Meghalaya Classics with All India Overland

Galasport Manic Review

My thoughts on the slalom inspired whitewater design from Czech manufacturers Galasport.

Immersion Research 7Figure Dry Suit - 1 Year On

I started typing this review and got bored. So here is a video where I actually have my suit on display and you get to see every scratch on the suit. I kept the video under 10 minutes but that might still be too long. I dunno.

Hopefully it helps out some people. If it does, it'll have been worth the effort.

I can't imagine that too many people will want to hear me talking about IR stuff too much, so I plan on doing some reviews on other products.
Keep an eye out for reviews on

• Galasport paddles
• VE paddles
• Pyranha Ripper
• Astral Brewer 2.0 shoes

Got something you want me to review? Or want to suggest something for me to review? Let me know.

9R vs Machno

So the latest and greatest Pyranha Kayak has been released and been around for a while now, The Machno. This boat is Pyranha's take on the latest generation of creekers. It's faster, has a bit more edge and a more developed rocker profile than the big, round, safe-but-boring creekers of old. I think you'd see the same kind of trends in most of today's designs.

The trouble is, Pyranha already have a boat that is very up to date and that people are using on the higher grades of water. The 9R.

The 9R has developed a cult following in a short time and to me, there is certainly no other boat like it. Check out my previous review here - http://scottishwhitewater.blogspot.com/2017/03/pyranha-9r-review-9-reasons.html

So knowing that they already had a much loved boat in the 9R, Pyranha would have to make sure the Machno was just as good, with its own unique purpose; it is, and it does. I think pretty much every boat that is released by Pyranha (and most other brands too) these days is good, I'm sure you can guess this boat boofs well etc, etc. So instead I have decided to focus on what makes these boats different from each other for me and where each boat excels.

I got myself a medium Machno and have deliberately chosen it over the 9R since I got it to let me get enough hours in both the boats to do fair comparison.

Easy Water

In general, the Machno is friendlier than the 9R and while it does have edges, they aren't quite as sharp as the ones found on the 9R.

I'd pick the 9R here, as it forces me to paddle more and with better technique.

Big Volume

I have never exactly been a powerhouse, so paddling in big water is something that takes a fair bit of effort for me. When I'm in the 9R, I feel like my paddle strokes accelerate the boat faster and take me further. It is a boat inspired by creek racing after all.

9R wins another round.

Steep Stuff

Tight technical waters aren't always ideal for a 9 foot long boat that wants to stay straight and fast. The Machno thrives in this environment. It has plenty of control so you can turn the boat around quickly and boof at a moment's notice. The high volume and peaked deck means you will be resurfacing in no time at all too!

In lower water levels I often found the stern of the 9R hitting the ledge of a drop. Not so in the Machno.

Machno takes this round.

Scary Rapids

While the narrow hull on the 9R means the boat is very responsive, it does mean it can be a little less stable at times, especially if you are nervous and paddling timidly. The Machno's wider hull with softer edges gives the boat buckets of stability and gives me loads of confidence.

If I was to go abroad and push myself on some higher grades, I'd take a Machno.

Expeditions

The Machno has a wider footprint in the water, it's more stable and can deal with a greater load in the boat. No prizes for guessing which boat is better for stuffing piles of gear inside then!

Machno wins again.

Coaching

I don't do much coaching these days, but if I did, it would most likely be on grade 3/4/4+ and I would be looking to keep things interesting and show precise technique.

9R wins.

Will both designs be able to cope with every scenario on this list? Of course they can.

Should you go demo both? Of course you should.

Both boats paddle slightly differently and I had to adjust my technique for this. While the 9R was always pushing forward and loved to be on edge, the Machno didn't require quite as much driving and preferred to be kept flat.
Don't go thinking the Machno is a slow boat, it's certainly not. It just wasn't the top design priority.

I can imagine that grade 3/4 paddlers will prefer the Machno to the 9R, but I think that the Burn will be actually be better boat for developing their skills.

For the big people; taking a look at the numbers for the large Machno and the 9RL, the boats look almost identical.

Length - just under that important 9 foot

Width - 68cm for the 9RL, 67cm for the Machno (but the overall footprint of the 9RL is less)

Weight range - 75 to 125kg for the 9RL, 75 to 130kg for the Machno

From what I have heard, the more active paddlers will probably go for the 9RL, whilst more laid back paddlers, or those pushing their limits will probably go for the Machno.

At the end of the day, these are all just words and one person's opinion, go paddle some boats and decide for yourself!

Pyranha Stout 2 Outfitting - Hooker Thigh Brace Add Ons

The finished article!

When I was about 16/17, I bought a Pyranha S6 that had these brilliant thigh braces called 'Hookers' that you could adjust not only back and forward but rotating them. This allowed you to make them easier to get out by having less coverage of your leg or, in my case, give you as much connectivity in the boat as possible but covering more of your leg.

The old thigh braces offered in the classic Pyranha S6

For some reason, these special thigh braces were dropped from the Pyranha offerings in favour of more simplistic lighter units. The old 'Hooker' thigh braces had somewhat of a cult following. I know quite a few people who have retrofitted the Hookers into their modern boats.

Fast forward to more recent years. Pyranha's thigh braces were having a mixed reaction. While they did the job most of the time for most people, I don't think anyone was raving about them.
Both Dragorossi and Waka were releasing boats with thigh braces that could rotate, Dagger had thigh braces that just seemed to work for anyone that used them. It was time for the Angry Fish to step up it's game. We saw a few prototypes but no real news of improved thigh braces had surfaced for a while.

Pyranha's prototype 'Elite' thighbraces. Never seen in the real world.

Last year saw the introduction of the Stout 2 fittings. Along with the new fittings, a new 'Hooker' thing brace was spotted. As soon as I could, I got my order in for one of the new Machno creek boats and paid the extra for the 'Hooker' parts, being told I would get these as soon as they went into production.

Well they are now in production and I got some of the first production models.
I pulled out the full thigh brace, took off the old padding and mounted the new parts.
You could probably complete the job without having to remove these, but I wanted to take photos.

So far, so good. The new parts make things more comfy, they give you extra connectivity with the kayak and they seem robust. Thumbs up! I cannot see me taking these out of my boat for the foreseeable future.

The base thigh braces. I've added the 'Hooker' piece to the one on the left.

Original pad setup on the left. New 'Hooker' setup on the right.

Normal setup on the left, 'Hooker' added on the right.

Minimum 'Hooker' coverage on the left. Maximum coverage on the right.

Pyranha 9R Review - '9 Reasons'

I've been paddling a 9R since I got back from Mexico at the start of the 2015. I also owned a Shiva around then, but it did not make it out of the garage much at all. I get a lot of questions asking me about the 9R so I thought a review would save me a lot of typing in the long run.

Pyranha claim that this is not just a race boat, so I am going to make this review super cheesy (and let you all have a laugh at my expense) and unofficially tell you that 9R stands for '9 Reasons'.

Here are my own 9 reasons to paddle the 9R;

1. Racing.

In case you haven't noticed, it’s fast. Obviously! If you make a boat narrow and long it is going to be fast. I don't think anyone is going to debate this one.
Even I've won a race now!

2. Stout 2 Fittings

Pyranha fittings have never been perfect but they did have their upsides. It was all fairly light, there are no gimmicky features, everything adjusts in a fairly simple manner and it's pretty easy to get in and do your own outfitting modifications.
The new Stout 2 parts have finally improved on the 2 weak links in the system, the hip pads and thigh braces. These new designs are smart, simple and effective. A big step forward.

The boat also comes with a decent amount of foam.

3. Easy rolling.

With this boat being a little narrower than the average big boat, it's a little less effort to roll it.
This also helps with connectivity inside the boat. Smaller paddlers; don't be put off! This long boat isn't one of those big wide designs that feels like a bath tub.

4. Lean boofs.

All the rage right now. Lots of paddlers are cranking their boats over on edge for extra leverage/style points on their boofs. The 9R's narrow hull design excels with edge to edge transitions, making it much easier to get a quicker, more fluid motion.
The bow rocker on this boat is pretty big. Combine that with the nifty little wave deflectors and you have one dry, stylish looking ride.

5. It's definitely not just a race boat.

My poor Shiva did not see the light of day much at all. The 9R has become my go to, everyday kayak; from longer flat-water paddles to grade 4/5. I did not miss the Shiva too much in the past few months. The 9R has proven more than capable on the tougher stuff. It’s far from a one trick pony.

6. It's not quite a full on creeker.

Half the reason I pick this boat to paddle so regularly is that it keeps those practised, familiar runs fun. This is a boat that keeps me on my toes and stops me from getting lazy. You do sometimes need to be more aware of the edges or boof a little harder. It's all part of the boat's charm to me.

This boat may punish lazy paddling a little, but it really rewards active paddling and good lines.

7. Edges that are harder than a Shiva/Machno’s but softer than the Burn's.

Last year I managed to have a shot in a 3rd gen Burn a few times and loved the way it paddled. I did notice that the edges on it were very sharp, not an ideal trait for a boat to have when I want to be boofing Right Angle on the Etive etc. Then the 9R came long; fairly soft lines up front, harder edges towards the stern. You can really carve the boat into eddies and get away with some bigger flat landings.

8. Old rivers, new moves.

With the speed of the 9R at my disposal I've found myself really playing about with river features. I'm doing more attainments and catching waves on the fly (those not so steep ones that usually just flush). I'm also looking for new lines that involve speed and dynamic paddling.

9. It is cool.

I haven't met one person that doesn't think the 9R is cool. I have met plenty of people that are sceptical about it when they are just about to try it for the first time. That usually ends with them begrudgingly handing the demo boat back with a massive smile on their face. My old flatmate (who paddles for another brand of kayak) had only one comment about it, “I don't want to admit how good this boat is.” The 9R makes people jealous. Simple!

How Do I Get Sponsored?

Since 2011 I have been involved one way or another with Immersion Research Europe. One of the tasks I still carry out is helping to select which paddlers will represent the brand.

I regularly receive many a sponsorship request from kayakers. Some of these requests are absolutely outstanding. Some are, sadly, laughable.

I thought I'd write down some stuff that is worth thinking about if you are planning on trying your hand at going for sponsorship deal. This is written with people trying to get their first deal in mind.

Thanks to Mat from Pyranha for looking this over and letting me steal some of his own thoughts.

This is pretty much the opposite of a sponsored kayaker.

Are You Good Enough?

There are so many people looking for a deal. Just because you have scraped down a low Dart or Etive, don't assume this automatically puts you in contention for a deal.

What will set you apart?

What do you aim to do over the next few years of your kayaking career? Have some sort of plan. Even if you don't end up sticking to it exactly, it'll make you have some goals.

Apply to Companies That You Want to Paddle For

I guarantee at some point, they will ask you why you want to use their products. You should probably have a few decent reasons and show some enthusiasm. Do some research.

Are you only after a one time deal? Do you not want to exclusively use this companies products?
Then perhaps you should just go to your local shop and try your luck sweet talking them.

Treat it Like a Job Application

I see so many emails that have spelling mistakes, poor grammar or no punctuation. I've also seen emails that do not say anything apart from 'Please give me stuff, I am poor/awesome'.

I did at one point get an email that didn't even ask for a deal on gear. The person just told me about themselves, the company they worked for and said they were looking forward to hearing from me. I had to go back them to check if they were actually looking for a deal or if they had emailed the wrong person about becoming an IR re-seller.

Stay on topic and professional. If you cannot take your application seriously, why should a company?

Make Your Email Interesting and Easy to Read

Introduce yourself. State what you have done so far in your kayaking, tell them what you hope to achieve next. Send them your best media (if you don't have any media then don't expect a positive response).

It doesn't have to all be about being the world's best kayaker. Do you do volunteer work to coach people or run events? That's cool too.

Make sure you get all this in the one email. No one wants to be pulling together 2 or 3 different emails just to see you selling yourself short.

What Can You Offer a Company?

This is basically the tipping point of the whole thing. If you get given a deal it is because a company thinks that you can help them increase their sales. That's it. Nothing else. At the end of the day it's business.

I have had someone actually argue with me that it was my job to offer him a deal in order to allow him to progress. Dude, really??

Read the Question

If you are lucky enough to hear back from someone then they might ask you to fill out a form or to answer some questions.

Please, please, please take the time to take in these requests and digest them. They are asking you these questions for a reason and don't want to discuss topics that are irrelevant to them.

Your Current Online Presence

It is a certainty that whoever looks at your application is going to look at your facebook and see what you have been up to with your kayaking. They will probably look at what kind of person you are and how you interact with people. If you act or look like a moron they will assume that you are a moron.

Post topless photos of yourself working out or get tagged in a multitude of photos of getting wasted? My interest is wavering.

Act like an idiot on facebook? You aren't doing yourself any favours.

Liking questionable links/pages? Would you let your Gran see this?

Don't Expect the Free Stuff to Start Flying In

There are actually very few sponsored kayakers that do get free stuff. And you can rest assure that these select people earn it.
A company will probably expect you to work your way up the ladder.
If you are only applying to get free stuff, then it will quickly become apparent that you are not really the kind of person that a company is wanting to work with anyway. 

A true pro. Keeping all the people happy.

Working with kayaking companies can be a lot of fun and I've met a lot of great people as a result of it. Just make sure it's for you before you dive in. There are certainly easier and quicker ways to get gear; like a job.