# Pyranha Machno or Waka Tutea?



## Chandan (Mar 26, 2018)

So I may be able to help. I am 5'10 and 150. My boat of choice until last season was the Mamba 8.1. I love everything about it except for the speed, I still have not found a boat that whips into eddies better than the Mamba. Last season I bought a medium Machno on a friends recommendation. First off let me say it boofs bigger than anything I have ever paddled. Unfortunately, I found that it was difficult to make tight ferries and harder to catch eddies than my Mamba. I contribute most of this to the size of the boat and its lack of a super defined edge, so I ultimately decided to part ways with it. I am now the proud owner of a Waka Stout. I have yet to paddle it but the edge that runs the entire length of the boat inspires confidence and I am looking forward to the fact that it is between the sizes of the Mamba and Machno M.

Bottom line: The Medium Machno is big and it has soft edges compared to the mamba, it just wasn't for me. I'm banking on the Waka being more my style. Hope this helps


----------



## Cookie (Mar 5, 2011)

Thanks for the reply, that's very helpful. It seems like the medium Machno is definitely out. I forgot about the Stout- that may be added to my list of boats that I want to try but can't.:roll:


----------



## ag3dw (May 13, 2006)

Hi Cookie, alright, boat shoping! Not to muddy the waters, but I would recommend u try the small Jackson Karma. I am about the same size (5'7" and 145#) and it seems just rt. Seems to fit your criteria also. it is super stable and v forgiving. It will flip but needs provocation and rolls fine. Seems fast esp accelerating into a boof. Has good bow rocker. Having mega bow rocker and speed are generally mutually exclusive, as having a longer water line (less rocker) is usually faster. Plenty of room for self support. 

Lets see, what else: newest? coolest? Mmmm, maybe not so much but still a modern creeker and at least u should b able to demo one. Haven't seen a Machno much less a Tutea but comparing specs the Karma looks a little shorter, and narrower (important 4 me) w abt the same vol. May have slightly less bow rocker so may b a touch faster? More creeker/river runner but for the Locsa that would b better, also House Rk would b good 2. 

Outfitting is pretty good but not up to the wave sport std so it takes a little work but like I said, u should at least b able to try it out. Have fun! 

Oh, I don't have experience w the mamba either but a rockered boat needs different technique to feel zippy eddy dancing. U need 2 drive into the eddy a bit lower dn in order to have room for the bow to pivot and not smack the eddy rock because the hull will not engage the eddy water until the boat is farther into the eddy. Can't eddy out as high and tight. Same peeling out, u have to power out of the top of the eddy w speed cause u wont get into the downstream water till your feet/ankles cross the eddy line. Just a little dif


----------



## ID Surfer (Nov 6, 2003)

Cookie said:


> Thanks for the reply, that's very helpful. It seems like the medium Machno is definitely out. I forgot about the Stout- that may be added to my list of boats that I want to try but can't.:roll:


I'm 5'9", 150. I have paddled remix 69 for nearly a decade, a variety of smaller creekers before that. I bought a Waka Stout this year. I've got ~20 days in it on the NF Payette 900-1200ish. I LOVE this boat. It rips in and out of eddies, turns on a dime, boofs itself, and surfs like a champ. It has rails but seems just as forgiving as the remix. I haven't had it on real big volume yet (prolly this weekend as the NF just shot through the roof and rain is on the way...everything is likely to explode) but I've paddled smaller boats on big water and felt fine. 

I loaned the stout to a friend last night who ran it down the NF @1200ish and said he thought is was great but perhaps a little slow. I don't know, I think it's just as fast as the remix 69...maybe I'm crazy. I loaned it to a gal who is average size and she thought it was too big. Finally, I know another gal (average height and weight) who has been in a tutea all year and is switching to the stout. So....take home is that the Stout is certainly one to take a real hard look at. If you were here in Boise I'd let you take it for a spin!


----------



## MCSkid (Feb 27, 2008)

ID Surfer said:


> I'm 5'9", 150. I have paddled remix 69 for nearly a decade, a variety of smaller creekers before that. I bought a Waka Stout this year. I've got ~20 days in it on the NF Payette 900-1200ish. I LOVE this boat. It rips in and out of eddies, turns on a dime, boofs itself, and surfs like a champ. It has rails but seems just as forgiving as the remix. I haven't had it on real big volume yet (prolly this weekend as the NF just shot through the roof and rain is on the way...everything is likely to explode) but I've paddled smaller boats on big water and felt fine.
> 
> I loaned the stout to a friend last night who ran it down the NF @1200ish and said he thought is was great but perhaps a little slow. I don't know, I think it's just as fast as the remix 69...maybe I'm crazy. I loaned it to a gal who is average size and she thought it was too big. Finally, I know another gal (average height and weight) who has been in a tutea all year and is switching to the stout. So....take home is that the Stout is certainly one to take a real hard look at. If you were here in Boise I'd let you take it for a spin!


ID Surfer, I'm the same hieght but I've got 20 pounds on you, Stout or OG for me?


----------



## ID Surfer (Nov 6, 2003)

MCSkid said:


> ID Surfer, I'm the same hieght but I've got 20 pounds on you, Stout or OG for me?


Tough call.....You should definitely sit in both. I have 2 friends in the OG. One guy is ~5'10-11" and 190. He loves his OG. The other guy is similar size, maybe a little lighter and really likes his OG as well. If you're a strong paddler I'd say the OG might be the one. That said, the Waka website says the Stout was designed for Sven Lammler who is 5'7"and 170. Says the stout was basically built for him. The dude that paddled my stout last night has 10 pounds on me. He thought it was a little slow, but real nice other than that. That's about all I can say on the matter. Good luck!


----------



## MCSkid (Feb 27, 2008)

Thanks ID Surfer, sounds like the stout might be the one.


----------



## mvhyde (Feb 3, 2004)

Cookie,
My son paddles for Pyranha and he recommends either the Nano or the 9R. Both are wicked fast, boof well, and catch eddies like a slalom boat. If you want to check these out. He'll be at the Paddle with the Pros day at Golden Games - PM me if you need more info


----------



## kristie (Jul 1, 2011)

*In a similar predicament*

I am also boat shopping (and have been for a while). I'm 5'5", 127 lbs, and have paddled a Medium 2nd gen Burn for years. Love my Burn but I'm assuming the grass is greener in Wakaland. My bf went from Burn to Tuna and looooves it. I do a lot of the same rivers as you and have similar requirements. I paddled a Nomad for a year and hated it (too small and slow), went back to my mangled Burn. Took a Jive on the Grand Canyon and loved it. I like speed and edges. I emailed Waka asking about the differences between the Stout and Tutea, and I was leaning towards the Tutea, but this thread has me second guessing....Here's the convo:

Me: "Hi, I'm trying to decide between a Stout and a Tutea. Do you know if there are any photos anywhere of the bottom of the Stout? Does it have edges all the way to the front like the OG? Is the Tutea still going to be better for big water? Thanks!

Waka: "I would suggest the Tutea to be honest. 

The Stout is a super sweet boat for aggressive paddlers and less forgiving than the Tutea. 

Both boats have edges from the front to the back but it is more that the stout has a low volume tail at the very end which can grab water more than the Tutea. 

It is awesome if you are able to sink the tail and use this to help you boof. It has been made by the Lammlers for this reason and it is really up to you and how you paddle."


----------



## Cookie (Mar 5, 2011)

Thanks for posting that- it's really helpful. This thread and a couple other really really good paddlers also had me thinking about getting a Stout- I'm sure it's awesome but I won't be paddling the North Fork any time soon (or ever) so I would like the more forgiving option. So now I guess it's back to being between the Tutea and the Machno. I might get to paddle a Machno soon- if I like it I'll probably just get it- if not I'll order a Tutea and hope for the best.


----------



## Cookie (Mar 5, 2011)

Thanks for the help everyone. I was driving through Durango the other day and happened to notice that 4corners River sports was having a sale. The guy I talked with was super helpful and had paddled both boats and also came from a Mamba. I ended up driving away with a small Machno on my truck. I'm sure either boat would have been great but the 15% off and instant gratification helped make the decision. . Plus that turquoise, lime, fuscia color is soooo nice! Can't wait to paddle it!


----------



## bystander (Jul 3, 2014)

I think the choice is best made by demoing, as they all have different characteristics and everyone has different desires on the water. That said, I think you'll enjoy the Macho. It has forgiving edges which I thought handled very well going into eddies (I disliked how the Mamba eddy turns. It only seems to have edges on the front half of the boat), and it definitely boofs like a champ.


----------



## Globalpaddler (Mar 14, 2013)

Great discussion ! thanks to the contributors. I too am looking for a creeker; am 5'10'" and weigh 150 lbs; have paddled since 1974 and looking for similar performance characteristics as discussed.
I live in Boise and would like to demo the boats discussed herein:
*Waka---Tutea and Stout
*Machno--size ? sm/med ?
Recommendations ?
Thx/Cheers


----------

