Having a roof rack on your vehicle is an excellent way to carry things that do not fit inside your vehicle: skis, snowboards, bikes and luggage are all items that are easier to deal with when transported on the top of your vehicle.
Aside from bikes and skis, the most popular item that needs to be transported with a roof rack is a boat. Kayaks, canoes, even surfboards are simply impossible to transport inside your vehicle. Compared to an alternative method of transpotation, such as a trailer, a roof rack is substantially cheaper and easier to use. The only problem: where do you start in selecting a roof water rack?
What kind of boat will you carry?
The first step in the selection process is determining what kind of boat you carry. Many water racks are designed specifically to transport a kayak, a canoe or even a surfboard. It should not come as a surprise that rack sizes and styles vary as much as the boats they carry so you can fine tune your rack to your specific needs rather easily.
There are 4 basic styles of roof racks for boats: load assist carriers, saddle-style carriers, j-style carriers and stacker style carriers. All 4 types are available from the top 3 names in water racks: Thule, Yakima and Inno.
Load Assist Water Racks
First, on the higher end of things, are load assist racks which, as their name suggests, help you maneuver the weight of the boat(s) onto the roof of your vehicle. These fancier racks generally feature locks and easy ratchet straps that make the loading and unloading process as easy as possible.
Rollers are the most common kind of load assist water rack. Rollers offer an easy way to load your boat by yourself. By placing one end of the boat on the rollers and lifting and pushing from the opposite end, you can easily load your boat onto the rack by yourself.
A load-assist feature exclusive to Thule is found on the Hullavator rack. This rack folds down from the roof to bring the mounting brackets to about waist-level. After the boat has been securely fastened, the rack uses gas-assisted shocks to help pull the boat back on to your roof. Simply secure a couple safety clips and you’re on your way.
Saddle-Style Water Racks
The most popular model of kayak rack is the saddle style model. These rest your boat on 4 “feet” or “saddles” so you can strap it down in a horizontal position. They have the lowest profile on your roof and are the simplest option for carrying a boat. If you are worried about the rack’s effect on your gas mileage, this is the way to go. Loading a saddle style carrier typically takes two people for larger kayaks. An optional roller can be used to make loading smaller and medium sized kayaks a one-person job.
Typically these also take up the most rack space on your crossbars. By putting the widest portion of the boat on the vehicle you may not be able to fit more than 2 kayaks on top. With some of the vertically-mounted systems you free up space for a cargo carrier or bike rack.
There are many types of feet and can be mixed and matched to fit your tastes. Some have low-friction contact surfaces to help with slide-loading from the rear of the vehicle. If you have a smaller vehicle or one with a lower roof a set of high-friction feet might suit you best as you can just lift and set the boat on them before strapping down.
Stacker-Style Water Racks
If you’re transporting whitewater kayaks, your best bet is probably a “stacker” style rack. These racks provide a single point of contact in the center of the roof rack allowing up to 2 kayaks to be attached to either side. The kayaks will ride completely vertical on your roof, so there may be an adverse effect on gas mileage. However, if you’re traveling with a large group, you can run multiple stacker racks side-by-side to transport a bunch of kayaks. One word of caution: larger kayaks are not generally recommended for this style of rack.
J-Style Water Racks
The last style of water carrier is the J-style rack. J carriers cradle your boat, holding it in place vertically to maximize rack space and ease the loading by keeping the boat steady while you strap it down. Some models of J-style racks fold down to minimize wind resistance and lower the overall profile of the vehicle when the rack is not in use.
Conclusion
This is just a brief introduction to the many options you have for mounting a boat on your roof. What rack is best for you really depends on your primary usage, frequency of use, and vehicle. Hopefully, this information will help you as you prepare to enjoy the outdoors on your next vacation.
