I use Hully Rollers on the back and hull rests on the front and generally tie down the same way with a bit of a twist. I loop the strap over the kayak, under the bars and inside the towers but I run the back strap around the front of the cockpit and back, under the bar inside the tower and up to the buckle. Reverse for the front strap; over the kayak, under the bar, back to the top of the kayak behind the rear lip of the cockpit, back to the front outside, under the bar inside the tower and up to the buckle. Snug both ends down and don't really worry about bow and stern straps. That's with an Old Town 17" Kayak.
The best tip in all of that is the twist in bow line. I have always gotten a buzz and it annoys the heck out of me. Thanks Yakima. Also, great series. Thanks.
OK, I've watched the video about 45 zillion times, now newbie who's never tied anything to a car before is off to buy her first kayak and hopefully get safely home with it. :o I think I got this 'cos the video was super clear, but a bit anxious.
A very nice video...but there are some items that need to be addressed. First it is not a good idea to show to your viewers picking up a 53 pound plastic Perception Carolina kayak and hoisting it into the air and unto the J racks. It does show you are strong, but many viewers/kayakers will not be so strong, especially as they age. It also invites some potential missteps with the kayak smashing into the car. The best technique is to have someone help you lift it onto the J racks. Second best for most is to place the bow on the "Bow J" and then pick up the rest of the boat up and onto the "Stern J", and then slide the boat forward. Your EVO bar helps with this. I usually use a bath map to avoid any contact of the boat with the car (also the stern of the boat if not on grass when first moving the bow is placed on a blanket). My second comment concerns your method of tieing the bow and stern. A much better way to tie the bow and stern is to simply use the bow and stern lines that you should have on the kayak anyway (to tie up to docks, trees, pull the kayak in shallow water, etc.). Use the bow and stern lines to tie to your car. I put a permanent loop on the lines above the hood of the car (bow line) or above the attachment point of the stern line with the car, and then I make a truckers hitch like effort. No top strap with a loop needed to be attached to the handles of the kayak, and no secondary strap needed through the loop of the first strap, and most important NO METAL HOOK. Use of metal hooks will at some time scratch either your kayak (think nice Fiberglass, Kevlar, or Carbon hulls), your car, or both your car and kayak. Also, if your lines become loose it is possible for your metal hook to fall out of the car attachment! 4 years after this video Yakima sells some kind of overly "engineered" rope/hook contraption that takes more time to tie down the bow and stern than the bow and stern lines that all kayaks should possess. One more point. Often in the hood of the car you will find some holes where you can attach some "lowly" rope, tie a loop long enough to reach out of the hood of the car. No need to buy a rubber hose/loop thing. It might be hard to find something in the rear of the car, but I have so far found in all my vehicles under the bumper some place to tie a rope to (with a loop). IF not then you might be able to use that rubber hose/loop thing under the rear hatch or trunk of the car. You might have to add more rope so a loop extends out of the car.
This was a very informative video and I did everything the right way, I just had the wrong product. We went out this year and bought kayaks and racks. Then we went out on our first big adventure to the mountains. The front tie down ropes broke 3 times and I don’t really want to go out now! Thule has ropes instead of straps and now I wish I would have bought a Yakima! This was supposed to be fun!!! Any suggestions on what I should do now? Clearly ropes are not the answer...
If your roof rack is secure: most places recommend the following 2x cam straps per kayak The cam straps are what hold your kayak to your roof rack. Then you use 2x ropes, with break strength of around 250kg or so. Should be fine. These ropes are a *fail safe only* and you put one at front of kayak to your car frame or tow hook. The other at back to your tow hook. These go on with small slack (not tight) They are only to prevent kayak from sliding off worst case or under extreme breaking etc. There is lot's of info out there, but I hope this helps. (BTW there is no reason *not to* use ropes, if you do use rope you will want to make sure it has 200-300kg break strength (it is cheap anyway) and tie appropriate knots) The cam straps just makes it easier to do :) because they use the buckle, so no need for knots.
Have you ever received any feedback that the DeckHand doesn't really contour to the hull of some kayaks? I have a Perception Rambler tandem kayak that really made the DeckHand bend almost flat and the first time I tied it down, I noticed the kayak shifted when the vehicle was in motion. Did I just fit it wrong?
Hello, I can't say that we have, but there maybe some boats that will be harder to fit the contour of the chine. If you send us some photos of the boat on the rack here yakimasupport.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=358707 we can take a look and see if we have any suggestions to make it fit better.
I just have to say I am shocked that your BowsStern tiedowns do not have a carabiner. Such a terrible design to have a hook. You should know better @Yakima Racks and not make such an inferior product that could easily be remedied.
Very good demo. The instructions are worthless and other youtube sites give bad info. We struggled with this until I came across this video.
I use Hully Rollers on the back and hull rests on the front and generally tie down the same way with a bit of a twist. I loop the strap over the kayak, under the bars and inside the towers but I run the back strap around the front of the cockpit and back, under the bar inside the tower and up to the buckle. Reverse for the front strap; over the kayak, under the bar, back to the top of the kayak behind the rear lip of the cockpit, back to the front outside, under the bar inside the tower and up to the buckle. Snug both ends down and don't really worry about bow and stern straps. That's with an Old Town 17" Kayak.
The best tip in all of that is the twist in bow line. I have always gotten a buzz and it annoys the heck out of me. Thanks Yakima.
Also, great series. Thanks.
OK, I've watched the video about 45 zillion times, now newbie who's never tied anything to a car before is off to buy her first kayak and hopefully get safely home with it. :o I think I got this 'cos the video was super clear, but a bit anxious.
Clear and concise, thanks for posting.
Finally someone that does it right! Thank you!
A very nice video...but there are some items that need to be addressed. First it is not a good idea to show to your viewers picking up a 53 pound plastic Perception Carolina kayak and hoisting it into the air and unto the J racks. It does show you are strong, but many viewers/kayakers will not be so strong, especially as they age. It also invites some potential missteps with the kayak smashing into the car. The best technique is to have someone help you lift it onto the J racks. Second best for most is to place the bow on the "Bow J" and then pick up the rest of the boat up and onto the "Stern J", and then slide the boat forward. Your EVO bar helps with this. I usually use a bath map to avoid any contact of the boat with the car (also the stern of the boat if not on grass when first moving the bow is placed on a blanket).
My second comment concerns your method of tieing the bow and stern. A much better way to tie the bow and stern is to simply use the bow and stern lines that you should have on the kayak anyway (to tie up to docks, trees, pull the kayak in shallow water, etc.). Use the bow and stern lines to tie to your car. I put a permanent loop on the lines above the hood of the car (bow line) or above the attachment point of the stern line with the car, and then I make a truckers hitch like effort. No top strap with a loop needed to be attached to the handles of the kayak, and no secondary strap needed through the loop of the first strap, and most important NO METAL HOOK. Use of metal hooks will at some time scratch either your kayak (think nice Fiberglass, Kevlar, or Carbon hulls), your car, or both your car and kayak. Also, if your lines become loose it is possible for your metal hook to fall out of the car attachment! 4 years after this video Yakima sells some kind of overly "engineered" rope/hook contraption that takes more time to tie down the bow and stern than the bow and stern lines that all kayaks should possess.
One more point. Often in the hood of the car you will find some holes where you can attach some "lowly" rope, tie a loop long enough to reach out of the hood of the car. No need to buy a rubber hose/loop thing. It might be hard to find something in the rear of the car, but I have so far found in all my vehicles under the bumper some place to tie a rope to (with a loop). IF not then you might be able to use that rubber hose/loop thing under the rear hatch or trunk of the car. You might have to add more rope so a loop extends out of the car.
Cool licence plate thanks for all the tips it is really appreciated
Very informative! Thanks
This was a very informative video and I did everything the right way, I just had the wrong product. We went out this year and bought kayaks and racks. Then we went out on our first big adventure to the mountains. The front tie down ropes broke 3 times and I don’t really want to go out now! Thule has ropes instead of straps and now I wish I would have bought a Yakima! This was supposed to be fun!!! Any suggestions on what I should do now? Clearly ropes are not the answer...
If your roof rack is secure: most places recommend the following
2x cam straps per kayak
The cam straps are what hold your kayak to your roof rack.
Then you use 2x ropes, with break strength of around 250kg or so. Should be fine.
These ropes are a *fail safe only* and you put one at front of kayak to your car frame or tow hook. The other at back to your tow hook.
These go on with small slack (not tight) They are only to prevent kayak from sliding off worst case or under extreme breaking etc.
There is lot's of info out there, but I hope this helps.
(BTW there is no reason *not to* use ropes, if you do use rope you will want to make sure it has 200-300kg break strength (it is cheap anyway) and tie appropriate knots)
The cam straps just makes it easier to do :) because they use the buckle, so no need for knots.
@Annette_Mitzelfelt
It sound like you used weak or old ropes?
Couldn't you lace the strap under the J cradle over the bar OUTSIDE the tower? Six of one ...
How about a laser sailboat?
So many people don't tie it to the inside of the tower and the kayak gets loose
Have you ever received any feedback that the DeckHand doesn't really contour to the hull of some kayaks? I have a Perception Rambler tandem kayak that really made the DeckHand bend almost flat and the first time I tied it down, I noticed the kayak shifted when the vehicle was in motion. Did I just fit it wrong?
Hello,
I can't say that we have, but there maybe some boats that will be harder to fit the contour of the chine. If you send us some photos of the boat on the rack here
yakimasupport.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=358707
we can take a look and see if we have any suggestions to make it fit better.
I just have to say I am shocked that your BowsStern tiedowns do not have a carabiner. Such a terrible design to have a hook. You should know better @Yakima Racks and not make such an inferior product that could easily be remedied.
Very BAD form on lifting that kayak hahah
orientated