| The
Micro series of boats, first released in 1994, have been popular
creek boats ever since. However, creeking has evolved along
with creekboat design. Loads of manufacturers have released
more modern designs like the c.f.s, Java and the Huck. Now
Pyranha have decided to retire the trusty micro in favour
of a new machine – the M3. Here’s what I reckon…
The
Look:
Fresh ‘n’ new! The M3 really looks the business,
with the new “Syncro 4” outfitting and Clip in
points made by DMM. The “Syncro 4” outfitting
works really well. The boat needs minimal time spent messing
around with glue and sandpaper getting it right as it comes
with pre-padded seat and hip pads. The hooker thigh grips
give the control of quad straps combined with the easy access
needed for rivers and creeks and the backrest was great, providing
positive support from the moment I got into the cockpit. The
M3 features a full plate footrest, rather than the “shoc-bloc”
system favoured in Pyranha’s playboats, giving adjustability,
control and safety. Anyone taking big hits can layer the footrest
up with thick foam. There’s no peli case holder as standard
anymore, although these can be ordered from Pyranha. The boat
comes supplied with a bag of foam fittings as standard, along
with the ubiquitous Pyranha sponge.
All of the safety features found on the highly successful
H3 are fitted to the M3. These include the Pillar, Clip in
points and new High Visibility End Grabs, all of which worked
flawlessly on the water. This neatly leads us onto the next
section…
The Ride:
I’ve been testing the M3 on some of North Wales’
fabled creeks and this is my opinion. The M3 has a fair bit
more rocker than the old Micro boats, leading to easier and
more predictable boofs, quicker resurfacing and increased
manoeuvrability. Even though the rocker has been increased,
the boat still has ample enough speed to get you where you
need to be on the river and get you away from where you don’t!
The M3 has good acceleration from a standing start and has
really precise tracking, letting you set your angle early
and pile on your speed.
The M3 doesn’t have a planning hull, meaning less painful
landings but (some would argue) less performance. Pyranha
have accounted for this by sharpening up the rails and putting
their trademark double rail at the front of the M3, leading
to stable and precise break ins and outs and good performance
on waves. O.k. so you won’t be hitting fat blunts in
the M3, but it carved about better than most other round hulled
creekboats currently on the market.
When things went wrong, the M3 was really forgiving. The rails
are sharp but not trippy. The M3 is marginally wider than
the Micros, so initial stability is excellent, similar to
that of a flat hulled boat. Rolling was quick and easy, on
both the front and back deck. The M3 is kind of like your
favourite school teacher, who wouldn’t give you detention
for bad work!
When pushing things a bit, the M3 responded well, staying
on line, boofing on command and handling the pushy stuff predictably
and with great stability.
The downsides:
Remarkably few. No Peli Case holder as standard is a bit of
a pain. The “Safety Cage” featured in the Super
XR spec H2 and Micro boats was really handy, as it enabled
super fast exit of the boat in times of need and is sorely
missed in the M3. Finally, if you move the thigh grips as
far back as they can go, the fixing bolt stops the Backrest
from being tightened or loosened unless you saw the bolt down.
Other than that, the M3 is awesome in every respect.
To sum up:
Whilst the M3 is designed to replace the Micros as Pryanha’s
flagship creekboat, I reckon it will appeal to all sorts.
It’s a stable machine, handling all grades and gradients
well. It’s fast, predictable and highly manoeuvrable.
It handles drops impeccably and resurfaces quickly. All in
all, it’s a mint machine.
Specs:
Length: 248cm
Width: 67cm
Weight: 20kg
Volume: 258 litres
Price: £779
Contact: www.pyranha.com
Review by Tom Parker
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