How To Tie Down a Kayak to a Roof Rack: Step-by-Step Guide

How To Tie Down a Kayak to a Roof Rack: Step-by-Step Guide

AQ Staff
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Tying down your boat or board shouldn’t be a hassle; the following guide and video are here to help!

 

1. Centre and Balance Boat on Rack 

Begin by ensuring that the boat is centered and balanced on the vehicle. A good way to test this is by resting the boat and letting go of it completely, if it does not move, it is balanced.

tie a kayak to roof

Thule Square Bar Evo Clamp Roof Rack for Bare Roofs

Thule Square Bar Evo Clamp Roof Rack for Bare Roofs

$704.85

The Thule Square Bar Evo Clamp system is designed to fit most vehicles with a bare or naked roof. The square bar system is tried and tested, strong and on most vehicles has a dynamic load capacity of 165lbs. This… Read More

 

2. Wrap Strap Around Rack Anchor, Adjust Length

Next, place the straps under the crossbar. Ensure that the strap end with the buckle is shorter than the end with no buckle. 

tie kayak to roof rack anchors

Once you have placed the strap under the front and back bar, you can toss the straps over the body of the boat. 

 

3. Secure Strap Around Opposite Anchor

Move to the other side of the vehicle and wrap the strap end without the buckle under the crossbar, then feed it through the bottom of the buckle. Repeat this step on the back bar.

knot kayak roof rack strap

 

4. Tighten Kayak Onto Roof Rack

Snug up the strap on both bars then begin to tighten all the way down. Once the straps are tightened, shake the boat to ensure that it does not move around. 

Thule Evo Wingbar

Thule Evo Wingbar

$329.95

The Thule Evo Wingbar is Thule's midrange crossbar. These bars afford you the option to install accessories in a T-track on the top edge instead of mounting them around the outside of the bar. Thule's Evo Wingbar also cuts down on wind noise so you… Read More

 

5. Knot and Secure Strap

To finish securing the body of the boat, make a number four with the excess strap length and tuck the end in behind. This will create a simple knot in case the cam buckle loosens off. Then to deal with any excess strap, we like to make a daisy chain.

tie down a kayak onto a car roof rack

To start a daisy chain, make a letter P with the tail behind. Once you have this setup, pull the strap through to make another small loop. Continue to make small loops until all the strap is used up.

tying kayak to roof rack

 

Optional Bow and Stern Lines for Longer Kayaks

Now that you have secured the body of the boat to the crossbars, it is time to do the bow and stern lines. If you do not have a metal tow hook on the front and back of your vehicle, we recommend using the Thule Quick Loop. 

Thule Quick Loop 530

Thule Quick Loop 530

$39.95

Long loop strap provides anchor point for boat and load straps on vehicles without undercarriage attachment points. Specifications Model number 530 Features Boat bow & stern tie-down loops that are fastened inside the vehicle hood or trunk hatch and protrude… Read More

Begin by placing the black strap included in the Thule Quickdraw through the grab loop of the kayak on both the bow and stern. Attach the carabiner also included in the Thule Quickdraw package, onto the black loop.

Thule Quickdraw

Thule Quickdraw

$64.95

Secure your boat's bow and stern quickly and easily. A simple ratchet system lets you do away with bungee cords and time-consuming knots. Specifications Model number 855XT Features Two 13' heavy-duty rope lines and 4 hardened steel hooks for transport… Read More

The metal hook will attach to the Thule Quick Loop or tow hook on your vehicle. Once you have this attached, pull the rope to tighten. 

Now your boat is ready to be safely and securely transported to your next adventure!

We recommend using the following products to make tying down your boat super simple:

NRS 1" Heavy Duty Straps

NRS 1

$17.95

Why NRS Straps are the Best Cam Strap You Can Buy Born on the river, ready for whatever. First sold in 1978 as a better way to tie down gear and frames on whitewater rafts, the NRS 1" Heavy Duty Strap… Read More

NRS Buckle Bumpers for 1" Straps

NRS Buckle Bumpers for 1

$12.99

Protect your boats, vehicles and equipment from scratches and dents with our custom-fit NRS Strap Buckle Bumpers. These soft polyurethane guards attach to the cam buckle of any NRS Heavy Duty 1" Strap to guard against unhappy accidents. Buckle Bumpers… Read More

AQ Outdoors Contact

Edmonton:  (p) 780 463-4892 (e) info@aquabaticsedmonton.com

Calgary:  (p) 403 288-9283  (e)  info@aqoutdoors.com

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