and attach your second prusik to the second carabiner and the first length of rope via a prusik loop. Pull. (See picture below)

Using two pulleys in conjunction with the carabiners is admittedly a more efficient option – some of the mechanical advantage is not sluffed-off through friction. There is also the option to use a third prusik as a break for extended pulls. There are certainly better z-drag systems, this is just the most simple.

Pyranha Burn Review

Pyranha Burn rated with respect to the following criteria.
(Rating are from 1-5 with 1 being the worst possible score and 5 the best.)

Stability: 4
Initial: 4
Secondary: 5
The Burn’s secondary stability is the feature that sets it apart from other creekboats on the water. No boat locks in it’s secondary stability more than the Burn. Put simply, you place the Burn on edge and the Burn stays on edge for confident, precise carving.

Speed: 4
Not as fast as something like the Jefe, but certainly faster than many of the other creekboats we’ve paddled. Easy to accelerate, the Burn reaches top speed in very few strokes.

Rolling: 3.5
This rating needs to be quantified. If you’ve got a reliable roll, then this boat isn’t going to feel any harder to roll than any other boat out there. If you’re still figuring out the combat roll than this boat won’t be as easy to roll as something like the Jackson Mega-Rocker. The paddler sits low in the boat, the edges are a little hard, and the sidewalls are somewhat high.

Turn/Carve: 4
The hull is pretty responsive. See comments under “stability” for carving rating.

Outfitting: 4.5
The seat in the first-gen Burns was a little narrow. Pyranha has fixed this problem in the current Burns; the result being a very comfortable ride. The seat is a little difficult to move, but that’s probably a good thing in a creekboat. The ratchet backband is nice and big for maximum support. The “step-up” center wall is a nice safety feature in this creekboat as well. Some smaller boaters have mentioned that they don’t feel that the burn fits them snug.

Weight: 4
It’s a creekboat – you don’t want it if its light. This 45lb boat has a strong layup.

User Friendliness: 4
This really is an easy boat to paddle. It has a nice balance between tracking and turning, floats the paddler high on the water, boofs well, and accelerates quickly.
Additional comments: We’ve had a lot of luck putting beginners in this boat as an introductory river-runner. They appreciate the stability and ample volume. This is one of those boats you can’t outgrow. You can learn in it, use it as your reliable river-runner when running rivers right on the edge of your limit, or take it creeking. I used this boat exclusively when I safety-boated the rafting trips on the Cheoah this year and always appreciated it’s speed, maneuverability, comfort, and volume. I’ve also thoroughly enjoyed creeking with it on some of the Southeastern classics.

For more info and detailed specs click here.

A Need for Speed

Some of the NOC crew participated in a Speeder race on the French Broad River last night put on by the Pyranha boys. There were about 25 competitors and three heats of head-to-head action. Our rising female instructor Jackie "Fear the Reaper" Newmann put on a strong showing, finishing first amongst the females who participated (and ahead of a few dudes as well). Chris "Here comes the Pain Train" Wing also did well, winning one of his heats. Ultimately though, in the finals it came down to a battle between the Legend and the Olympian. The legend, Dan "Greystoke" Dixon hails from parts unknown, is a long time NOC instructor, adventure travel leader, and once paddled a class V rapid with a small dog shoved in the back of his kayak. Wayne 'Wayner" Dickert is the director of the NOC paddling school, Olympian, and 10 time national team qualifier. After a heated battle, Dan was crowned champion with Wayner earning the silver. Thanks to all who helped put on this great event!

(Top picture) Chris drops the hammer on the outside (Right picture) Dan checks over his shoulder as he crosses the finish line

What's the best beginner boat?

We’ve been fielding a lot of questions regarding this topic recently on the Boatertalk skills development page. The short answer to this question is the Jackson Fun; the long answer is, well, longer. Because everyone is different, a great beginner boat for one person may be a horrible beginner boat for another. This is the dilemma we face every morning as we outfit our novice kayakers in their boats. Here’s a few suggestions, remembering of course that there is no substitute for paddling the boat before you buy it. (We have free demos of all these boats at our Outfitter’s Store)

Best Beginner River Runner: Dagger Mamba
If this boat was a car it would be the: Ford Taurus
You’ll probably like this boat if: you’re a bigger person, you want to focus mostly on river-running, you want a boat that’s easy to roll
You probably won’t like this boat if: you want to get into playboating, you’re a fast learner, you want a responsive/sporty boat

The Mamba is a comfortable boat that floats the paddler high on the water and has ample volume, thus making it more forgiving than some of the other boats. We instructors like the fact that it gives the novice paddler some room for error – a novice’s shaky edges do not automatically transfer into time spent upside down. Thanks to a more rounded chine, this boat is also a little easier to roll than some other river-runners, for example the Liquid Logic Hoss/Little Joe. It’s a great boat for those that want to bomb down the river in comfort in a fast boat that’s easy to paddle.

Will you outgrow this boat? Yes, if you think you want to get into playboating. No, if you think you want to get into big water runs or easy creeking.

Best Do-Everything Beginner Boat: Jackson Fun Series
If this boat was a car it would be the: Subaru Outback XT
You’ll probably like this boat if: you’re a smaller person, you’re a fast learner, you want to get into playboating, you want a boat that’s easy to roll.
You probably won’t like this boat if: you’re a bigger person, you want a more forgiving boat, you’re still nervous about flipping in whitewater

The Funs are a jack-of-all-trades boat. They’re sporty river-runners, yet still somewhat forgiving. You get the feel of a playboat without the hard chines of a true playboat. These boats are lightweight, comfortable, surf well, can do bowstalls and cartwheels, and are very easy to roll. This is the perfect boat for the beginner that eventually has his/her eyes set on playing their way down the Ocoee.

Will you outgrow this boat? Yes, if you want to do more advanced playboating moves. (You’ll want to get another boat all together if you’re going creeking) No, if you think class 4 will be your river-running limit and basic surfing and cartwheels are your playboating limit.

Easiest Boat to Roll: Jackson Fun Series
Regardless of your size, flexibility, or strength of hip snap, the Jackson Fun boats are the easiest to roll. The Funs are great boats for the C-to-C roll because as the paddler arches out to the second position the boat already starts to come up before a hip snap is even initiated. Paddlers that learn a sweep roll will have an easy time of rolling when they commit to leaning back a bit in the boat. Bigger people that may have a difficult time rolling other boats will find that they can sink the stern down of the Funs and do a “wheelie” up. It may not be the best boat to take down the river for the bigger person, but its certainly the easiest to learn to roll in.

Review of the 2 Fun
by Emery Tillman
"The Jackson 2Fun is a great boat. It fits nice and snug, and has the stability you need. The boat is very easy to roll. Doing your handroll is a little difficult so you need to come up on the back of the boat. It comes in many colors and is very easy to match gear to. The 2Fun edges nicely and makes catching eddies a breeze". Emery is 13 and one of our paddling school regulars. She has been paddling for about a year on the Tuck, the Nantahala, and the Chattooga.

Honorable Mention: Pyranha Ammo
If this boat were a car it would be: Honda CRV
You'll probably like this boat if: you want a stable river runner that's more maneuverable than the Mamba, you're a smaller/medium sized person
You probably won't like this boat if: you're having a tough time rolling, you're a bigger person

We've had a lot of success with beginners in this boat. They like the fact that it has a lot of volume and is stable, yet still very maneuverable. Probably not the easiest boat to roll, but definitely not the hardest either. Check out our review of this boat here.

Will you outgrow this boat? Yes, if you want to do more playboating than just surfing. No, if you want to get into easy creeking and have a reliable river runner.

For more info on these boats including specs, click here. Check out our reviews of the 2008 boats here.
Photos courtesy of NOC Photos: Learn To Kayak 4-day Course

The Other Gear Essentials

Everybody knows about the five essential pieces of gear – boat, paddle, skirt, pfd, and helmet. There are of course other pieces of gear which are nice to have – noseclips, fuzzy top, splash jacket, shoes, etc. This secondary list is mostly “niceties”, or “amenities” as I once said in my brief stint as a hotel receptionist. On a side note, that was the second worst job I ever had, coming in closely behind the two weeks I worked in a bridal shop. Every day was a wedding day and I was the only person there without ovaries. But I digress…back to the list of essential gear. There are a few other “essentials” that the beginner boater should own to supplement his/her five pieces of mandatory gear.

1. Throwbag, or as we say in Swain County, “that thar throwstring”. It’s also necessary to practice with “that thar throwstring” to become competent. Driveways and frontlawns are good practice areas – areas with lots of trees and/or powerlines are not. We like the NRS bag for it's nice swing weight and ease of stuffing.

2.If you’ve got rope, you should probably have a knife. Hopefully you’ll never have to use it but at the very least you’ll have a pointy weapon to fend off hippies with sticky fingers. A blunt tip knife is recommended, as well as a knife with a serated edge.

The Kershaw Knife is well balanced and spring loaded. We also like the fact that it has a very visible red handle and fits perfectly into the shoulder "pocket" of the astral rescue vests we use.

3. Extra drainplug, because yours will always blow off on the interstate. (Drainplugs are of course boat-manufacturer specific)

4.Ducttape, wrap a little around a stick (or your paddle shaft)and tuck it in your pfd. You will need this to cover your drainplug hole when you lose your spare drainplug. (Ducttape on a stick is also my first-aid kit)

5. Carabiner, to strap in shoes or other gear so it doesn’t wash out when we swim, oops I mean, when our skirts implode and we somehow get sucked out of the boat.

This Kong Anodized biner works well for our needs as it's big enough to hook around a paddle shaft. Of course, you'll want a locking biner for more advanced resuce scenerios, ie. z-drags and rescue swimming

Review of Pyranha Ammo

The new Pyranha Ammo: loaded up but for what? Check out two NOC Instructor's review of this new boat.

Pyranha AMMO rated with respect to the following criteria.
(Rating are from 1-5 with 1 being the worst possible score and 5 the best.)

Stability: 4
Initial: 4
Secondary:4
Comments: It’s stable like a creek boat, especially the lower you are on the weight range scale

Speed: 3
Comments: Definitely faster than the river-runner/play boats in it’s length category, but not as fast as a true creeker/river runner

Rolling: 4
Comments: Hard chines under the seat give way to a more rounded chine at the stern. In general, it’s an easy boat to roll. Maybe a little more difficult to roll for those paddlers who sweep roll while laying back, due to the volume distribution in the stern

Turn/Carve: 5
Comments: Very maneuverable, and holds its edge nicely while carving. Nice and stable for those eddy turns

Comfort: 3
Comments: The seat is comfortable depending on who you ask, and the ratchet backband is nice and big. The thighhooks may not be the most comfortable to those paddlers with skinny legs

Outfitting Reliability: ?
Comments: Seems like a good system – we’ll put it through the rigors of a season of instruction and get back to you. Little concerned with the pressure on the backband system holding up.

Weight: 4
Comments: It’s not light like a playboat but it’s definitely no heavier than your typical river runner, and lighter than the typical 8 foot creeker

User Friendliness: 5
Comments: This boat offers stability, maneuverability, and playfulness for the beginner, but is also well suited for the advanced paddler

Vertical Moves: N/A
Bow Initiation:
Stern Initiation:
Comments: Not designed to do these maneuvers

Flat Spin: 3 (Looseness)
Comments: It’s not going to spin like a playboat, but it’s certainly looser than something like a Dagger Mamba. I found it gets around 270 degrees pretty well, and then is a little sluggish releasing the last chine. In general, this is more of a side surf or front surf boat.


General impressions and other comments about this boat.

Jeremy: This is one of those boats that I think everybody can enjoy, from beginners to advanced creekers. It’s a nice boat for those that want to paddle something stable down their local river without worrying about catching an edge, but still want to surf a little. I paddled it on the Cheoah where I’m often torn between paddling a creek boat or a playboat. The Ammo gave me a nice “in-between” and I thought it handled itself nicely in the pushy water. I think this will be a fun little creeker too for the technical low-flow type creeks we find in the southeast. It’s the perfect boat for the Tellico, Nantahala Cascades, North Fork FB, etc. It’s a fun boat to boof as well. Note: I feel like the difference between the smaller Ammo and the larger Ammo is quite different. The smaller Ammo looks more like a playboat, while the larger Ammo felt more like a creeker/river-runner.


Jason: The Ammo was my main boat in Ecuador last winter and impressed me with how well it paddled loaded with gear on many types of water – everything from tight and technical creeks to big water. I loved it’s stability and maneuverability. Comfortable, predictable, easy to roll.

Mary: This is a great boat for little old ladies like me. It surfs like a dream, carves into eddies beautifully, and is relatively fast for its size. I used the smallest one and it's easy for me to carry - it weighs less than my EZ. I especially love its stability; I think you'd have to work at it to catch an edge, and the volume in the stern would help those beginners who tend to lean back when running rapids. Anybody want to buy an old EZ?
For more detailed specs and ordering information click here.