Pilot

by  Pyranha

Pilot Description

The Pilot is a kayak brought to you by Pyranha. Read Pilot reviews or submit your own review to share with the paddling community. Check out a few other kayak recommendations below or explore all kayaks to find the perfect one for you!

Pyranha
Pilot Reviews

Read reviews for the Pilot by Pyranha as submitted by your fellow paddlers. All of the reviews are created and written by paddlers like you, so be sure to submit your own review and be part of the community!

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5

After spending a couple of…

Submitted by: paddler231345 on 10/7/2005
After spending a couple of years paddling different boats- my favorite was the Tempest 165 which I rented for a day in the surf off Cohasett, Ma- I was ready to buy! I decided to try just a few more boats to be sure that the Tempest (which fit me like a glove- I'm a slight woman, about 5', 105 lbs.) was absolutely what I wanted. It was suggested that I try out the Pyranha Pilot since it was a good boat for a smaller paddler. The minute I slipped into the cockpit and headed out into the wind and waves I knew that I had found another favorite!

The pilot not only fit like a dream, it is the most responsive boat I've paddled! It's like a great sports car, you just think about what you want to do and it's happening! I thought that I preferred the drop skeg to a rudder. The Pilot has a pretty neat "Seal Line" rudder system where the pedals for the rudder control are actually separate from and a little above the foot pegs- so you can brace yourself without effecting the rudder and then use your toes for rudder control. However, so far I've found that I'm not using the rudder often. It may help it track a little better in totally calm conditions, and keep it from "weather cocking" in stronger winds- but the boat is so easily paddled and corrected that I've not found it a necessity.

The boat is also one of the fastest I've paddled! It is about 8 lbs. lighter and 2 ft. shorter than the Tempest- (it's 14.5 ft., 48 lbs.) but I think it's just as fast, and is more responsive! The knee braces are not as smooth as those in the Tempest- but they are fine! I may add some light padding.

Now, I do love the phase 3 seat of the Tempest. The seat of my Pilot does have a suspended back like the phase 3. The bottom of the seat is not suspended but is nicely padded and so far I'm finding it to be just as comfortable.

After all the comparisons the clincher for me at the time was the price. Since I had decided to go for the roto-mold version so that I could "play" without worrying so much about damaging my boat- the Tempest was about $1300, and the Pilot was $720! End of contest!

My son who has more experience than I, has spent weeks on ocean trips in various boats- paddled it and said that, at 5'8",the foot pegs were too close for him- however, he loved the boat and deemed it the "perfect boat for you mom!" Good advice from a trusted source!

He did some research into repositioning the seat to fit his leg length but was afraid that it would throw the balance off. He is looking at the Necky Elaho LV right now, as a possibility for his next boat. I've paddled it and it's a well fitting, fast and responsive boat with a really nice lean due to its "multi chine diamond hull". I would consider it as a favorite now too, along with the Tempest!

But, I LOVE my Pilot! I'm surprised to see that there aren't more Pilot paddlers giving reviews here! I'm thinking that it may be due to the size limitations. I'd think that with such a great boat the manufacturers would offer larger sized versions.

I know that when I'm not paddling mine I'm wishing I were!

4

This kayak is great... If you…

Submitted by: paddler231171 on 6/29/2005
This kayak is great... If you are not much taller than 5'6". I learned that when I bought this kayak on ebay, I went to sit in it and my legs didn't fit. I eventually squeezed into it with some minor adjustments and found it to be surprisingly stable. For such a thin kayak made for a smaller person, I didn't think that a 6' 185 lbs. guy like me could be so stable. The seat is comfortable and it is extremely fast. I even took it on some class III rapids (which I don't advise without a spray skirt and life jacket because I almost sank) and it ran pretty well. Overall this is a great kayak and I plan on moving the seat back a few inches to fit me cause I really like it.

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