Here at Paddler we have a love-hate thing going on with a doing a river running kayak test. Every few years when new models have hit the water and it’s time to run a test again we get really excited, as it is always one of the most fun group tests that we do. The reason for that is that river runners come in all shapes and sizes and most of them are a real hoot to paddle. But that’s also where the hate comes in. Once the paddling is over we have to write the damned thing up and […]
Kayaks
Why Tandem Kayaking is a Great Idea – Perception Prodigy Tandem Kayak Review
“The brilliant thing about tandem kayaks is that you get to share the whole paddling experience with someone else.” It all started, as all kayaking adventures usually do, with a conversation over a cup of good coffee and a plate of biscuits. On this occasion, our coffee-sipping companions were Matt Byham and André Goldsmith of Perception Kayaks. In between munching on bourbons and generally putting the kayaking world to rights, in general, the chaps asked us an interesting question, ‘why didn’t we feature two-person touring kayaks anymore?’ But we do don’t we? Or do we? After some chin scratching and […]
Carbon Pyranha Jed Freestyle Kayak Review
Paddler Verdict We didn’t need to paddle the carbon version of the Jed to know that it is a great design for a freestyle kayak: we were already well aware of that from our time paddling the plastic Pyranha Jed Eye and loving it. To be able to experience the exaggerated version of this loose, fast and aerially-inclined freestyle hull, though, has been an absolute pleasure, and it was clear to us that (in the right hands, of course) this kayak could very easily be the formidable world-beating competition machine that Pyranha intend it to be. It’s true that most […]