![\"Testing](\"https:\/\/www.pyranha.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/1-Shiva-Mk1-Testing.jpg\")
<\/a>Dan Butler & Daz Clarkson test the Mk1 Shiva<\/p><\/div>\n
After several more mutations, and much head scratching by the top draw design team, Pyranha released a finished boat, the Shiva.<\/p>\n
Well, as they say, you can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t judge a performance from one observation, so when the opportunity came up to have a Shiva for our expedition to Kenya (http:\/\/belowandbeyondmountkenya11.wordpress.com)\u00c2\u00a0I thought long and hard about if I wanted to take such an unknown quality on a exploratory kayaking trip, but when the design team said that they were sure they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d cracked the flaws in the prototypes I committed. It turned out to be the best decision I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d made for a long time.<\/p>\n
Now the boat itself is very different in many ways from the Burn \/ Everest (hereafter just called the Burn), both in handling on the water, and the paddling style required. It also goes without saying that they will each excel in different branches of our sport. Here are some of my thoughts about the differences in the boats, and their application.<\/p>\n
Speed \u00e2\u20ac\u201c The Shiva accelerates really well, and holds its speed through the rapids. This is excellent when on rivers that require speed to move past obstacles, but at the sacrifice of positioning when the rapids are long and continuous. The lack of rails does lead to some loss of speed when carving turns, especially into those must make eddies.<\/p>\n
<\/a>The Shiva keeping it's speed<\/p><\/div>\n
Tracking \u00e2\u20ac\u201c When the water starts to shove your boat around and there are flows coming from various angles, then the Burn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s front rails engage and stop it from being pushed about. The Shiva needs more aggression and drive from the paddler to stop this from happening.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Missing the aggressive drive has consequences!<\/p><\/div>\n
Boofing \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Both craft lift well, but for me the sitting position in the Shiva, with your knees closer together, made a large difference to how easy the boat was to boof. This connectivity works well on the lower volume runs, but doesn’t give the all day comfort of the Burn.<\/p>\n
<\/a>The Shiva boofing like a dream<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>The Burn flies<\/p><\/div>\n
Rolling \u00e2\u20ac\u201c To be completely frank, both boats roll. They both have decks you can get close to for ease of initiation, and the volume to help the roll as you come up.<\/p>\n
Resurfacing \u00e2\u20ac\u201c The Shiva resurfaces in a poised and balanced manner, especially when you plug into a deep pool. When on bigger volume with crashing waves, the Burns shaped deck profile defiantly helps to shed the water faster, and leaves the paddler in more control.<\/p>\n
<\/a>The Shiva rises from the deep nicely in balance<\/p><\/div>\n
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<\/a>The Burn's Deck profile allows it to shed water as it travels through features<\/p><\/div>\n
Stability \u00e2\u20ac\u201c The Burn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s flat hull gives a more stable platform without the paddler\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s input, but when the Shiva is being driven\u00c2\u00a0aggressively\u00c2\u00a0it gives an inspiring ride. The rounder hull profile means that when that unexpected rock is hit it is less tippy than the Burn (this is especially apparent on rocky slides!).<\/p>\n
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<\/a>The Burn's stability in water comes from the hull shape<\/p><\/div>\n
Safety \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Both have the same great pedigree, and having tested the inbuilt safety design features of the boat out fully, I can honestly say I wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to piton 45 feet onto rock again without the built in crumple zone, or the full plate footrest with shock absorbing bars. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m convinced that if I had been in a less thought out design then serious damage may have occurred (to me that is, the boat was pretty bad\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6).<\/p>\n
<\/a>About to land in not enough water for the boat...<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>The boat absorbed the massive impact, leaving me to walk away unharmed.<\/p><\/div>\n
Surfing \u00e2\u20ac\u201c The Burn excels at surfing and carving around on river waves; the planning hull makes a huge difference here. The Shiva is a harder craft to control whilst playing on these features.<\/p>\n