The Pyranha Kayaks Jed Eye Review

The new Pyranha play boat for 2012 is the Jed-Eye. It follows in the footsteps of higher volume play boats from Pyranha such as the Molan, Rev and 4-Twenty. The Jed-Eye has a much sleeker profile then these boats and the volume has been concentrated more around the cockpit of the boat rather then strategically distributed throughout the boat. The bow of the boat is significantly sliceier then anything Pyranha has put out recently. The first time I got into it I immediately loved it. The boat is very well balanced, accelerates and releases off the face of a wave with precision, gets huge air (especially with the included over-thruster when looping) and has a very loose hull, spinning effortlessly. The V-hull in the rear of the boat allowed for extremely fast transitions between edges. Speed on a wave was very good. This boat meets or exceeds the performance of all other top line play boats put out by other manufactures in all of these areas.

Specs:

Pros:

• Huge Air, with or without included overt-thruster
• This boat can spin, blunt, and perform any modern trick with the best.
• Available in cool new colors as well as Pyranha’s classic standbys.
• Looks good. Like a boat, not a piece of candy or a spacecraft.
• Simple & comfortable outfitting.
• This boat can cartwheel!
• Fast edge transitions

Cons:

• The lower profile bow may make it slightly less comfortable for individuals with large feet or long legs.
• If you want a boat that just loops this may not be you best option. This boat goes BIG but has less volume then other boats of comparable size.
• A little more difficult to roll, which may not be ideal for beginners.

Verdict:

Just by looking at this boat you can tell a lot of effort and thought was put into it. It has beautifully integrated lines that flow throughout the rails, chine, hull and deck. The one thing that the Jed-Eye can do that very few of these other manufacturers boats can is cartwheel. While modern play boats have come a long way especially in the ability to get huge air, as a lighter person I have been continually frustrated by designs that I can’t cartwheel well. The sheer volume or its distribution in most boats makes you leave the water on every end, which makes them hard to control and not aesthetic or smooth. Heavier people can make this work in these higher volume boats, but most of us can’t. The Jed-Eye seamlessly changes ends reminiscent of boats from 12 years ago while not compromising anything as far as other modern performance features. Pyranha nailed the design on this boat. You should not purchase another freestyle boat without spending some time in the Jed-Eye especially if you want a boat that can do something more then loop.