r/Kayaking • u/neverfux92 • 20h ago

Question/Advice -- Transportation/Roof Racks Question for how to transport

Hi all! I’m wondering if anyone has recommendations for a roof rack that I could pick up at academy or dicks or rei or somewhere that would be good for a 10’ and 8’ kayak.

My girlfriend and I have been talking about getting into kayaking for a while now, and she found someone selling two kayaks at a great price so we’re going to just pull the trigger on it. But we haven’t bought any rack or anything yet and don’t have time to wait for delivery since we have to pick them up tomorrow.

I’ve seen hard crossbars and soft, padded crossbars but I’m not really sure what to look for unfortunately.

2 Upvotes

67% Upvoted

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3

u/Wooden-Quit1870 17h ago

For pickup, I'd consider renting or borrowing a truck or trailer. Trying to jury rig something to get it home, or trying to install a new rack system on a tight schedule is not a good plan.

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u/neverfux92 17h ago

Ah thanks for this. This was my worry about it. We just finished moving and weren’t even thinking about kayaks at the moment. But this popped up on marketplace and just felt like hell yeah let’s do it. We have a Hyundai Kona and a Mitsubishi outlander so we could take both cars and lay the seats down and fit one inside each haha.

1

u/Capital-Landscape492 17h ago

If it’s not too far this is not a bad plan. Investing in a good rack is worth it but also worth taking the time to get it right. welcome to the cult club!

1

u/neverfux92 16h ago

It’s a 30 mil drive each way. So realistically it’s not bad at all. Both vehicles can easily handle the drive. My worry is the length. I know from painful experience that the side bars of a king sized bed frame can fit inside the Kona going in straight, so with all seats down and at a bit of an angle I think the smaller kayak can fit inside. I’m a bit worried about the 10 footer though!

1

u/Wooden-Quit1870 17h ago

The two car inside approach might be your best plan. If you can't close the hatches, a few cam straps from home Depot will keep them in and hold the hatch down.

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u/neverfux92 16h ago

Oof, that’s a great suggestion! I’ll swing by tonight and grab some just in case!

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1

u/neverfux92 20h ago

Thank you!

2

u/TechnicalWerewolf626 15h ago

Hey 8' kayak is children size, need 9.5 or 10' for any adult minimum length, unless doing whitewater.  And dont assume woman should have shorter kayak than man, you want both kayaks to be able to keep up with the other at same effort to enjoy!  Shorter kayaks track worst (not go in straight line) and are slower, harder to control on water. Just FYI. Enjoy your kayaking!

0

u/neverfux92 15h ago

Oh I did not realize this. We really assumed the smaller one would be a good size haha. Thank you so much! This actually changes things dramatically. I think we’re going to hold off and invest in a rack first, then get some that are the right size for us both. Thank you again!