Submitted by GreenStoneRidge t3_zq4fda in Maine
GreenStoneRidge OP t1_j11llu4 wrote
Reply to comment by mtuchris in Kayak vs Paddle board recommendations by GreenStoneRidge
Hey, I found a good deal on a single cockpit tandem that i am going to pull the trigger on based in your recommendation. Thank you for the insight.
I have a follow up question if you dont mind. I have a sport rack on my car that works great for my canoe. Do I need to get those kayak hooks/racks that I see for sale or will my rack work fine? Is there a particular reason for the kayak racks, like to avoid damaging them, or is it so you can fit two on a roof?
I am picking up a loon 16 footer, it has good reviews, but it is a little heavy at 73 lbs. so still going to be a little challenge to rack it solo on my SUV.
I appreciate any insight you might have.
mtuchris t1_j11ro6o wrote
Glad to hear it! I have the old town otter tandem which is the predecessor to the Loon. The two primary reasons to use a proper rack are to protect the boat from dents or damage and to prevent it from wobbling and sliding around while driving. I have the Thule rectangular cross bars and the J-shaped carriers so I can fit two kayaks or a kayak and a paddle board at the same time. They are also cheap used. If you don't need to carry two boats you can use a flat carrier setup that sits with the hull horizontal or upsidedown. There are a number of cheap through expensive versions but they all support the hull properly so they don't leave permanent dents like bare cross bars might. In a real pinch I have used pool noodles for short trips of a couple miles. I drive an old Honda Pilot SUV and to load and unload the kayak alone I have to open the rear door and put a beach towel over the top edge of the open door. Then I lift one end of the boat up onto the top of the door and leave the other end on the ground. The boat will be at an angle and usually I get it positioned so the end of the rack stops the hull from hitting the side of the car and scratching it. Then I lift up the low end and walk forward till I can stand dead center and lift/shove it up onto the rack. Getting it down is the opposite. The car has some scrapes from when I've missed the mark a couple times but that's why I keep driving an old car. If you load yours flat on the roof then going straight over the top of the rear hatch on a towel might work as long as you don't have a spoiler there to break off. There are a variety of options in the website below to get a good overview.
https://paddling.com/gear/transport/kayak-transport/kayak-racks
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