Best Roof rack for the Yak?

I've logged 1600 miles (atleast half freeway 80mph) with that rack and the kayak doesn't even move an inch.  In fact that's how I got to salem from ferndale the first day I owned it.  I'm not concerned at all about a bow or stern line.  Of course the instructions are gonna say do the safest thing possible.  Lol hell in theory i should wear a life jacket and helmet when I surf... ya no thanks.

I use a line at the front, but oddly enough I hardly every use one at the back.  It allows me not to have to crank down on the cross-straps too much.  Too tight on those and you get oil canning.

-Allen

Wouldn't a kayak that's right side up actually cause more lift? I mean, a kayak is designed to float, right?  So, wouldn't the natural shape of the kayak cause lift?

If it is upside down, that would do just the opposite and cause downforce, wouldn't it?

No, I'm not a genius, but I did spend last night at a holiday inn express.

I personally think the difference in lift is marginal and I've logged literally 1000's of miles both ways.  The bow is not at all concave and that's the part that is hanging out over the front.  The cockpit is over the roof of my SUV.  The tankwell is at the back, usually over the roof of my SUV (this may not apply to a car).

On my SUV in CA, I don't have racks right now.  I'm using temporary pads with the kayak right side up.  My highway mileage drops from 27-28 to 23.  It's a Highlander Hybrid.  So I take a pretty big hit no matter what.  Keep the speedo below 60-65 has a bigger effect than putting my yaks right side up or right side down.

-Allen

Well it really depends on if you have a fairing for your rack or not and depends on what you use for a vehicle and the length of the boat in question. My friend 24togo on the forums here has a Nissan Sentra and a T15 that he carries and I can tell you that he has a hell of a lot more hull overhanging than I do on the Xterra. That all being said, even on my Xterra there is plenty of windage from the yak both fore and aft and that is with T13s.

As with all things, differnet strokes for different folks.

Do you take the saddles off your car when you are not hauling your kayak?  The hit in mileage leaving them on is also substantial.  Not using saddles is probably better overall vs. using them and leaving them on your car.

-Allen

Do you take the saddles off your car when you are not hauling your kayak?  The hit in mileage leaving them on is also substantial.  Not using saddles is probably better overall vs. using them and leaving them on your car.

-Allen

Now I will agree that is a very valid point and I do leave them on all the time, but then again, my xterra get's such shitty mileage I never really notice the hit to begin with.

I've logged 1600 miles (atleast half freeway 80mph) with that rack and the kayak doesn't even move an inch.  In fact that's how I got to salem from ferndale the first day I owned it.  I'm not concerned at all about a bow or stern line.  Of course the instructions are gonna say do the safest thing possible.  Lol hell in theory i should wear a life jacket and helmet when I surf... ya no thanks.

*shrugs* a kayak is an investment, just hate to see anyone loose one because they couldn;'t be bothered with that 2 minutes of extra straps (you got places to be right!)...

Anyways, glad I chose to go with a drysuit and not take your advice of just using a drytop with a sprayskirt on my SIK.  First time out a large wave dumped my ass, pulling off the sprayskirt, to each their own but I like to error on the side of caution.

I can totally understand not wanting to take any risks if i wasn't confident in my setup I wouldn't run with it.  Not because i could damage or lose my kayak but because it could kill someone.  I have a friend who had an old strap he was using break at 70mph flying kayak and all.  Luckily no one was behind him.  I was very impressed though aside from a superficial scrape on the keel his yak survived it's slide down the highway with very little injury.  Guess it's a testament to how strong these things are.

Probably a wise choice on the full suit for bigger days on the ocean.  The guys I know who run with just a skirt and a top are white waters who are just out on sunny days to surf.  So for them getting wet isn't a big deal.  I'm a different beast I'm hooked on the wetsuit.  Been wading my yak out past the breakers to avoid any problems paddling out but then again that's not really an option for a sik.

I didn't really have the option of racking mine upside down. Tried it once on my Tacoma and bed topper and ended up messing up the paint on my roof. I use the Yakima LandShark saddles, front and back. They work the best for a keel design instead of a rounded bottom IMO. Plus, those saddles are pretty cheap. The rollers were not an option for me as the dealer I talked with said the X-factor has too pronounced of a keel and the rollers are sort of made of the more common rounded bottom yaks. Instead, I have the BoatLoader which I LOVE, since all loading/unloading is usually done solo. The boat loader has saved many scratches on the paint job since the last thing I wanted to do was try and throw my piggy up on top after a day of paddling, especially with all the wind it catches while I'm trying to lift it. With the lower roof of a Subaru it may not be an issue, but I still recommend it - your back will thank you. Both the BoatLoader and the saddles bought at an REI for the price and return policy.

http://www.yakima.com/racks/kayak-rack/product/8004030/landshark-saddles.aspx
http://www.yakima.com/racks/kayak-rack/product/8004018/boatloader.aspx

I have that on a pair of round rails, which are removable when not in use. They are the "Landing Pads" that Yakima also makes.

Do you take the saddles off your car when you are not hauling your kayak?  The hit in mileage leaving them on is also substantial.  Not using saddles is probably better overall vs. using them and leaving them on your car.

-Allen

I leave mine on surprisingly without the yak I only lose 1-2 mpg from the rack as opposed to 4-5 with the yak on.  I generally only travel 5 miles to work and back on city streets with 1-2 trips to portland for drinking and dodgeball.  The $2 extra a week the rack costs me to leave on out weighs the effort to remove it every monday and reattach it every saturday.  The biggest annoyance I've found is road noise but I drive a neon so ya lol.  So definitely if you enjoy quiet drives removing racks/saddles is a must.

No idea how these compare to rollers or saddles, but I use the hull a port the J-bar style carries...  Easily swaped back and fourth from my Protege and my gf's forester... I have no complaints, it's a bit of a workout to put the 14' long 65+lb yaks up there by myself after a long paddle but definitely doable...

Our widest yak is 27.75", not sure how this carrier would work with a wider 36" kayak though.

No idea how these compare to rollers or saddles, but I use the hull a port the J-bar style carries...  Easily swaped back and fourth from my Protege and my gf's forester... I have no complaints, it's a bit of a workout to put the 14' long 65+lb yaks up there by myself after a long paddle but definitely doable...

Our widest yak is 27.75", not sure how this carrier would work with a wider 36" kayak though.

I would've gone with these for sure. However, I think the keel design isn't friendly with these also sadly. PP, am I right that the F&D has a bit of a keel to it or no? Also, I think you're right PSR, the width of a F&D might be an issue.

Thanks for the input.  Due to the fish n dives keel and width I think I will just run it upside down with no saddles to start with. I to worry about oil canning on hot days with the saddles.  I will get the boat loader as I have seen how well it works on yaknitup's truck, very slick.  Thinking of getting a mega warrior cargo basket to set the yak and other gear/cooler etc on, not to mention a good place to keep all those smelly fish on the way home. I have always been a full size truck guy so this is my first "car", have to look at things through a different lens.

What's oil canning?

What's oil canning?

Depressions in the hull of your kayak ... like a crushed oil can.

-Allen

What's oil canning?

Also known as a "tacoed" or "taco-ing".

What's oil canning?

Also known as a "tacoed" or "taco-ing".

I reserved that lingo to talk about taco-ing tires when mountain biking.     In that case, it really is like a taco.

-Allen