Here are a few tips to remember when carrying your kayak:
- To protect your back when you lift the kayak, always be sure to bend at your knees and not at your waist.
- If you wear your PFD when you carry your kayak the shoulder strap of the lifejacket will provide cushioning for your shoulder.
- Make sure that when you pick your kayak up the bow is facing forward. This will make it easier to carry.
Some boats are much longer and too heavy or awkward for one person to carry on their shoulder. Sit-on-tops are also trickier to carry because they don’t have a cockpit rim that you can rest on your shoulder. One alternative, which also works with shorter boats, is a two-person carry. For this carry, you and a friend each grab one of the toggle or grab-loop hand-holds at the bow and stern of the boat. Be sure to bend your knees and communicate well with each other to synchronize the lifting and putting down, which will not only make everything go more smoothly but will also prevent back injuries!
Dragging
If you have a plastic boat, you can also drag your kayak by holding onto the toggle or grab-loop hand-hold at the bow of the boat. It’s not a good idea to drag a composite or fiberglass boat because this can result in expensive damage to their more fragile hulls.
Using a Kayak Cart
Kayak carts are ideal for longer distances between the water and your vehicle. They are a good option if you need to bring your kayak over fairly even ground-meaning most boat launches and grassy shorelines, but are not usually suitable for very rough or rocky put-ins.
Kayak carts are two-wheeled attachments that slide onto one end or the center of your boat so that you can simply wheel your boat along by grabbing a handle at one end. Working on the same basic principles as a wheelbarrow, the result is that you bear very little of the weight yourself. Most kayak carts can be folded or easily assembled and disassembled so that they can be tucked into your boat or one of your hatches while you paddle.
Kayak carts typically cost between $60 and $150. There are also plenty of plans for homemade carts that you can find online if you’re feeling a little handy.
Using a Roof Rack
Loading a kayak onto a vehicle can be a bit challenging by yourself, so it’s good to have a reliable rack system that makes it simple. There are many different types of racks to choose from, including rack systems that lift the kayak onto the roof for you!
If you have factory racks already installed on your vehicle, you can buy special rack accessories for kayaks that will fit them. If your vehicle doesn’t have factory racks, then you’ll need to invest in basic towers and cross bars to support the accessories. Basic towers are usually stronger and can support more weight than factory racks, so depending on what roof rack system you want to you use, investing in towers might be a good idea.