Simple Trick To Loading A Kayak On An SUV By Yourself [VIDEO]
- By: Joseph Simonds
- on
- Found In: Fishing Tips, Inshore Fishing, Kayak Paddleboard Reviews
I still remember my very first fishing kayak that I bought almost 15 years ago…
More specifically, I remember coming back to the boat ramp barely able to move my arms after the 4-hour paddle in windy conditions…
I also remember my new Chevy Tahoe I had recently purchased, and I vividly remember struggling like crazy to get the kayak back up on top of my Tahoe without scratching or banging up either of my toys.
My arms were like jello, and it made it even worse that my kayak had taken on some water due to me forgetting to completely latch down the back hatch.
I can only imagine that the people eating outside in the marina restaurant all got a good laugh watching me struggle for so long before finally getting the yak up on top of my Tahoe’s roller bars (without damaging anything).
If you’ve ever had a kayak loading experience like mine, then this blog and video is for you.
Who Needs Help Loading A Kayak?
For those of you scratching your head wondering why anyone would need help loading a kayak, here are just a handful of reasons that many anglers need some extra assistance:
- Instances like mine when you are too physically exhausted to lift a 100+ pound kayak over your shoulders and safely get it on top of a high SUV like a Tahoe
- Any angler that drives an SUV, van, or any other vehicle with a high rack and a heavy yak
- Any angler that has trouble lifting a heavy kayak over their head such as younger yakers, some females, some males, and some senior yakers.
- Anyone with a nice car or SUV that they don’t want to take a chance getting scratched up
Here’s What You Need
The great news is that this kayak loading trick doesn’t take much.
In fact, you should probably already own (and travel with) each of the following items if you are a serious kayak angler.
Here is all that you need:
- Kayak cart/trolley
- Roof strap or any strap strong enough (and long enough) to hold your cart in place (this attaches to the roof rack and the kayak cart that will rest on the back window)
- Short rope (about half the length of your kayak)
- Foam pad or thick towel to protect the kayak cart on the back of your window
- Two small towels if you use kayak cradles
Here is what it looks like once it is all ready to load your kayak
As you can see, it doesn’t take much, and it’s super easy to set up.
If you don’t have kayak cradles, you can skip a step, and many of you will probably skip the small rope step as well.
Check out below how Salt Strong’s very own Tony Acevedo uses this kayak trick to load his yak on an SUV.
Kayak Loading Trick [VIDEO]
Conclusion
At some point in every kayaker’s life, there will probably come a point when you need a little assistance loading your kayak by yourself.
Whether it be old age or a new vehicle that you don’t want to get scratched, this simple kayak cart loading trick is pretty sweet.
Try it out for yourself and watch how easily your kayak loads up on your roof rack.
Do you have any other unique ways to load a kayak?
Let us know in the comment section below.
Tight Lines!
Related Post: “11 Essential Kayaking Fishing Tips For Newbies” (see all eleven tips here)
P.S. – If you think your angler friends or fishing networks would enjoy seeing this, please Tag them or Share this with them. You Rock! Pa-POW!
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This is super clever. I have a minivan, and I have a kayak dolly so golden!
Fred Kala
Awesome idea, I currently load my heavy kayak on top of my compact SUV.
I do see a trailer in my future to haul one or possibly multiple kayaks.
Thanks for the video.
I am leaning toward purchasing a Kayak. The area that I want to fish is pretty challenging for my boat,because of depth and bottom structure. Essentially there are areas I want to fish and my boat won’t navigate those areas. I have done a considerable amount of research on kayaks and really like the double hull types. I like the stability of theses kayaks and also,the pedal drive. I am really partial to the Blue Sky kayaks. Would appreciate your take on the Blue Sky or other makes and models. Thanks.
Hey Gary, my fishing buddy has a Blue Sky. Pluses are that it is a super stable kayak and very comfortable. You can add a 2 – 2.5 HP motor if you want and/or a bow mount trolling motor. The biggest knock I have is that it is both heavy and hard to trailer. If you get one, a low flat trailer is a must, IMHO as it pretty much takes two of us to get it up on his Malone trailer. The prop system is noisy compared to other pedal systems. He has gotten several replacements trying to get around that issue and it is still a problem.
I have a Bonafide P126 pedal kayak and I wouldn’t trade for his Blue Sky. I have worse than average balance, but my Bonafide is plenty stable for me. The paddle system is pretty quiet and i is way easier to transport it.
If you have other questions, please ask.
good video- I have done this and it works well. Be sure the back window is protected from scratches while travelling. I left the trolley in place while moving the kayak…
Video not working, maybe it’s my phone but all videos say try back later
Any ideas for hauling a kayak behind a motorcycle I live in northern Idaho and want to access high mountain lakes and streams. Some paved and others trails.
Great. Thanks for sharing.
Wow, perfect for me (honda element, 5’7″ and a back injury). This tip might be what gets me out there this year. Thanks very much!
Great idea. Very simple and efective. Unfortunately is impossible to find one of these cart/trolley in my country, so I will have to fnd some other way. Carlos Fernandez – Argentina
you can build a trolley from PVC pipe and some wheels from and child’s toy vehicle
Make one ! Easy to do.
excellent. thanks for posting