When I was 10 years old, the Pyranha Jed came out. I wanted this kayak so bad, and I begged my parents to get this boat for me! When Christmas rolled around in 2012, I look under the tree and there was a Pyranha Jed with my name on it. Ten years later, I am still paddling the Pyranha Jed. As I have grown up, I have never seen or paddled a boat like the Jed before. As other brands have come out with new boats, nothing impressed me the way the Jed does. So why keep paddling a boat that is over a decade old? It is like buying your dream car, would you go out and buy a different one because it is newer? Absolutely not, I am going to stick with it. Nothing beats the quality of this boat. For me, it makes every trick I want to do easy. I have learned every freestyle trick I know in this boat. I have a bond with it, and in my opinion, it is the best freestyle kayak on the market.
When I was 10, my dad and I were kayaking on the Mulberry River in Alabama. At the end, there is a small wave called Hawaii 5’O. At 10 years old, I was scared to surf this wave. My dad offered to buy me chicken nuggets from Mcdonald’s if I surfed the wave. Fun Fact, I will do anything for chicken nuggets. Ten-year-old me paddled hard and got onto the wave. The Jed had great stability and immediately gave ten-year-old me the confidence I needed to surf. From there on, I knew this was the boat for me! Ten years later, I find myself surfing huge waves like Nile Special or Minibus and still having the same confidence. I would not want to paddle any other boat!
The Pyranha Jed is slightly longer than its competitors. This makes it extremely fast and reactive on a wave. As well, with this longer boat, it builds up my momentum on a wave to throw fast and snappy tricks. From being 10 years old surfing a small wave to being 20 years old surfing huge waves, this Jed gives me the confidence I need to do what I love. I find with the speed; I can take off quickly and throw huge tricks! It reacts perfectly to everything I do. As well as, on small waves where I need to use technique, it drives effortlessly and makes each trick easy as pie!
Once it comes to playboating in a hole, I love this boat! I have thrown the biggest loops of my life in this boat! There is a perfect amount of volume at the knees that allows me to get the most amount of pop I can! As well as cartwheels are the easiest trick to do. Whether I am doing flatwater cartwheels or throwing cartwheels in a competition, linking end to end is simple and easy! With the low volume stern and bow, linking tricks are effortless. If I could recommend any freestyle kayak, beginner, or pro, I will tell you to paddle a Jed! It has been my favorite playboat and I wouldn’t want to paddle anything else!
See ya on the water,
Cat