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07-21-2011
Submitted by: BriYak - Rating: 8 of 10
     Purchased my Pirouette new back in 1990. This was my first WW boat and it was a great purchase, a an excellent boat for learning in, not to small to get you trashed in big water, good speed and excellent stability. Used hard for many years until I sold it to a local paddling club to use as a teaching boat.

06-01-2010
Submitted by: steve b - Rating: 9 of 10
     I bought my Pirouette SS used for $200 to get into whitewater. I don't have much experience yet and have not paddled tons of different boats but this one is by far my favorite. It is fast and tracks very well yet is surprisingly responsive and quick to turn when you want it to. I find it to be very stable. The few other ww boats I have paddled do not handle anywhere near as well as this one does. It does loose a point for the lame outfitting. The carry handles are comfortable but cheap looking and the wire security loops are pretty stupid. I thought the guy I was buying it off of rigged them up and was surprised to find out they were factory.

The biggest complaint is the fact that there is no drain plug but $10 and 20 minutes of labor fixed that. Another great thing about this boat is how comfortable it is. I just paddled 15 miles of mostly flat water without once getting out of the boat and felt fine. The seat is just hard plastic but is shaped perfectly (for me anyway) and the footplate bulkhead is easily adjustable. it also looks so sleek. It is just a pretty boat in the water. I love this boat, well worth $200.

04-17-2006
Submitted by: Wild Bill - Rating: 10 of 10
     I picked mine up on a whim like some others, just out of curiosity, and what a bargain at $200 from a commission shop.......not a scratch on it. I was scared to death the first sitting, it was so quick to flip out from under me. A very fast boat indeed, WOW, so touchy.......but with the right paddle, the response makes it an extension of your body and going to the Piro from a touring boat is like going to a unicycle from a bicycle; once you get the feel, it's awesome. I love it's desire on it's own to tail-whip so smoothly, but run true if you keep giving her the push. It's comfy too, and it loves the Lampasas River at floodstage. Short, steep falls make submarining a blast and long hauls down the pool are no work at all. It tracks wonderfully due to the longer lines. This boat's a keeper and a must-have if you run across one; excellent kid trainer as well, my boys love it!

12-30-2003
Submitted by: Paladin - Rating: 9 of 10
     I make no apologies for the Pirouette in comparisons. It's a far superior boat for my needs. If you have nonstop rapids and enjoy gymnastics more than paddling, get a new school boat. If you've got long pools between drops (as I do), get a boat that moves out while maintaining a high degree of maneuverability. That's the Pirouette. The only flaw is the cheesy outfitting. Grab loops aren't that critical on a small boat, but the woven straps are bush. Ditto the wire cable security loop. But, in perspective, those points are take a back seat to a ww kayak that has some zip. It also has sculpted, flowing lines, much more attractive than the truncated little spuds.

05-26-2003
Submitted by: Chris K - Rating: 10 of 10
     I got one of these on a whim, wanted to start with the sport and did not want to shell out lots of$$$ when I first got in it, it was a tight fit but its a white water boat so what can you do. it also is a very very quick to turn as a novice,, this was very fustrating but once I got to use it got really mellow.. I tried out a friends paddel < thanks tim:) and it made all this diff in the world... this boat is very fast and when coupled with the right paddel and every thing very BIG fun to play with on the lake and im now looking foward to giving white water a go.. sure its not all cool like the new style play boats but the lines are classic and it is a solid well built craft I really dig mine now.

07-18-2000
Submitted by: --- - Rating: 8 of 10
     It's not fair to critize the pirouette by comparing it to all the new boats on the market. it's limitations are all due to it's age. and considering all the piro's i still see out on the river, many paddlers are more concerned with all the things that it does well. it's got great primary and secondary stability, it's roomy and comfortable, it's really fast. it turns and surfs amazingly well for it's size (it's over 11' long!). I learned in a Piro, and its utterly neutral handling allowed me to concentrate on learning skills without having to worry about whatever quirky characteristics the boat might have. I would still recommend this boat to anyone who wants to get into WW paddling.

05-07-2000
Submitted by: --- - Rating: 8 of 10
     I give the Pirouette an 8 because although it is a very good boat, fun to paddle, good to learn on, and a good down river boat, I felt I outgrew it too fast. If you are a larger paddler, the sort who will progress at a leasurely pace, or are just looking for a fun stable boat this is the one.

08-16-1999
Submitted by: David A. Drupa - Rating: 9 of 10
     Agile and predictable. A natural surfer. Classic lines. A workhorse with thoroughbred speed.

06-06-1999
Submitted by: Chris - Rating: 9 of 10
     The Pirouette is a top performer within its design group. The boat's fast hull speed is one of its most outstanding features -- but there is a balance in design: the P still responds exceeding well to draw strokes and other directional strokes. This is an outstanding river runner that also surfs well. Other later boat designs surf better on smaller waves, but the P is a good choice if you like a fast boat that can handle big water. This race-bred machine excels at fast peelouts and rocket ferries. The P is a little stern edgy, but this is minimized if you keep the boat under power. At 11'-2", you probably won't get rear-endered while running a rapid. But you will experience booming enders and pirouettes at the local play holes. With all the new shorter designs coming out, I hope that the Pirouette remains in production as a classic river runner / play boat.

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