Roof-Mounted Watersport Carriers

With a rooftop watersport carrier, you can easily load and transport:

• Surfboards
• Stand-up paddleboards
• Canoes
• Kayaks
• Oars

As with most roof-mounted accessories, one of the main reasons for transporting your gear on your vehicle's roof is a lack of cargo space within your vehicle. Even if you have a fairly large truck or SUV, you may not be able to fit boards in amongst the rest of your cargo. And just imagine trying to find room for a boat.

Roof-Mounted Surfboard and Paddleboard Carriers

Sure you could probably toss your boards in the back of a pickup or SUV. Of course they could easily get scratched, cracked or otherwise damaged while bouncing around back there. And do you really want a wet, sandy mess in your cargo area?

A roof-mounted surfboard carrier is an obvious choice for someone who has a car with limited cargo space, but it provides a secure, space-saving alternative for those with larger vehicles as well. Surfboard carriers and paddleboard carriers are safe and typically easy to use.

Roof-Rack Compatibility

Many surfboard and paddleboard carriers are designed to mount to the crossbars of your roof rack. Most feature clamping mechanisms that are nearly universal and can attach to either round, square, elliptical or aero bars. As always, though, be sure to read through the product descriptions carefully to determine roof-rack compatibility of each carrier.

Tie-Down Systems

The most basic method for carrying your surfboards, wakeboards or paddleboards involves simply securing the board(s) to your roof rack with tie-downs. These systems typically include webbed tie-down straps that either wrap around the center of your board(s) and secure to the roof rack or anchor the nose and tail of your surfboard(s) to your vehicle.

The Thule Hang Two system offers:

• Brackets that clamp around your roof-rack crossbars
  • Board sits on padded edges of brackets, not directly on crossbars
• Strong, easy-to-adjust tie-down straps
  • Tie-downs can be run through center of brackets for extra security and stability

The Yakima WaveHog offers:

• Molded pads attach to roof-rack crossbars and provide a soft barrier between board and bars
• Tie-down straps
  • Straps are designed to wrap around board and crossbars to secure the board to your roof rack
    • Tie-downs easily tighten with integrated cam buckles
  • Nose/tail straps anchor the nose and tail of the surfboard to your vehicle
• Same Key System locks on tie-down buckles

If you'd rather not buy an entire system, you can always purchase tie-downs and pads for your roof-rack crossbars separately.

Padded, Adjustable Carriers

Thule's Double-Decker surfboard carrier goes beyond mere tie-downs. This adjustable rack actually cradles and secures your boards within a unique clamping system. If you have stand-up paddleboards, Thule offers the SUP Taxi, which has a design very similar to the Double-Decker. Both of these carriers feature:

• Snug, adjustable cradle mount that attaches to almost any crossbars
  • Easy-to-use, universal Speed-Link mounting system - no tools required
• Weather-resistant padding that won't scratch your board
• Tie-down straps with integrated cam buckles and One-Key System locks for security
• Steel-reinforced strap that wraps around the top of the board

Roof-Mounted Kayak and Canoe Carriers

As most enthusiasts know, it can be difficult - if not impossible - to fit a canoe or kayak into your SUV or truck bed. One of the most popular and convenient methods for transporting these types of boats is to mount them to your vehicle's roof. There are a few different types of roof-mounted boat carriers to choose from. The following table will help you differentiate a bit among them based on what each carrier can do for you.

*You must either mount a single crossbar (DTA968) to your vehicle's roof or use a foam block kit and position one of the blocks on your roof.

Foam Block Kits

Foam blocks are basic tools to help you securely carry your canoe or kayak on your vehicle's roof. Most blocks can be either be mounted directly to a naked roof or to roof-rack crossbars. Made of durable foam, these blocks provide a soft, contoured area for your boat to rest on. Once you have your kayak properly positioned on the blocks, just tie it down securely with straps.

These blocks provide an affordable alternative to a complete kayak loading and carrying system. If you only kayak on occasion and you don't have to go far to put in, then this system is perfect for you. However, foam blocks do not provide the most secure fit, and they are not therefore designed for long-distance travel or long-term use.

Saddle Carriers

Similar in concept to foam blocks, kayak saddles mount to your roof-rack crossbars to provide a cushioned, secure area for your boat to sit on. These cradles are far more adjustable than blocks, and therefore they can better conform to your boat's hull for added security.

As with foam blocks, this system requires that you lift your boat onto your roof and manually position it. You may have to adjust the distance between the saddles to ensure that they appropriately cradle your kayak. To ease loading and unloading, you can pair a set of saddles with a set of rollers or glide saddles. Just mount the rollers or glide saddles on your rear crossbar and slide your kayak up onto the roof from the rear of your vehicle.

J-Style Carriers

This type of carrier holds your kayak on its side, taking up less room on top of your roof so that you can carry additional accessories on your roof rack (provided that your setup is wide enough to accommodate those accessories). The J-shaped cradles mount to your roof-rack crossbars and combine with tie-down straps to hold your boat in place.

J-cradles are great for both plastic and composite boats. Because you won't be sliding your kayak into place, as you do with saddle systems, you don't have to worry about scratching the gel coat on composite hulls. The bigger concern with this type of carrier is whether or not you can easily lift your kayak into place, especially after paddling all day.

Stacking Systems

With stack-style racks, all you have to do is mount the included posts to your roof-rack crossbars, and then you can secure two kayaks - one on either side of the posts - with tie-downs. As long as you tie your equipment down appropriately, this system will hold your kayaks in place for the long haul.

Because it does not incorporate cradles or padded sections, a stacker may not be the best carrier for composite boats. You can, however, purchase pads that will add a bit of cushion between your boat and the roof-rack crossbars. This type of system is most often used for white-water kayaks.

Rollers

The Yakima HullyRoller has rollers that mount onto your rear roof-rack crossbar, taking the place of a rear set of kayak saddles. These rollers make it easy to slide your boat onto and off of your vehicle's roof and also serve as cradles for transport.

Rollers provide adequate stability when paired with a good set of saddles, but because they do not conform to your boat's hull, they may damage composite kayaks.

An alternative to rollers is Thule's Hydro Glide. This system includes two saddles that are designed to mount at the rear of your vehicle and be used in conjunction with traditional saddles mounted at the front. These saddles are lined with felt to inhibit friction so that you can slide your kayak up onto your roof just as you would with the rollers. The difference is because these saddles conform to the hull of your boat in the same manner as traditional saddle-style carriers, you can use the Hydro Glide with your composite kayak.

Load-Assist Systems

Load-assist systems are great for all enthusiasts. If you aren't quite strong enough to lift your kayak onto your roof by yourself, particularly after a long day of rowing, then a load-assist system is likely exactly what you've been searching for. And even if you are strong enough to load and position your boat, wouldn't it be nice to never have to strain to do it?

Yakima's ShowBoat provides a simple solution for loading your heavy or unwieldy kayak. Mount the ShowBoat to the outside of your carrier, which is sold separately, and slide it out over the rear of your vehicle. It adjusts side to side for perfect positioning. Just line your kayak up with your saddles and slide it into place. The ShowBoat does most of the work for you: balancing, supporting and positioning your boat for perfect placement.

The Thule Slipstream comes as a complete system: a rooftop kayak carrier with load-assist. Hydro-Glide saddles are mounted to the carrier and a heavy-duty roller extends out from the rear of your vehicle so that you can easily get your boat up onto the roof and then simply slide it into place. With this system, the strain of hoisting your boat onto your roof is eliminated.

Thule's Hullavator is one of the most innovative load-assist systems out there. With this carrier you can load your kayak from the side of your vehicle and at waist-level. Tie your boat down to the integrated cradles with the included straps and then position the entire thing back into place on your roof rack with virtually no effort.

The Hullavator has heavy-duty gas struts that take the effort out of lifting and positioning your kayak onto your roof. When you pull the carrier down from the roof, whether empty or loaded, it will move in a controlled and easy fashion. And when you lift it back onto your roof, all you have to do is give it a nudge in the right direction and it will rise and secure into place.

If you're looking for a more economically priced option, or something that is less bulky, try either the Thule Outrigger II or the Yakima BoatLoader. These extension pieces install in your roof-rack crossbar and telescope out to help you load your boat from the side of your vehicle. Just place the front of your canoe or kayak on the bar and pivot it upward. The extra support that the extension bar provides keeps you from having to lift the entire weight of the boat to position it on your carrier.

Hitch-Mounted Supports

Perfect for pickup trucks with trailer hitch receivers, hitch-mounted supports provide a crossbar-like extension at the rear of your vehicle. With this add-on, you can mount a kayak, canoe or various other equipment and materials to your roof. Turn the extension into a kayak carrier by mounting a foam block kit. Just position one block on the extension and the other on top of your truck's cab. For extra support and stability, mount a single crossbar on the roof of your truck and then place the foam block on the bar.

Rhino-Rack's T-Load acts as a load assist system so that you don't have to lift your canoe or kayak above your head to load it onto your roof. Simply tilt the extension down, lean your boat against the support bar, and slide the boat into place. Because the support bar of the T-Load is the same as Rhino-Rack's elliptical roof-rack crossbars, you can use saddles in place of foam blocks to keep your kayak securely cradled.

If you have a Jeep with trailer hitch receivers at both the rear (for towing and accessory attachment) and the front (for a winch), you can use two hitch-mounted supports to create a boat carrier for a vehicle that would otherwise require a trailer to transport a canoe.

Canoe Carriers

Some carriers are designed specifically for canoes. Canoes should be mounted upside down so that the gunwales support its weight. This positioning can be achieved by using either specially designed brackets that mount to your roof-rack crossbars and provide an area for your boat to rest on, or by using foam blocks. These foam blocks are similar to kayak blocks in that most can be used either with or without a roof-rack system, but instead of using two blocks to cradle the hull at either end of your boat, you use four blocks to support the boat by its gunwales.

How to Tie-Down Your Kayak

Many roof-mounted carriers come with tie-down straps to secure your canoe or kayak for travel. If your system does not include tie-downs, you will need to purchase them separately.

The following tie-down method is intended for kayaks that are mounted in an upright position with the cockpit facing skyward. Whether you are using foam blocks or kayak saddles, the tie-down method is essentially the same.

1. Load your kayak onto the roof of your vehicle. Position it onto the blocks or saddles so that the bow points forward as straight as possible, parallel with your vehicle. This will reduce wind drag.
   • You may have to adjust the distance between your saddles to get them to conform to the hull of your particular boat.
2. Pass the tie-down straps over the kayak, typically where the saddle or foam blocks sit. Some saddles and blocks have small cutouts to run the straps through. Try to position the tie-downs over the widest points of your kayak.
   • If your kayak is sitting on a roof rack, run the straps around the crossbar on which it is sitting.
   • If you are securing the kayak to a naked roof, run the straps into your vehicle, around the roof.
3. Tighten the straps to create a snug fit. The straps should be just tight enough so that the kayak barely wiggles if you push it side to side. Do not overtighten.
4. Secure the bow with either rope or a bow/stern tie-down. Loop the rope around the bow and through the front grab handle (if possible), and then run it down to your vehicle's front bumper to hook it in place. Do the same in the rear to secure the stern.
   • If there is not an easily accessible point to hook the tie-down to - either on the bumper or your vehicle's frame - or if you want a shorter rope run, you can install a set of tie-down loops beneath your vehicle's hood to serve as anchor points.
5. Tighten the bow and stern tie-downs just enough to remove any slack. There should be some downward pressure on both the bow and stern to hold the kayak in place but not so much as to warp the shape of your boat.
6. Tie-off any loose ends.
7. Check your kayak after driving for a few miles to make sure that it hasn't shifted and that no straps have loosened.

Tips for Transporting Your Watercraft

Tie-Downs

The most important thing to remember when tying down your kayak is to resist the urge to overtighten the straps.

• Tie-downs should be snug with no slack.
• Some downward pressure is expected as the boat conforms to the foam blocks or plastic saddles.
• The shape of your kayak should not distort at all. Overtightening your tie-down straps can warp or even crack your kayak.

Choose tie-downs wisely. There are many types of tie-downs that are easier to use and, in some cases, better for your equipment than standard ropes.

• Cam-style tie-downs tighten and secure easier than rope, and with these straps, there's no need to learn and remember how to tie different knots. These straps won't automatically tighten as much or as quickly as ratcheting straps either, so there is less risk of overtightening your tie-downs.
• Ratcheting bow and stern tie-downs make tightening a snap. The ratcheting pulley lets you tug tie-downs taut quickly and easily. No need for knots.
• Web-type straps won't dig into your kayak as much as rope. The wide, flat surface area of these straps better distributes the force that is applied when they are tightened down.
• Many tie-down straps and systems include padded buckles or rubberized hooks to offer non-scratch protection.

Composite Hulls

There are special considerations when it comes to transporting composite boats. The construction of these boats is not as forgiving as the durable plastic of many kayaks.

• Take care when tying down composite boats. They do not have as much give as plastic models, and as a result, they may crack if too much pressure is applied during the tie-down process.
• The gel coat on certain composite boats is very easily scratched. Certain saddle systems should not be used with these boats. Make sure that your saddles are appropriately cushioned and lined with a soft, felt-like material, like that found on the Thule Hydro Glide saddles. Even smooth plastic surfaces can scratch the gel coat.
• Because composite materials are more prone to scratches and cracks, make certain that your boat is secure on its carrier. If you are using saddles, be sure to use a complete set of four saddles, rather than one set of saddles up front and rollers in the rear. Rollers do not provide enough surface area to properly support composite boats.
• Consider using a J-style carrier for composite kayaks. Most provide enough security and support for this type of hull.

Additional Protection

You can protect your kayak or canoe during transport with a weather-resistant cover. Not only will a cover help to keep your boat safe from inclement weather and road grime, but it will also guard against UV rays to prevent fading. In addition, a cover will help to keep water from filling the cockpit of your kayak when it's being transported in an upright position. Benefits of a kayak/canoe cover include:

• Keeping water out of your boat
  • If water collects inside your kayak or canoe during travel, extra weight will be put on your roof or roof rack, possibly overloading it.
  • Having large amounts of water sloshing around inside your roof-mounted boat may affect the overall handling of your vehicle as you drive.
  • Adding extra weight to your canoe or kayak also adds extra strain on you when it comes time to unload that boat from your roof.
• UV protection
  • Prolonged exposure to UV rays can damage your kayak by breaking down certain glues, sealants and paints. Not only will the color of your boat fade if it sits in the sun for too long, it can actually begin to leak and break down as a result of this exposure.
• Protection from road grime and debris
  • Your boat will be dirty enough from your trip down the river. Don't make it worse by adding road grime. Prevent paint chips and simple dirt build up by using a cover.

Add-On Accessories

If you have a tall vehicle or if you simply have trouble reaching your roof to secure your boat, invest in an accessory step. There are a variety of step options available to help you easily access your roof.

Hitch-mounted steps

• A hitch-mounted step simply slides into your trailer hitch receiver opening to provide a platform for you to easily access your vehicle's roof from the rear. This can help you get a better angle when hoisting your boat onto your roof, as well as making it easier to reach your boat for securing.

Wheel steps

• A wheel step mounts to your vehicle's tire. It is easy to use and typically easy to store so that you can bring it with you in your trunk or cargo area.

Nerf bars, running boards and hoop steps

• If you don't feel stable simply standing on the sill plate of your vehicle, side steps are an excellent alternative. These custom-fit running boards, nerf bars and hoop steps install permanently on your truck or SUV, so they are a bit more of a commitment than a removable step, but they are much easier to use.

If your kayak is too heavy for you to easily carry, invest in a kayak cart. The Swagman Yakart lets you load up your kayak and roll it to and from the water so that you won't stress your back.

Instead of tossing your dirty oars into your cargo area, mount them beside your boat on your roof rack. Accessory holders are made to attach to your roof-rack crossbars to hold your oars securely in place.