Paddle4Play

Paddle4Play: May 2013

Monday 20 May 2013

Pyranha Shiva takes a diet,

 

So with an Alps trip coming up fast I took some time today to put together my kit ready to head out to Italy,

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Firstly thanks to all my equipment Sponsors, Keen Europe, Great Outdoors, Palm Equipment, Pyranha Kayaks X-1 Audio and Werner Paddles, I'm looking forward to testing the kit out in Europe over the next few weeks.

My Pyranha Large Shiva has been my weapon of choice so far this season and really looking forward to getting it away on pushier water,

The Shiva is a round hulled creeker designed to be super safe and ride over everything this is not my usual paddling style preferring a hard railed river boat to cruise around the river, but for 2013 the Shiva is quick for racing which was one of my aims to go faster.

With racing and travelling in mind the Shiva is a pretty solid boat which weighed in at a hefty 25.3 KG

Having previously lightened a Bliss Stick Mystic (Check it out here) I knew what needed to be done, unsure of what could come out I set to work with the help of My Colm Healy from I-Canoe who had great pleasure in drilling my boat Winking smile

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Firstly I stripped the boat down to get a rough shell weight, with the shell weighing in at about 19kg this boat was always going to be heavier than the mystic.

So Starting with the footrest out came the Pyranha footrest weighing in at 1.8kg,

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By removing the back plate and rebending and attaching the metal arms brings the footrest weight down to just 0.6kg a healthy saving, sorry I forgot to take photos. but basically the big lump behind has been removed.

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Next up it was time to remove the rear pillar once the seat is removed give the foam a knock and out she falls, pillar weighted 0.6kg and managed to trim it down to just 0.3kg

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Waffling out the non essential plastic is a great way of saving weight we used this method before on the mystic seat so this time I did it on all non essential plastic starting with the hull stiffener then the seat and lastly the front pillar, obviously be aware of where you are taking plastic from, make sure the parts are still rigid and wont just buckle.

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So after much chopping and moving the Shiva diet brought her down to a slightly more respectable 21.6kg saving 3.7 kg

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Once again I took some time to weigh a couple of other boats for comparison purposes,

Pyranha Shiva Large (standard) 25.3 kg
Pyranha Shiva Large (Lightened) 21.6 kg
Wavesport Recon 83 24.9 kg
Dagger Mamba 8.6 24.2 kg
Zet Director 22.0 kg

I'm heading away for a few weeks paddling in Italy il update let you know how she paddles.

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Thursday 9 May 2013

Pyranha Jed

Just realised I never posted a quick video from earlier this spring so heres the Jed from Pyranha



Another fantastic boat, its sooo loose it will drive you silly, its probably the most balanced boat ive paddled in a long time, like old school only better,

Enjoy!

More to come soon, once the water comes back!

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Palm Stikine and Spark Dry Suit

After a long dark winter finally the glimmering sun can be seen glistening off the river and meaning the end of cold dark freezing paddling but back to warmish enjoyable paddling

During the height of the cold weather I took delivery of my new palm kit armed with both the new Stikine suit and the Spark suit I was spoilt. after using both suits on a number of occasions I found benefits to both suits.

Firstly the Stikine

Palms top end suit designed for the toughest conditions constantly being revised and improved this model was the first Stikine I've owned myself but having seen previous editions This looked like the best one yet, Palm have kept it simple taking the Atom Cag and Ion Bib pants and combining them, adding a rear entry brass zip and neo waistband dispatching with the old braces system, and the new suit is quite remarkable. The cut of the suit just feels natural with enough space to layer up under and enough flexibility to paddle, the fabric socks keep your feet warm and dry and the brass zips keep the water at bay. There's enough reinforcing to feel the suit is sturdy and durable but not too much that it restricts movement.

The Stikine suit is the perfect suit for most users, heavy enough to bounce off rocks and trees but with a great cut which wont interfere with your paddling, latex neck and wrists assure that you stay toasty and dry. The new neo waist holds the suit in place even with the top rolled down to stop you overheating on those bumpy shuttles,

The Stikine is a tidy piece of kit which easily beats other suits at its price point. Only small downside. ....... It only comes in red!

The Stikine suit retails at just 725e in store.

http://www.greatoutdoors.ie/product_info.php?cPath=236_33_684&products_id=207468

 

The Spark suit, after seeing the release of this suit the first thing which stood out was the colour, ingenious a lime green suit every gear freak in the country will need one, the suit its self shares the great cut of the Stikine with latex wrist gaskets and their glide skin fabric neck, the ankles as standard comes with neo ankle seals.

The suit is designed as a lighter weight freestyle / free ride suit with great movement and flexibility the suit features the Ti Master Zip a very solid zip, I tested on a suit a few years ago with great reviews, its light and very flexible, the new zip position almost wraps around the shoulders to give unrestricted movement unlike older designs and other brands,

Having used the Spark suit both on the river, racing and in the freestyle boat the neck seal is still very dry after a good session at sluice I'm damp around the neck but not completely socked with the most important aspect that imp still warm.

The feet of the spark as standard comes with simple neo gaskets as found on the traverse bib and neon pants, I used these for a while but then decided Id get socks added, I was tentative weather to or not but after using it with the socks I can firmly say it was a good choice, being able to keep your feet warm and dry just gives better more enjoyable time in the water.

For 2012 I've a few trips planned starting with 2 trips to Italy end of May and beginning of June and I can safely say il take the Spark suit and wont regret it, the free cut and the semidry neck will be perfect for the warm sun and cool water of the Alps. Keeping me cool and dry all day.

The Spark suit overall is a fantastic suit but knowing I always have a full dry suit to fall back on for those cold winter runs, for a winter freestyle suit it offers great flexibility. For the summer this is the only suit il be using definitely my favourite piece of kit for the season.

The spark suit retails in store for just 550e

http://www.greatoutdoors.ie/product_info.php?cPath=236_33_684&products_id=208216

 

In Case you missed it heres a day out on the Avonmore wearing the Stikine Suit

Levator Mount

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P&H Hammer First Look on Irelands West Coast

The Hammer from P&H is not a new idea with other boats available over the past few years as Rockhopping boats designed for exploring cliffs, gully's and caves, being responsive and manoeuvrable in tight situations.GOPR0007

What the hammer has done is brought the safety, no creek paddler would hit a big river with basic plastic footrests and no hip pads so why do it in some of the biggest seas? P&H have taken what they know from building successful creek boats with the Burn arguably the best selling boat of the past 10 years. The format is the same a short 13'8 day touring sea kayak add a lot of rocker now make it safe, by adding full connect 30 outfitting gives you comfort and security like know other its like paddling a Jed in the big sea, having the trust and knowledge that it will always come back the right way means you can push it out if your comfort zone.

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The Hammer is a cross between a stretched Shiva, an old school master and a delphin, firstly the rocker profile, its huge! Bring back the days of learning to paddle in masters one sweep will send you 180 degrees add another for a full 360, it handles like a Shiva being able to pull and pry the front end into position lining up with whatever's coming, then when it hits you powering through, the flat mid section allows the boat to lift and paddle with ease without being slow or sluggish in any way, I put it up against the Islay 14 speed was the same but the Hammer was far more manoeuvrable.

Drop the skeg and the super loose hull straightens up and runs true even in windy conditions with tide running across, its like magic, the new P&H skeg trigger is another piece to marvel at, firstly its up on the deck right in front of you with easy reach when you need it then the adjustable system is so easy to use even while wearing pogies allowing you to adjust with ease to any height,

Once you have a rockhopping safety induced kayak then add P&Hs traditional side 4 Hatches, deck lines and classic P&H toggles to give you a sense that this is a sea kayak and not a river boat that works in the sea.

The hammer in any following sea will lift and surf with out effort its part if the boat, the only point to note this is not a dry boat, any oncoming waves will splash out from under the bow and generally over you but if I'm heading out in a playboat of the sea I'm not expecting to stay dry!GOPR0143

The hatches are well sized using round hatches which are very dry even in tough conditions, and once loaded the boat still feels like the same menace, it just doesn't want to sit still its urging you to get closer to the rocks closer to where the sea breaks closer to its sweet spot,

The Hammer is by far the most fun Sea Kayak I've paddled and cant wait for more time out in it, weather it be as a day tourer a bug water surfer or a roaming rockhopper its a versatile boat which will still work as a fast river tourer.

 

P&H Hammer First Look

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