What To Look For
A kayak carrier is used to transport a kayak on or behind a vehicle, sometimes over rough and uneven terrain. Because of the weight and length of a kayak, it generally is necessary to carry it on the roof of a vehicle or on a trailer behind a vehicle. Several manufacturers sell racks of varying configurations. Most use either a rigid-rack or swivel-pad system that attaches to a vehicle's roof using mounting pads that attach to a lightweight, usually metal grid or a pad contoured to the shape of a kayak hull. Grids and pads usually are secured to the roof via adjustable straps and clips that usually attach to roof gutters or door or trunk seams. Because of the wide variety of vehicle roof designs, the apparatus for mounting a kayak rack can vary considerably, and popular rack systems do not fit on all vehicles. Some racks mount most efficiently on the side of a vehicle. Some specialized trailers carry one or more kayaks, have their own wheels and mount to the back of a vehicle via a trailer hitch.
Common Pitfalls
Kayaks are hydrodynamically efficient water craft, meaning they are mostly rounded and smooth with few flat surfaces or edges to which straps, clamps or other devices can be mounted or attached to secure them to carriers. They are heavy enough (50 pounds or more) that they can shift and strain against carrier attachments at high speeds or when brushing against vegetation, and they can dent vehicle rooftops. Because vehicle rooftops are generally the best place to secure kayaks for transportation, kayaks add wind resistance and height that can destabilize a vehicle or increase the risk of collision in low vertical clearance.
Where To Buy
Kayak carriers are available from manufacturers (Thule, Yakima, Malone and Inno are prevalent retailers) online, through retail operations that specialize in vehicle accessories, through national sporting goods retailers such as Recreational Equipment Inc., Eastern Mountain Sports and L.L. Bean, and through local and regional firms that sell sporting and vehicle equipment.
Cost
Kayak carriers vary considerably in price, from less than $25 for a simple pad system from GSI Riverside to $550 for Thule's sophisticated Hullavator rack system, with the vast majority priced somewhere between $80 and $160.
Kayak trailers cost more than $1,000.
Article Written By Gary Olson
Gary Olson is a freelance writer, editor, photographer and designer with 34 years of experience. His work has appeared in such publications as Sailing, Northwest Living, 5280, The Arizona Republic, The Denver Post and many other newspapers and magazines. He has a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Minnesota.
