In terms of hard, steep creeking. How do semi-displacement hulls compare with full out displacement hulls. I really like the Pyranha Burn, but will its rails hinder or help me. I am used to paddling with a planning hull. I am worried that a displacement hull will feel too mushy and slow. What is everyone's opinion?

If you are used to paddling a planing hull, I'd go for the semi- displacement hull. There's not a ton of difference, just what your preference is, but it will handle morw like what you are sed to.

the rails are just gonna help you carve into eddies and stuff faster. That being said, theyll also trip you up if our not used to it. If you usually paddle a dispoalcement hull id go for the semi.

you have asked a much argued question. Designs in the kayaking world demonstrate just how different opinions are.
The Jackson boats are super round
The Pyranha boats are fairly hard edged
The DragoRossi boats are somewhere in the middle.

I did a couple of articles on this topic when my DragoRossi boats arrived.

totalwhitewaterfun.blogspot.com/2006/10/...nes-and-rockers.html


totalwhitewaterfun.blogspot.com/2006/10/...k-boats-for-fun.html

I'm a fan of the Drago concept because it has a flat bottom, but the eges are all rounded off to I don't get all tripped up by the small rocks.

The thing I worry about with super round boats, is that they are tippy. I\"m not talking aobut being tippy while I'm paddling the boat. They usually feel pretty good in deep water. But, I think that the really round boats are prone to flipping upstream a bit quicker in a potential pin situation because it's harder for me to stay perfectly oriencted by feel, how my kayak is edged.

As an example, I used to paddle a Dagger Transition. It was very round, and could be leaned up on edge very easily. But, the feedback I got from the boat, the \"feel\" I got was really vauge. My next boat was a Prijon Hurricane. It had a nice flat spot under my seat that let me know where I was. I could tell when Iwas edged up, and to what degree my boat was leaning (and it gave the water a place to push when I wanted to lean into a carve)

The Pyranha boats make me just a bit nervous here in northeast U.S. because we paddle very shallow rivers. But, the edge is lifted a bit, and many people have enjoyed the boat. It's just not for me.

I'm sure you'll make a good decision and be happy with the boat that you decide to get. Read my articles and consider them carefully. Also consider the advice of other people who will post after this too.

Many people. Many boats.

Ive never found any problems witht the rails catching on my h3 on uk runs very rocky, I find it very nice to paddle but will probably change to a full on creeker soon

Urge wrote:

Ive never found any problems witht the rails catching on my h3 on uk runs very rocky, I find it very nice to paddle but will probably change to a full on creeker soon

Could be your style of paddleing or could be you have been very lucky. I paddled the Chattooga River for 2000+ trips in 14 years and most of the guides on the river will tell you a half a dozen stories each of how they have been tripped up and exactly where, when, and at what level as you cringe, knowing that that had to hurt.

To each their own preferences. My current boat is sort of flat with rounded sides - A Savage Skreem. I know it is \"old school\", but I still have a Hollowform River Chaser I got when I worked for a dealer. Got it in black plastic and was there at the factory when it was molded to monitor the mold loading, oven temperatures, and cool down process. Might have a pound or more plastic in it than others, but it is still alive and runnable. Wife's boat now. Ran Gaulley, OverFlow, Chattooga, and Colorado in it for years. Built 25 kayaks by hand and six molds before plastic. Thank Dupont for Plastic!