How To Tie A Kayak To Your Roof Rack

You ll need two straps that are about 12 feet long or longer.

How to tie a kayak to your roof rack.

Specific kayak rack systems that attach to the crossbars and cradle the boat in j or v shaped forms are most secure. If you don t have a roof rack there are still other options out there for you. How to tie down a canoe to a roof rack. Inflatable racks inflatable roof racks require a slightly different tie down procedure than hard and soft racks as they do not have fastening points to loop the straps through.

A roof rack is ideal as it provides the most secure tie down. Most include the necessary tie downs as well. Kayak roof rack step 1. Lay the straps over the roof rack bars.

Follow the steps. Read our article on how to choose a cartop boat mount. Choose your carrier to carry your canoe on a roof rack you ll need a carrier designed for this use. Once your kayak is in place on the roof of your vehicle open all the doors of your car.

Tighten the straps by securing the buckles on each strap and wrapping and securing each loose end. The first step in tying your canoe or kayak down to your car is laying the straps over each bar. Then make sure the kayak is centered between the two sides of your car. If your vehicle has a roof rack you have one of the best situations for tying down a canoe.

Cam straps quickly and securely hold your kayak down. Soft kayak racks will have fastening points for you to loop tie down straps through. All you need is two bars that go across the car and a pair of cam straps when you. Move the kayak forward or back on the roof rack as needed until the middle of the kayak is centered between the two roof rack bars.

Once your car s doors and or windows are closed your straps should be secure through the inside of your car. It also reduces the risk of damaging your vehicle. You don t want your kayak to be closer to one side of the car than the other. There are multiple styles of carriers available.

Make sure your kayak is still in the same position on your roof rack and that your straps are straight and in line with your roof rack. A short video showing just one way to securely tie a kayak to a roof rack.