Strapping Kayak To Roof Bars

Flip your kayak over so the cockpit is facing down and with one person on each end lift the kayak onto your vehicle s roof so that the center of the kayak is resting on the central pool noodle.

Strapping kayak to roof bars.

Check your manufacturer s instructions for details on your kayak. Tie down kayak with straps. This video will show you how to secure your kayak to a j bar roof rack carrier. Note that some types of larger kayaks should not be used with roof racks.

We see people attach kayaks all the time the wrong way using these systems on. But after buying the best kayak for your needs and getting a compatible roof rack you ll need to know how to strap a kayak to a roof rack. The pool noodles will stop the kayak from damaging your vehicle while also keeping it in place. You ll need two straps that are about 12 feet long or longer.

Tie the straps down with cam buckles to secure the kayak. Once the boat is on the roof of the car and the straps are around the bars pull the straps over the canoe or kayak to the other side of the roof rack to avoid car damage or even a broken window. Cam straps quickly and securely hold your kayak down. Especially if you have uprights on your bars cross tensioning them towards each other puts a huge strain on the roof rack attachment points and has on at least one occasion pulled bars clean off a roof.

Choose a kayak carrier the right kayak carrier for you depends on the size weight of your watercraft how many kayaks you want to transport and how convenient of a setup you prefer. In this video we demonstrate how to load and tie down a kayak with the malone j style downloader kayak rack. As a new kayaker it can feel like there s a lot to learn and a lot of accessories to get your hands on. Bring the straps over the kayak or canoe.

Always use two straps one for each roof bar. These racks a super easy to install and use an. Read more how to strap a kayak to a roof rack. Do use high quality straps to secure your canoe kayak to the roof rack.

Do check your straps for wear and tear and replace when necessary they won t last forever. Read our article on how to choose a cartop boat mount. Specific kayak rack systems that attach to the crossbars and cradle the boat in j or v shaped forms are most secure. Do check your roofrack is securely fitted.

Kayak roof rack step 3. To tie down a kayak place it right side up on your roof rack and center it.