Putting Pyranha’s new creek boat, the ReactR, through its paces on the rivers of the Northwest makes a believer out of our tester Nick Hinds.
Pyranha’s ReactR: A Firsthand Report
It was tough explaining to my wife why I needed to try out this hot new creek boat, since I have a Large Scorch, Large Gnarvanna, and a 9R2 Large (for multidays) within my quiver.
But when I saw the tail of the ReactR in person I was curious how the rockered quarter-slice would react in heavy whitewater. This fall I dialed in my Large Scorch with nine days of paddling, switching immediately to the ReactR Large when it arrived. These boats paddle very differently. As I find myself more consistently on water that is familiar, I am enjoying taking a boat that allows me to get air off waves and make every move dynamic.
The last stroke in this boat defines its abilities while approaching a drop or must-make move. With the ability to push the bow up into a boof with almost just one stroke, I was confused coming out of my Large Scorch. The new ReactR from Pyranha is nimble; it listens to your edging and strokes to get you where you want to go easily. My first day on a creek was wisely just Class III-IV as there is an adjustment period I would say. I found myself on the North Fork of the Skykomish River during a heavy rain cycle. With a quick outfitting job, I had the seat one notch forward from the back position. This ended up giving me a few out-of-control spin outs as I learned this boat can turn quickly if you’re not careful to guide its trajectory with a paddle blade.
The edge has a Pyranha pedigree, but the rocker in the bow and stern keeps the tail out of harm’s way. I found this after I moved the seat one back from the forward position. In this kayak the seat position matters more than in most boats it seems. With new easy to adjust seat positioning you can easily play with the right spot for you. Loosen the seat bolts with the allen key provided and you cab slide the seat easily on the track, tightening the nut on the seat bolt between your legs at the right spot.
The new thigh hooks felt great right out of the box. They rotate in different ways than the old ones, guaranteeing a nice fit. There are three positions to move them front and back, which means you would need to completely remove the bolts and adjust them front to back with the slatted holes. I still needed to add some padding in the knee box area against the side of the hull, making knee bangs a thing of the past with big airs off of waves or steeper boofs.
This boat has an ergonomic seat with easily added foam shims under the seat cover. I added two pads to lower the high knee angle, making my old hips a bit happier. The Large has lots of room for my feet and legs, with the bulkhead system remaining the same as in the past. An updated back band allows for a higher more comfortable fit to the small of your back, which I really like. This combines with a cleat system that has not slipped one bit, and is a vast improvement over wrestling with ratchets (making the struggle of feeding the ratchet system a thing of the past).
As I keep using this kayak, I keep getting more and more comfortable. No, I will not be trying to run the Indus in it like Adrian Mattern but it is capable of big water moves once you feel dialed in. This boat does not track like a Scorch Large or Scorch X, but has a different more accommodating feel. There seems to be a spot in the fleet for both boats, yet they are so different to paddle. My main concern with the ReactR was a possible dip in the stern coming out of bigger drops, yet this has not happened to me yet. Stay tuned as I get it on bigger and pusher drops to see how it handles.
Pyranha ReactR seat backban
Video of my first run, getting used to the boat.
From Index to Split Rock, the NF into the Main Skykomish at 10,000 cfs