The Pyranha Ripper set the benchmark on what a modern river running half slice boat should be. In true Pyranha fashion the Ripper 2.0 continues to improve on the original design with elements and lessons borrowed from what they have learned along the way with their other new designs.
At the end of the day The Pyranha Ripper 2.0 open up even more opportunities for it, go faster, surf more waves, drop the tail with less effort and in more locations, and get even more recklessly vertical.
Pyranha Ripper 2.0 Review
My name’s Gord and I’m a whitewater kayaking ambassador for AQ Outdoors. This is my in-depth review of the Pyranha Ripper 2 Large and how it compares to the Ripper 1 Large. I have paddled the Ripper 1 Large for 3 seasons now. I had many questions when deciding to change my half slice from the Ripper 1 (a boat I absolutely love) to the Ripper 2.
In this review I go over the differences of each boat: the pros and cons of the R1 compared to the R2. While I will be pointing out differences between the boats, in many cases I don't consider them cons.
Pyranha Ripper 2.0 First Thoughts
With all my kayaks I like to spend lots of time setting them up so they feel good from day 1.
Sitting in the Ripper 2.0 I really liked my knees being up higher in comparison to the R1L. The R1L had this issue with my knees rubbing on the sidewall of the boat. I had to glue foam there to prevent this from happening.
The back band for both boats felt a little low initially. I used a trick in my R1 to raise the back band and I am still deciding if I want to do it to my Ripper 2.0 as well.
I am never the biggest fan of Pyranha outfitting. The Stout 2 system is very basic in nature and I think it's a common complaint that Pyranha needs to design a better system.
When sitting in the Ripper 2 L I almost felt like I was in a Scorch, so much so I decided to get my Large Scorch out and put them side by side. The bows are almost identical. The bow rocker is enormous compared to the Ripper 1. This is a nice change although there is always a sacrifice.
How the Pyranha Ripper 2 Paddles
In the water I immediately noticed a huge amount of stability, both primary and secondary. The edges are very responsive and made moving this boat around the water effortless.
Pyranha Ripper 2.0 Edges
The edges on the Ripper 2.0 L respond in a way that feels more graceful than the R1L. The R1L has more of a twitchy feel as its edges would immediately engage whether you were ready or not, kind of like a hair trigger. Combined with its speed, the twitchy edges made the R1L an incredibly fun and sometimes an unforgiving boat.
The edges of the R1L had a tendency to lock-in on you. Once the paddler became accustomed to the lock-in this became more of a benefit, and taught me to be more efficient with my lines on the river. The R2L has the ability to hold an edge but it is not locked in and can change direction effortlessly.
Pyranha Ripper 2.0 Tail
The tail on the R2L is an absolute improvement over the R1L. The tail is much flatter and wider. It takes less effort to initiate and once the boat is vertical it is much easier to control.
It rotates slower than the R1L, therefore giving you more time to wind up for your draw stroke to continue its rotation.
Surfing the Pyranha Ripper 2.0
Both boats surf really well but are completely different in style. The R1L is faster and has an instant response from the hull when engaging the edges. Sometimes the speed can cause the bow to pearl.
Carving the R1L is a more gradual process. This boat is happy to stay pointed straight upstream going side to side gradually, not sharply.
The R2L is fast but not as fast as the R1L. The edges and looseness on a wave are where the R2L is vastly different. This boat can carve all over the place. It changes direction easily and in a very controlled manner.
While the R1L likes to stay straight on a wave the R2L can go from staying straight to changing direction and even flat spinning.
Pyranha Ripper 2.0 Overall Performance
I feel the R2L is a more versatile boat than the R1L.
I have had the R2L on big water, low volume creeks, drops, river running, ledges, and holes. I felt very comfortable in this boat on all types of whitewater, whereas with the R1L I mainly stuck to Class 3 river running.
Both boats seem to perform well on big water: the R2L likes to ride over features while the R1L is more like a torpedo going through. The R1L was definitely better for eddy attainments as it has a much faster hull.
Ripper 2.0 Pros
- R2L is forgiving and stable
- R1L has lots of speed
- R2L stern is easier to initiate and control for tailees
- R2L Bow rocker carries the boat over holes and makes it easier to boof
- R2L more versitile on different types of whitewater.
- Both boats easy to roll
- 2RL more comfortable
Ripper 2.0 Cons
- R2L is forgiving and stable
- R2L is not as fast although it seems to carry plenty of speed down the river
- To raise the bow for boofing on the R1L you need to load the stern, driving the bow up
- R1L more difficult to boof
- R2L can be very grabby if you find yourself going downstream backwards
Pyranha Ripper 2.0 Summary
The Pyranha Ripper 1.0 Large has a very special place in my heart. This boat made me a better paddler because of its design. It punished me for paddling it wrong and rewarded me beautifully for doing things right. It's not a boat you take out your first time and love. It's a very manual boat in the way it has to be driven right to be used well. Boofing requires loading the tail to raise the bow. The edges are not forgiving and require accuracy or you will be upside down.
But the Pyranha Ripper 2.0 Large is quickly becoming my favorite kayak. I decided on the Large because I want to take this boat on almost everything.
To a certain extent, I am feeling this boat is somewhat of a quiver killer. In big water it is stable and very nimble. Creeking this boat will cruise over holes, boof drops, and surprisingly the tail never grabs. Running rivers it can absolutely nail lines, surf waves that are fun, and tailee easily on eddy lines.
I was a tough critic of the Pyranha Ripper 2.0 whitewater kayak in general because I felt that the Ripper 1 was so unique. How could it be improved? I now understand and feel the changes Pyranha made were for the best.
For more information feel free to contact us or visit us in store.
Features
- Increased bow rocker for a drier ride and drier surfs.
- A touch more hull width for more skipping out of features.
- Softer sidewalls and a slicier tail for more tailee potential.
- Stern edges direct water to create lift and keep the tail dry when you’re headed downstream.
- Better tailored sizing for smaller and larger paddlers.
- An ovalised cockpit rim to help produce a drier spraydeck fit, keeping even tension the whole way round.
- Fresh, Scorch-inspired styling.
Specifications
| Size | Length | Width | Cockpit | Weight | Volume | Paddler Weight Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | 8' 8" | 24.5" | 35x20" | 42lb | 55(us)gal | 88-165lb |
| M | 8' 11" | 25.5" | 35x20" | 44lb | 62(us)gal | 145-210lb |
| L | 9' 1" | 26" | 35x20" | 46lb | 71(us)gal | 175-275lb |