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apexskier
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  Quote apexskier Replybullet Topic: Pyranha Burn S or M
    Posted: 01 Sep 2011 at 11:00am
Hello everyone,

I'm looking for a creekboat right now and have heard a lot of positives about the Pyranha Burn. I've found a small one and think that that would be a good size but am looking for some more perspectives. I'm in the weight range at about 155/160 lbs. I've only ever paddled a playboat (right now an Allstar) and have been paddling for about 7 years. I'm thinking a smaller creekboat will be more comfortable for me and I'll have more control.

Anyway, thanks for feedback!
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  Quote BRoss Replybullet Posted: 01 Sep 2011 at 11:38am
I'm about 150 and love my M Burn. I didn't even try the S before I bought my Burn - I was coming from a Diesel and knew I wanted more volume. It might be worth paddling both boats to see what you prefer.
"That boated a lot better than it looked." "It always does until it doesn't."
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Scott_H
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  Quote Scott_H Replybullet Posted: 01 Sep 2011 at 1:15pm
I weigh 160-165 and have paddled the medium Burn for years - never felt the need for anything smaller.  If anything, I have ocassionally found myself wanting a little extra volume.
“The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they're going to have some pretty annoying virtues.”
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Leland
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  Quote Leland Replybullet Posted: 01 Sep 2011 at 2:00pm
I would strongly recommend that you get a medium at your weight. With a boat that has a more aggressive edge like the Burn, overweighting will cause the boat to be very twitchy due to the edges being engaged all of the time instead of only when you choose to use them.

Leland
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huckin harms
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  Quote huckin harms Replybullet Posted: 01 Sep 2011 at 2:18pm

echo Leland's point...

I weigh 160 and paddled a small for a brief while.  Switched to a medium for several years.  Then recently went to the large.  The large 'runs over' stuff really well and is very stable but can be a bit more challenging to roll.  The medium would likely suit you fine.

 

 

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Ellingferd
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  Quote Ellingferd Replybullet Posted: 01 Sep 2011 at 2:49pm
Always go big. I weigh 170-175 and I paddle an everest. Sometimes, I want even more boat.
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apexskier
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  Quote apexskier Replybullet Posted: 04 Sep 2011 at 8:20am
Looks like I'm going to have to keep looking for a medium. Seems like bigger is better for creekboats.
Thanks for the feedback.
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doggievacation
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  Quote doggievacation Replybullet Posted: 05 Sep 2011 at 8:15am

I tried a small Burn and felt very snug and well-connected to the boat.  But I was coming from a very small creeker (a small Mamba) and most folks recommended more volume given my height and weight.  (5' 8", 140) 

So I tried a medium Burn and discovered that my knees made almost no contact with the boat.  It was like there's no pocket for your knee, just a huge void, which makes it very hard to control the bow.    (And, yeah, some folks glue in knee blocks, but this is hard to do when you're just demoing or trying out a friend's boat.)

In my opinion, Pyranha makes a Small Burn and two sizes of Large Burn.  They don't make a medium.  Seriously, the size jump from a small to a medium is WAY bigger than the jump from a medium to a large.  So if you're my size, you can choose a small Burn that fits well but doesn't have enough volume, or a "medium" Burn that doesn't fit well but has adequate volume.

Anyhow, I ended up in a small Villain.  It's a big boat (about the same volume as a Large Burn), and handles MUCH differently than a Burn, but I feel snug and well-connected to it.  Just my two.

Good luck,

John

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WA-Boater
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  Quote WA-Boater Replybullet Posted: 05 Sep 2011 at 9:33am
I'm 5'8" and 160lbs. I really like the Nomad 8.5. Stays on line, surfaces and tracks exceptionally well and less edge than the Burn. If you want to try it out let me know. We can set something up.
 
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Leland
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  Quote Leland Replybullet Posted: 06 Sep 2011 at 12:47pm
Originally posted by doggievacation

So I tried a medium Burn and discovered that my knees made almost no contact with the boat.  It was like there's no pocket for your knee, just a huge void, which makes it very hard to control the bow.    (And, yeah, some folks glue in knee blocks, but this is hard to do when you're just demoing or trying out a friend's boat.)

In my opinion, Pyranha makes a Small Burn and two sizes of Large Burn.  They don't make a medium.  Seriously, the size jump from a small to a medium is WAY bigger than the jump from a medium to a large.  So if you're my size, you can choose a small Burn that fits well but doesn't have enough volume, or a "medium" Burn that doesn't fit well but has adequate volume.



I'm also 5'8" and I feel your pain on boats being too large on the inside, but is it really that big a deal to put knee blocks in there?

The same boat that has to fit you at 5'8" and 140 lbs also needs to fit guys who are 6'5" and 170lbs, and those guys have long legs. A tall guy cannot make the boat any bigger, but short guys like us can fill that room with foam and have a great fit with about 20 minutes of work.

I even did a tutorial years ago on building knee blocks:

Foam Knee Block Tutorial

I think it's a little nutz to choose a boat based on which outfitting fits you right out of the wrapper rather than making an assessment based on the performance characteristics of the hull and safety features of the boat.

Leland
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huckin harms
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  Quote huckin harms Replybullet Posted: 06 Sep 2011 at 2:48pm

Yeah, thanks Leland for posting up that tutorial.  Knee blocks are totally the way to go when it comes to outfitting a boat.  Keeps the knees locked in and tight. 

Personally, I wouldnt want my knees pressed up into the hull.  I have a friend who damaged his knee caps due to the stress and strain from the impact forces that are created when paddling hard.  Have some foam b/w the boat and knees is a must in my mind (just like earplugs in cold water).  But then we all know somebody who paddles hard water with no special outfitting at all so guess its just a matter of comfort. 

 

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  Quote TastyWaves Replybullet Posted: 06 Sep 2011 at 4:24pm
Cameron,

I've been trying a bunch of different boats in the last few months and I weigh about 165, here's my report.

So I paddled a Medium Burn for almost a year. Too small. It fits awesome but gets stuffed in holes where the Large Burn or the Large Karnali don't. I would say the Medium burn is a good step-up boat from a playboat, but maybe not worth it if you buy a new one because you might end up wanting to replace it.

Large Burn - paddled one this summer for about 6 days in Colorado. Awesome. I didn't spend enough time outfitting it right for me since I was just borrowing it but even without it fitting right that thing was pretty sweet. Charged through everything and paddles fast.

Large Karnali - I like it better than the large burn. its got a little less volume but It seems to just skip over the top of holes like they aren't there. I  decided to go with this one and bought a new one about a month ago.

80 Gallon Liquid Logic Stomper - I paddled one of these yesterday on the N.F. Payette and wasn't too stoked on it. I think partyly the outfitting wasn't right for me but it just felt too short.

90 Gallon Liquid Logic Stomper - I swapped the 80 Gallon for the 90 Gallon Stomper mid course on the N.F Payetter yesterday, and this boat is MONEY. I took that thing through the meat of the hole in a rapid called Nutcracker and it felt like going through slack water. I paddled the 90 the rest of the day and it is an awesome boat. If I were to go back in time it would be a tough call between this one and the Large Karnali I bought

Dan Patrinellis' Big Dog 8.4 - the Big Dog is fu*kn AWESOME. Tight outfitting and really light, I would paddle that boat any day of the week on anything. I soloed the Lower 5 yesterday in the Big Dog and wanted one for myself. You should ask Dan Patrinellis (PP avatar Tiziak) about the boat, I think he is a rep for them now and he can give you some info.

Anyway, hope some of that helps, good luck on your search
Wise men say forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price for late pizza.
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