Fish Teeth
Published November 14, 2005 | 
found a book on how to be invisible
Take a pinch of keyhole
And fold yourself up
You cut along the dotted line
You think inside out
And you’re invisible – k. bush
We got a new toy! It’s a Piranha I:3 222. We had been looking for a play boat for some time but I was having a hard time wading through all the options let alone coming up with the $1000+ bucks they cost these days. In talks with a friend I had decided on a used boat. I had also decided that my friend could pick the boat since he knows white water and I know nothing. Lesson #107, “if you know nothing about it, trust someone who does”. Well, we talked about a couple boats but I could not find one on the used market or get a response when I did email someone about a boat they had to sell. Then suddenly I had an opportunity to get a Piranha. I had to take it. Suffice to say we’ve been out all weekend playing with our new toy.
The one thing I really didn’t like about most whitewater boats that I had been in is how they rolled. WW boats seem to have only two positions, up and down. I remember trying a “Hoss” a couple times and having a really tough time just getting it over. Then when I was over I had to really snap that dog back up. This is nothing like a sea boat that comes up in a nice smooth roll. When talking to friends I was getting the feeling that this was just a play boat thing and I would have to get used to it. What a shock it was when I put the I:3 over easily and it rolled up smoothly. In fact it felt very similar to my sea boat in that aspect. I got really lucky there.
Yesterday we had a little wind and some baby waves on the local lake. As I rode in on the little 8 inch waves, I noticed how easy it was to get the nose to sink just by leaning forward. After some trial and error I found that with a little momentum from the waves I could push my feet down and lift my thighs against the braces and really dive the nose until I’d stall, lose my balance, and fall over sideways in a big splash. Wow! In real waves this is going to be a blast!
I’m not a white water dude and don’t really want to be. I just wanted a boat I could use for pools and rolling practice, and for those rare occasions when I had a surf to play in. It looks like the Piranha will be a perfect choice. What a great thing it is to just throw the boat in the back of the jeep and be off. No strapping, no 10 tones of gear, just “body, boat, blade” in it’s purest form. Oh, and the best part?? It’s red.
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4 Responses to Fish Teeth
Nice looking kayak. Congrats! I assumed it would roll well as it is very Wavesport EZ-esque in it’s design. What makes the Liquid Logic boats tough to roll (in my opinion) is not their hull shape but rather the high knee positioning and deep cockpit. This gives the kayaks more aerial ability (loops) but it is a more awkward position to roll from. Heck the Liquid Logic boats are the only whitewater kayaks which I sometimes struggle to hand roll (although I haven’t tried it since I dialed in my form). Since you don’t have whitewater near you, you’ll have to spend time learning flatwater playboating! Bow stalls, stern stalls, cartwheels…
That stuff teaches you a tremendous amount of boat control and you really start to appreciate everything your lower body is doing. Also you’ll get a ton of rolling practice as learning playboating means flippin gover… a LOT. In regards to rolling, the low volume of the playboat will definitely help when learning to handroll. Next spring we’re gonna run some rivers!
Congrats on the Pyranha I:3. It’s a great kayak. I may still end up getting a pyranha sub 7. I really liked the one you saw when I was at devil’s lake. I want to come out and do the wolf river in spring too!!!!
Keith
thanks,
Yeah, I’m sure I’m pushing the “low volume” but the 223 was huge for me. I’m anxious to get out and try some rivers as well. Nothing too wild. . yet!!
Sounds like a plan Derrick and Keith! If the water is at a decent level, Wolf section 3 would be a good run since both you guys already have pretty high skill levels and good rolls. Now if the water was at 1000 cfs or higher in the spring, section 2 would be fun as well as section 3 gets fairly wild at high water. The Red River also is a great beginner run because it is mostly pool drops with little consequence in the event of a swim. Monastary Falls is pretty impressive but you can walk around that if you don’t feel like running it. I can’t wait until spring! (I know I can theoretically run the rivers for a couple more weeks but dammit it’s cold and the open pools are so inviting with all their chlorine warmth!)