PADDLER 4
Pyranha Firecracker www. pyranha. com By Del Clare. Photos: Del & Tom Clare( https:// delkayaks. co. uk)
PADDLER 4
REVIEWS
Pyranha Firecracker www. pyranha. com By Del Clare. Photos: Del & Tom Clare( https:// delkayaks. co. uk)
People talk about girlfriends or boyfriends who‘ got away’, and they never truly got over it. For me, the kayak equivalent of this is the Pyranha Kayaks Firecracker! I took a Firecracker 232 down the Tryweryn in the early days of its release. My thoughts at the time were all positive, but I already had both a Z. One and an Ozone, so I decided I didn’ t need another‘ fun boat’.
Fast forward a year, and suddenly, I was surrounded by paddlers grinning ear to ear in their Firecrackers, having the absolute time of their lives. I found myself regularly thinking about that kayak. Last autumn, Pyranha generously lent me a demo to test out, and six months later, I’ m hooked. I’ ve now ordered my own Firecracker to replace the demo when it’ s time to send it back. While I’ ve favoured the 232, this review applies to all sizes – so read on!
A LITTLE ABOUT ME
I have paddled regularly on white water over the last 10 years. My most common paddling spots would be my local white water course, Holme Pierrepont( HPP), the river Dee, the Tryweryn and various sections of the Tees. I’ m pretty average at kayaking, but my friends tell me I am better than I think. I can surf a wave and am working on my tailees but still have room for improvement. Most importantly, I paddle for the fun of it! This is the background I am writing this Firecracker review from!
I’ ve also spent a lot of time in a small Z. One and a small Ozone – two kayaks I adore and have hugely enjoyed paddling! Many of my comments in this article reflect how I have found the Firecracker compared to the Z. One and Ozone.
FIRECRACKER VS OZONE – STABILITY
From my first lap in the Firecracker at HPP, I was struck by how stable it felt. The volume in the front smoothed out, crossing over eddy lines, and allowed me to paddle through holes effortlessly.
With the Ozone, I always had to be mindful of weight distribution; if the tail caught an eddy line unexpectedly, I’ d end up vertical, regardless of whether I wanted to be or not! While that’ s great when deliberately playing on the eddy lines or in the boils, it could be frustrating when simply trying to paddle back up the eddy for another surf. The Firecracker, by contrast, offers a playful tail without the risk of unexpected tailees.
This stability gave me the freedom to paddle even when I was feeling exhausted, especially during an evening session after a demanding day at work. A boat that requires minimal effort to ferry glide or paddle back up the eddy? Perfect. I could focus on enjoying