Before writing this review, I typed ‘Pyranha Storm’ into the search bar for inspiration, and like everything now, I was given an AI-generated description. This is what it had to say: “The Pyranha Storm is a highly versatile half-slice freeride kayak that blends playful downriver performance with notable creek-ability. It builds on the success of models like the Firecracker and ReactR, featuring a wider hull, aggressive rails and a recurved stern rocker for lightning-fast edge transitions and explosive pop.”
While this is very nice and all, I wanted to give my actual opinion: no AI, no pushed sales pitch from the marketing team (not that Pyranha is one to dabble in such nonsense), and no bulls**t, to help you understand what all them fancy words actually mean and what I really think. After all, individuals at Pyranha designed this kayak over decades of technological evolution, changes in paddling styles worldwide, and growth. So let’s get into it.
I haven’t spent tons of time in the Storm; I have only got my hands on one a couple of weeks prior, but it has seen me down a couple of laps on the Mellte, 2 tides at the Bitches, some ocean surfing, and 1 lap at CIWW Paddlefest (it would have been more laps but there was a Ducky race to take way too seriously!). Although I haven’t had all of the hours to dial this boat in, I am positive I’ve had enough seat time to make a judgment and give my two pence worth.
In most reviews I have either written or come across, the focus has been on the boat’s specs or the technical sizing of the equipment. Because I believe this tends to excite only the biggest kayak nerds in the Pyranha Enthusiasts group, who most likely already know them off by heart, I will leave it out. I will say, however, if you don’t already know, there are 3 sizes available – Small, Medium, and Large – normally it takes a while to get all 3 sizes out of the Pyranha factory, and I’m a little bit impressed it’s happened so fast! Maybe the Runcorn workers were keen to get some time off with all the May Bank Holidays in the UK; maybe they were just super excited to get the boat out to you all. Either way, this highly versatile, half-slice, freeride, performance downriver, playful, creek-able boat is now with us and has landed perfectly in time for Summer.
From the first launch, I realised this is nothing like the Firecracker! Sure, it’s a shorter kayak with half of the volume cut from the tail (half-slice), but the way these boats paddle is totally different. I really love the Firecracker, and for a good reason: it’s super fun to paddle, forgiving, very easy to roll, does tricks well like kickflips and tail squirts, but the trade-off is surfing ability and harder river capabilities, often pushing me back into my creek boat. The foundations of the way the Storm paddles are bred from the ReactR’s hull design; love it or hate it, modern kayaks are getting wider. It improves stability, bringing more confidence on rail, making you feel like you can paddle like Alex Littlechild. The Storm follows suit; the width of the hull combined with the tapered transition to the aggressive rails allows this boat to cut around beautifully and be ‘AL’ stable at the same time. The flat hull under the kayak’s central weight keeps the boat surfing loose and spinning on a wave really fast and controllably.
The stern of the kayak is where the magic happens. The width continues to the tail, which makes stalling the boat on its stern very stable, and when spinning around (pirouette), it kind of does all the work for you. This ease of tailies is, in a sad way, kind of boring; on one hand, it’s so sick that Pyranha have designed a boat that can make me look like Adrian Mattern on the water, but on the other it’s sometimes part of the fun trying to control that bad boy like wrestling a tiger barefoot and blindfolded. The reason that I think the tail is so special on the Storm is down to the hull side. Like the ReactR, the hull has a pivoting kick rocker from just behind the hips; this allows a boof transition to feel smooth and unlimited. It’s marginal based on feel, but in some ways it doesn’t feel as obvious a pivot point as the ReactR, and I think it’s shaped better on the Storm. Further back, after the initial kick, there is a negative rocker, so it curves the other way. I think this first came about on the 9R, but I may be wrong. The downside is that the boats can tail-tap heavily on shallow ledges when boofing, but the upside is the skips and exit boost. When paddling forward over a wave or exiting a feature, most half-slice kayaks will fire the nose up high and make paddling pretty sporty. This negative tail rocker (recurved stern) catches the water and keeps the nose a little more horizontal, transferring energy into the direction you are travelling. This is actually jokes, because with the boat being short and wide, it isn’t the fastest, but this aids every bit of downriver speed possible, making it more explosive and manageable when things get a little harder. It’s Pyranha’s equivalent to collecting a mushroom on Mario Kart.
Like the ReactR, I have currently dialled my seat to 1 click forward from the centre for general paddling. The beauty of Elite outfitting is the ability to adjust the kayak’s trim based on the environment. The overall weight from nose to tail is exceptionally balanced, making it easy to carry, but for me, this is more important during free fall. When descending a waterfall, maintaining control of the pitch angle is important to ensure a controlled landing. Short boats are easier to do this with anyway, but I believe it’s better on the waterfalls than the Firecracker; the downside on the waterfalls is that flat hull, which is great for surfing, but will no doubt make a big impact, so being able to avoid landing flat is a positive.
While the hull gets much of the glory and focus, the deck has not been ignored. As always, Pyranha have added the best-in-business grab handles (drop-forged by DMM) for maximum security and strength. The Elite thigh hooks have been revised with a stiffer, stronger plate, reducing flex and reducing force on the cockpit while transferring the paddler’s energy through the boat. The style lines run with the reduced volume at the bow, which also holds plenty of width. From a freestyle point of view, this is important, but from a tall lad point of view (6’4″), this makes leg room!
In my mind, a highly versatile kayak means you can use it anywhere; I would totally agree with this to a certain extent. I’ve yet to try it on anything super difficult, and maybe, in my late 30s, I’m a bit scared to find out, especially when I have a sick-to-paddle creek boat in the ReactR. On an ocean wave it wasn’t really fast enough to stay on the clean face too long at my local beach break unless the wave is slow peeling, but that’s what a surf kayak is for. In the whitewash and everything else, I’ve really enjoyed paddling it. I had a lot more fun at the Bitches than I imagined I would, and Huw Butterworth was like an explosive toddler on a sugar rush with it there. The Mellte is my local run, my happy place, and where I spend most of my whitewater time, and it brings so many more elements to the river for me. ‘Blending playful downriver performance with notable creek-ability’ is where I’m not totally sold here. A spade is a spade! This is definitely a high-performing downriver playful kayak. It’s designed very well as a high-performance kayak that makes paddling it like a pro kayaker with style and grace without the sticker branding helmet- not a problem. But just because the Storm has a hull like a ReactR does not make it a ReactR.
I’d highly recommend going to your local place to demo one and make up your own mind. Do get outfitted well, do paddle with a smile, do encourage your mates to do the same, don’t skip a surf on that river wave or eddy line tail squirt. This really is where the Storm comes alive. Mine is Pink and Yellow; see you on the water.