Gear Review: Pyranha Machno Kayak

Value Rating: 10 Durability Rating: 10 Overall Rating: 9.5 Location of Test: Fish Creek + Clackamas River (High Water Class IV) Duration of Test: 10 miles Product Name: Machno Medium Kayak Product Brand: Pyranha Best Use: Whitewater ( Class 1-5) Sizes: Small, Medium, Large The Full Review: This boat is a beast!!! I took it on some high-water class 4-ish runs and the bow stayed dry! This is because of the very pronounced rocker profile. Even a half boof stroke will keep you up and out of holes. This also helps you slide off of rocks instead of being caught up by them. There was enough edge to be able to keep my speed up but not too much to the point where I felt like it was catching at any particular moment. I would take this boat on steep creeks or high-volume rivers. I weigh185lbs and felt comfortable in the Medium size, but I might be open to trying the large. I would recommend coming into Next Adventure and demoing each size if you feel like you might be in between sizes. It has been said that this is the 4x4 of whitewater boats. It really feels like it can go through anything. I would definitely recommend this boat for a beginner at the sport or an advanced paddler. It’s all down to preference with this, but I would say the Pyranha outfitting takes a little bit more work to feel 100% comfortable in. If I owned this boat I would glue some foam around the knee areas and change the hip pads. The Good -BOOFS LIKE A DREAM! (goes over features, not into or under them) -Very Stable -Easy to use -Great volume distribution -Can handle good class 5 whitewater -Maneuverable -Looks cool! -Ratcheting back band The Bad: -Outfitting could be better The Bottom Line: I'm seeing more and more of these boats on the river every day. This boat is really an all-around great creek boat. The high rocker makes it really fun over drops and holes. If I could only have 1 boat this would be my pick. Come on in and try it out!