Liquid Logic Remix XP9 vs. The Pyranha Fusion Kayak Review

Pyranha Fusion

A few pro’s about the fusion:

• Had great speed down river and in the flat water alike, the stern had great volume allowing for maximum gear storage.
• The fusion handled really well maneuvering quickly and responsively to what I needed it to do. Not every boat is perfect though, I found the skeg release to not really be all that functional, releasing when it was not supposed to. The back hatch was really hard to get on until day three of the trip when the rubber finally stretched out, but was completely water tight. The extra plastic dry canister was flimsy attached to the boat but at the same time very useful for quickly needed gear.

Cons:

• Not every boat is perfect though, I found the skeg release to not really be all that functional, releasing when it was not supposed to.
• The back hatch was really hard to get on until day three of the trip when the rubber finally stretched out, but was completely water tight.
• The extra plastic dry canister was flimsy attached to the boat but at the same time very useful for quickly needed gear.

Liquidlogic XP 9

Pros:

• Fast, easy to kayak and roll, Skeg is rock proof.
• XP handles well in big whitewater and technical boulder gardens.
• Tons of room for drybags and dryboxes.
• The XP handles like a SUV with great gas mileage.
• The badass outfitting is comfortable for miles and miles of flat water or whitewater.

Cons:

• The back hatch needs a cam strap applied for extra security.
• Years of paddling a small playboat can be difficult at first to feel how a big boat handles.

Escalante River 2011 Catch it if you can!

With a better than average snow pack in the Utah high country, this year we thought it would present an opportunity to catch the rarely runnable Escalante Canyon. With 5 days off we drove to the put in at Calf Creek and to our surprise there was enough water to kayak. The 80 miles of Escalante River is far one of the most remote and awe gasping places we have ever been. We knew it would be well worth long days of paddling to experience an epic adventure. We packed our kayaks to the brim, luxury style filled with 5 days of food, sleeping gear, water, clothes, and drinks. Justin took the Fusion, Pyranha, and Lisa Marie kayaked the Remix XP 9, by Liquidlogic. Most people take Inflatable kayaks for comfort, but we had speed on our mind to complete 80 miles of meandering slow whitewater. Faced with never ending flat water, Russian olive tree strainers, snakes, scorpions, low flying wild turkeys, and occasional technical boulder rapids this kept us on our toes. One mile felt like 5, therefore making time an illusion. The Canyon is filled with amazing beaches, painted walls, and unlimited hiking. The last 5 miles to Lake Powell became epic due to sand bars. Dragging became the form of transportation instead of floating. After a few hours we felt Lake Powell’s presence and got back into our kayaks to find Justin’s dad (aka Shuttle boat bunny) instead of hiking out 5 grueling utah miles. The trip ended with us loading our kayaks on a fishing boat that took us over 30 miles of lake water to Bullfrong Marina. If you want an epic adventure, and the gauge says Esclante Canyon has at least 50 cfs. Pack the dry bags, head to CKS for overnight kayaks, and drive to Utah…don’t forget your hiking shoes.