The Contour outfitting system within Dagger kayaks is in my opinion the best system out there. However it does come with a weight penalty. The new Nomad for example no longer comes with the seat tray fitted for exactly this reason.
Tag: Outfitting (Page 4 of 7)
Some time ago we posted detail of a Contour outfitting modification that Pat Keller had carried out on a Dagger RPM. It looked pretty sweet. However Philip Middleton has gone one step further and not only has he fitted the seat and thigh braces but has also retrofitted the step out pillar and footrests. So this RPM Max now has a complete set of Contour outfitting installed.
I was hooked up with a pre-production prototype of the new large Pyranha 9R a few months ago. The boat is essentially the same as the production model with the exception of some of the Connect outfitting. The boat has been paddled extensively since that time so it is now time for a full Unsponsored review.
Now if you were to sit this 9R large (9R L) next to the already released model it would be very clear that the 9R L isn’t simply a scaled up version of its little brother. Almost every area of the hull has been changed in some way yet they still have stayed true to the purpose of the boat, i.e. a fast fun boat that sits under the magic 9ft length.
Pyranha have spent a fair bit of time looking at the performance of the smaller model and have significantly changed the profile of the kayak in a number of key areas to produce this version.
Now it may seem strange of me to do of a review of the Italian made Exo boat in English when it is not available in the UK, (yet?) but there are a few points going for the Exo XT Creek that may make it an interesting option for UK boaters.
I have always been a bigger boat paddler, H3, Burn, Mamba and Everest, and this boats fits right in there with those size wise.
The XT Creek is in a range of three boats the XT 260 and the XT 300, they all share or seem to share the same semi displacement hull, with the Creek having a more rounded deck front and back to shed water better when resurfacing.
Mat from Pyranha HQ talks you through how best to set up your new Pyranha C4S seat in this easy guide to make sure you get the most out of your boat.
I was hooked up with a pre-production prototype of the new large Pyranha 9R. The boat is essentially the same as the production model with the exception of some of the Connect outfitting. The new Connect C4S outfitting system sounds pretty good, and we’ll have further details on this next week at Paddle Expo.
Now if you were to sit this 9R large (9R L) next to the already released model it would be very clear that the 9R L isn’t simply a scaled up version of its little brother.
Pyranha have spent a fair bit of time looking at the performance of the smaller model and have significantly changed the profile of the kayak in a number of key areas to produce this version.
We are fortunate at Unsponsored to try some of the best kayaking and canoeing equipment available, but sometimes the weather can be too dry. Thankfully the Gods of rain smiled on the UK once again this summer, so testing and reviews have continued at a pace. The following review looks at the Ace of Spades kayak from Spade Kayaks. The boat has been tested over the last few months across the UK on various pieces of water from stone filled ditches, low volume/high volume burns in Scotland, some of the best whitewater in the glorious county of Yorkshire, whitewater parks and even out at sea.
Spade kayaks is a new kayak company formed in Europe by whitewater legends Hans Mayer, Oli Grau, Matze Brutzman, Jens Klatt, and Jan Haluszka.
The Ace of Spades is a blown molded displacement hull kayak. It has the features that you would expect to see in any whitewater boat – adjustable outfitting, full plate footrest, multiple grab handles, drain bung etc… but many have been executed in a creative/different way.
The Ace is designed as a river runner/creeker and is available in just the one size.
Continue readingFrom the very first moment you sit in a boat you start to get “a feel for it”, how it fits and possibly even how it may perform. As beginners we start off in boats that may be used by many different size paddlers, which results in cockpits being kept clutter free. Loose, comfortable boats feel good on flat water, but they can make leaning and bracing difficult. Once the boat is padded to provide a close, body-hugging fit that still allows for quick and easy water exits, performance can dramatically improve. This same rule applies to all levels of kayakers, whether they’re paddling easy whitewater, big water runs or creeks. Customised outfitting helps transfer every trace in the river’s current through the kayak’s hull to your body, helping you sense your surroundings, make critical maneuvers and maintain your balance, thus staying upright!
Since paddlers press against their boat’s inner hull with the small of their backs, butts, hips, thighs, knees and feet, it is these key areas that should be customised to match the shape and size of the paddler. To make this as easy as possible I am going to break the cockpit into a handful of sections and tailor each one to help you get the best control possible from your boat. Many boat manufacturers have really stepped up their game and are providing some excellent outfitting as standard in their kayaks. However these systems still need adapting in some way to ensure that they fit YOU correctly.
When you start your paddling career progression is often very rapid. Skill acquisition is quick and you develop the technique required to safely get you down a piece of water. After you have been paddling for a while it is easy to hit a plateau. Moving past this can seem quite difficult but a few changes or adaptations can help you to continue to make progress/develop.
Consider where you mainly paddle. Change venue if you can. Try a new piece of water.
Paddle more. It’s a simple step that can really speed up your progress.
Continue readingOver the course of the last few weeks I have welded up a Dagger Mamba (twice – two different splits). The last split was located in the centre of the kayak right underneath the seat.
To get a good weld both inside and out I removed the seat. Given the size of the unit I thought that it would be a fairly difficult exercise but it turned out to be very easy.
The back band was removed so that access was a little easier, then all bolts were removed. Four were located on the seat posts and the fifth on the central pillar/storage area. The seat was then lifted and twisted straight out.
I took a few images of the Dagger Contour outfitting along the way and thought a close up of the seat out of the boat may be of interest to some. So here they are!
Continue readingThe throwbag/bottle holder within kayaks has become a fairly standard feature. However some are better than others Damon (Chalky723) has modified his Waka Tuna with a throwbag holder modification to create a system similar to that used by Dagger and Wavesport.
Adrian Durrant takes us through a Pyranha Thighbrace Install upgrade.
Lots of people lately have been purchasing Pyranha club spec boats and asking about upgrading the boat with thigh braces, this is a really simple job to do and will take about 10 minutes to complete.
![Pyranha Thighbrace Install [8]](http://www.unsponsored.co.uk:/press/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/pyr_fishlogo_thumb8.jpg)
By adding thigh braces will give you much better control of the boat especially in moving water whilst edging the boat, it also allows you to upgrade to a ratchet backrest with the thigh braces pre drilled to take a ratchet.
Here’s a quick step by step guide to fitting Connect thigh braces into a club spec Z-One.
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