Name: SC
Review Date: 12/21/2011 5:18 pm
Rating:

The Burn is probably my all time favorite creek boat. The performance oriented hull is like creeking in a sports car. It's so much fun to carve and glide your way downstream in this boat. Compared to other creek boats, I find that I require a lot less strokes to get where I need to go. It spins on a dime when you leave it flat but carves when you put it on edge. The edges work so well that it can carve a nice smooth arc without having to hold a gliding draw to keep it from spinning out like on most other boats, but the Burn works even better if you use your draw anyway. And the edges are raised enough to stay out of the way when running through shallow, rocky mank. The rocker profile is fine tuned really well. It goes up and over holes with ease, the stern releases easily on boofs, and you can really let the bow drop on waterfalls to protect your back but the rocker allows the boat to stay on the surface so you don't pencil in deep like in other boats. Even though I am overall a more conservative paddler than I was several years ago, I find myself running certain rapids in the Burn that I used to portage in other boats because the Burn gives me so much confidence.

As great of a creeker as the Burn is, the main reason I got it was for river running. I wanted a planing hull for surfing and for long gliding ferries and S turns. This boat really excels on technical rivers like West Virginia's Meadow, Blackwater, and Big Sandy Cr., and it surfs way better than any round hulled creek boat so it's still super fun to paddle on high volume rivers like the New and Gauley if you don't feel like taking a playboat.

The only real drawbacks that I have found with the Burn involve the cockpit design. The cockpit is relatively long and narrow and has an S shaped side profile. I feel like this design makes for a less secure seal for your spayskirt and may be more likely to implode than the more traditional shaped cockpits, but I haven't had any issues with that so far. However, I can understand what Pyranha was going for with that cockpit design. The extra length is great for getting in and out of the boat and makes me feel a lot more confident in my ability to exit the boat in the case of a bad pin. The S shaped side profile makes it easy to curl up around the side of the boat when rolling, but still allows your knees to be high and wide for comfort and control. Also, the inside of the cockpit rim has a sharp edge where it rests on your shoulder when carrying (rather than a smooth flat or rounded profile) which makes it less comfortable to carry than other boats, but this isn't a big deal unless you're doing a really long hike in or hike out. I suppose you could use your sponge or a small piece of foam to make it more comfortable if necessary. And yes, that bolt under the outside of the cockpit rim interferes with the seal of some sprayskirts, but with an IR Klingon I usually don't even have to empty.

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Name: Casey Cunningham
Review Date: 4/4/2011 10:31 pm
Rating:

Great hull design! Liked the old Burn, but LOVE the new one. Better resurfacing due to the peaked deck, more bow rocker, and it still surfs like a dream. I'm not a big fan of the hip pads, but I fixed this by switching them out with the Banshee Pro Hip Snaps.

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Name: Nicole
Review Date: 3/20/2011 9:00 pm
Rating:

I love this boat!! My favorite aspect of the the burn is it's versatility. I feel comfortable paddling this boat down big water river runs and steep, low volume creeks. You can even have a lot of fun surfing it!

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Name: Joe C
Review Date: 3/12/2011 3:00 pm
Rating:

Just paddled the Burn Lg for the first time and I dig it. I came from the Jefe. The 2010 Burn is a bit more creek boat than the previous model: stays on top, deck sheds water well, good rocker. Lots of room to pop my legs out; comfortable carrying with the handle in the pillar. Can't wait to get it out again.

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