Tragically low water aside in my part of the Great State of Colorado, this has been a pretty good kayaking year for a few of us here. For 2012 I have a record of at least 818 river miles (thus far!), probably about 750 of which were from the seat of my Pyranha Shiva.
Back in April I wrote a review of my then new to me Medium Shiva. Naturally, I had only had it out a hand full of times then... so a followup is due.
My end of season verdict: I am still enamored with this boat. Like anything however, there are some characteristics that I have given me some trouble.
Speed
Long Nose
Pro: The Shiva is fast! At 8'6", give her two or three strokes, the bow raises up a tad and you can be at top speed, which is not a bad clip. Also, the front is very tapered making it easy to get good vertical strokes without feeling like you're reaching around the boat. For a comparison, I was running the Baily section of the North Fork of the South Platte one day when the fellow I was paddling with commented that I was outpacing his Stomper by a fair margin. He was counting that we were taking the same number of strokes while in the Class II paddle out. Personally, I usually really appreciate a fast boat. I find it really helps when negotiating larger rapids, or when accelerating to punch that hole or to square up to a boof. Basically, there are lots of situations when I think speed will keep you out of trouble.
Con: The Shiva is fast! There have been a few instances when I have overshot my approach to a boof or some such and ended up biting off too much rock. This usually just leads to a bunch of ungraceful floundering. I'll fully admit, though, that this is really more paddler error than any issue with the boat.
Stability
Extra Volume Stern
Pro: There's a lot of it. The Shiva is built around a subtle Suede design which puts its widest point around the back of the cockpit. It is this feature, I feel, that most contributes to the boat's stability, especially when it is moving through the water. Also, the back deck is very high volume and nicely rounded with quite high side walls giving the Shiva excellent secondary stability. The front deck is pitched too allowing for a quick and predictable resurface after a drop or through a hole. At 80 gallons, there's enough volume to keep you happily on the surface.
The Author in Middle Tampax on Bailey
Con: Until you get used to it, primary stability is rather touchy. The Shiva does an excellent job of being able to switch from edge to edge when, say, flying off the back side of a rock boof... but I suspect this would make it feel initially less stable if you're not one who feels comfortable being in a kayak.
Edge Control & Maneuverability
Pro: For technically a displacement hull boat, the Shiva has fairly well defined edge control. The edge on the Shiva is nothing like the edge on a Burn, but it's there. The edges are placed kind of high up on the hull curvature, so there is still a rounded underside to make for generally softer landings. Also, the rolled edges make it very predictable and stable when bouncing over rocks. Don't let the softer chines fool you, this boat still whips into micro eddies like a champ.
Launch Pad right under the Seat.
As for overall maneuverability, I think an important aspect is a boat's rocker. The Shiva has what I've always called a progressive rocker. When sitting on the living room floor, the stern of the boat is off the carpet starting at the back of the seat, and the front of the boat rises off somewhere around the knees. For me, this seems to make it handle as if it was shorter than it actually is. The center of the boat makes for a nice spin disc and launch pad. You can see exactly where that pad is by the abrasion pattern. This progressive rocker also allows the bow to easily ride up, helping the boat maintain its stance on top of the water. Combined with the high tapering around the nose, the front half of the boat tends to ride up and out over the water when you hit a rock, as opposed to being deflected to the side. Result: auto-boof.
Fat Bob Styles the Lower Drop of Tampax
Con: It is essentially a displacement hull and not a planing hull. There are pros and cons to both to be sure; for me, when creeking I'd rather a displacement hull, it's softer over rocks and on landings. However, I have noticed that the displacement hull does not do as well in big water. Even with the Shiva's moderate chines, getting the boat to hold a solid line in big pushy water has been my biggest challenge. Plus, it wants to be heeled far over to the side to get an edge to fully engage.
Outfitting
Pro: Pyranha has their Connect 30 outfitting in this boat. There is an updated outfitting that can come in the later 2012 models, but I haven't played with that yet. I like it, not everyone does, but I do. It's simple, comfortable, and easy to work with. What I really appreciate about how this outfitting works with this boat is that I don't feel like the front deck is too massive and in my way and my knees don't feel too splayed out. Honestly, one of my chief complaints about the Liquidlogic creekers is that my knees feel way to wide for comfort. For storage in the ckockpit area, the water bottle is held vertically against the front column by a shock cord. Between that and the seat there is a handy area on top of the rail to hold a throw bag, but I had to add a simple webbing and clip around that rail to clip it in. I have written anther post about my outfitting additions and what I came up with to secure my Watershed camera bag.
Knee Brace
Lateral Knee Stability
Con: Like any boat, at lest for me, a decent amount of work has to go into the outfitting to get it really dialed in. It always feels more comfortable to me to raise my seat, and the Shiva has been no exception. The NRS Hot Seat is peal and stick and had been every comfortable, raising the seat by about an inch. Usually, I prefer to move my seat forward, but that hasn't been the case here. It has felt great to me in its factory neutral position. The most amount of work I have had to put into the outfitting has been for my knees. The Connect 30 knee braces are just that, braces... not full wrap around knee cups.... so I had to make my own. I had to cut foam blocks into scoops and glue them to the hull to the outside of the knee brace. Now it holds my knee from both sides, but I definitely had to put in the work. Another troubling observation here: the ratchet for the back band connects to the knee braces and puts more torquing stress on that plastic than I would like to see when the back band is really loaded. In fact, I've seen this piece fail after some heavy use and the whole knee brace had to be replaced.
Conclusion
In summation I really like the Shiva and fully expect to get another one when or if I ever wear this one out. It's fast, stable, predictable, rolls easily and is highly responsive. I have no issue with staying in this boat all day and I can scramble in and out quickly. For big water situations I might like to have a bit more of the chine, but for steep creeks or shallower environments it's a machine. The stern is high volume and easily accessible; I can easily get a full drybag, med kit, pin kit, and breakdown paddle without really noticing a change in the handling characteristics. Fair warning, this boat is rather heavy. It is constructed with a double thick hull and really it's just a lot of plastic and boat. At 48 pounds, plus all your gear, it can feel like a lot to lug around on the steeper hikes to be sure.... But on water it's a tank!
Pro: Pyranha has their Connect 30 outfitting in this boat. There is an updated outfitting that can come in the later 2012 models, but I haven't played with that yet. I like it, not everyone does, but I do. It's simple, comfortable, and easy to work with. What I really appreciate about how this outfitting works with this boat is that I don't feel like the front deck is too massive and in my way and my knees don't feel too splayed out. Honestly, one of my chief complaints about the Liquidlogic creekers is that my knees feel way to wide for comfort. For storage in the ckockpit area, the water bottle is held vertically against the front column by a shock cord. Between that and the seat there is a handy area on top of the rail to hold a throw bag, but I had to add a simple webbing and clip around that rail to clip it in. I have written anther post about my outfitting additions and what I came up with to secure my Watershed camera bag.
