Buying Guides for Kayak, Canoe, SUP and Surfboard Carriers.

Kayak Racks

There are four styles of kayak carriers; J-style, Saddle-style, Stackers or Foam Blocks. Each style can be recommended for a specific application.

J-style (side) carriers get their name from the shape of the cradle. These carriers hold the boats on their side, saving valuable crossbar space for other things.

• J-style carriers are generally used when you want to carry multiple boats on a narrower crossbar or when you are carrying your boats beside bikes, cargo boxes, or other roof mounted loads.
• These carriers are generally loaded from the side rather than the back.

Saddle style (flat) carriers support the boat by its hull, your kayak sits in these carriers the same way it sits in the water

• This style usually provides the best protection for your boats.
• Certain saddles can be paired with rollers or sliders in the back for easier loading. Check out the Yakima Deckhand/Yakima HandRoll combination or the Thule 896 DockGlide or Thule 884 Roll Model
• Your overall height will be lower with the kayak loaded than J cradles
• Looking for a lift-assisted option? Check out the Thule 898 Hullavator Pro lift assist kayak rack or Yakima Showdown lift assist kayak rack

Stackers (side) carry multiple boats with one mount.

• This style is ideal for whitewater kayaks which have a more rigid hull that won’t be as affected by strapping directly to the bars. You can carry up to four boats using one set of stackers. Our most popular option in this style is the Inno INA450 Kayak Carrier

Foam Blocks work fine for quick trips but not ideal for longer highway trips. Most people use these to get your boats home from the shop or if you have a cabin/house very close to your favorite paddling spot. The most common adaptable foam blocks that we sell are the Swagman Coastal Hull Pads that can be used on most aftermarket and factory racks, or right against the naked roof of a vehicle.

No tie down points at the front and rear of your vehicle? Add the Thule 530 Quick Loop Strap, Thule 529 Hood Loop Strap, or Yakima Anchor Straps.

Canoe Racks

Canoes are carried upside down with the gunwales of the boat against the vehicles crossbars. We recommend using a canoe bracket system such as the Thule 819 Portage or Yakima KeelOver, which fit around almost any crossbars. These load stops support the gunwales on a rubberized surface to provide lateral support, and they include tie down straps for around each crossbar and for the bow and stern of the boat.

Note that while canoe brackets can attach on to any crossbar, many vehicle factory crossbars will not have the physical width to allow the canoe brackets to attach at a narrow enough point on the canoe. Most SUVs and minivans carry canoes best with aftermarket crossbars that sit up on top of existing siderails and give you additional bar length.

No tie down points at the front and rear of your vehicle? Add the Thule 530 Quick Loop Strap, Thule 529 Hood Loop Strap, or Yakima Anchor Straps.

SUPs (Stand Up Paddleboards)

Stand-up Paddleboards are carried upside down and backwards with their fins facing forward on the vehicle. There are two popular ways to carry these on vehicle roofs:

• All in one solutions like the Thule 810XT SUP Taxi, Thule 811XT Board Shuttle, Yakima SUPDawg, or Yakima SUPPup carry two boards on their rubber pads and include strapping to secure the board down. To stack three boards, use the Yakima WaveHog pad and strap system.
• Crossbar pads: Boards get stacked upside down against a nylon-covered foam crossbar pad, like the Yakima SUP Crossbar Pads, Yakima SUP Aero Crossbar Pads, Thule 801 18 Inch Surf Pad, Thule 802 24 Inch Surf Pad, Thule 803 18 Inch Surf Pad Aero, or Thule 804 24 Inch Surf Pad Aero. Tie down straps sold separately.

When carrying SUPs, we recommend you secure the front and back of the board to your vehicle. These boards have a large surface that catch a lot of wind, which can cause a board or complete rack to eject if not secured properly. The best solution for this is the Yakima SUP Brah, a nose and tail tie-down system with a connecting center strap to keep the straps from slipping off the board. This system can be added to any of the full SUP carriers above as an upgrade.

No tie down points at the front and rear of your vehicle? Add the Thule 530 Quick Loop Strap, Thule 529 Hood Loop Strap, or Yakima Anchor Straps.

You can also carry SUP boards using a truck tailgate pad like the Yakima SUP Tailgate Pad or Thule 808 Tailgate Pad for SUP and Surfboards.

Surfboards

Surfboards are carried upside down and backwards with the fins facing forward on the vehicle. There are two popular ways to carry these on vehicle roofs:

• All in one solutions like the Thule 811XT Board Shuttle and Yakima SUPPup carry two boards on their rubber pads and include strapping to secure the board down. To stack three boards, use the Yakima WaveHog pad and strap system.
• Crossbar pads: Boards get stacked upside down against a nylon-covered foam crossbar pad, like the Yakima SUP Crossbar Pads, Yakima SUP Aero Crossbar Pads, Thule 801 18 Inch Surf Pad, Thule 802 24 Inch Surf Pad, Thule 803 18 Inch Surf Pad Aero, or Thule 804 24 Inch Surf Pad Aero. Tie down straps sold separately.

When carrying wide surfboards, we recommend you secure the front and back of the board to your vehicle. These boards have a large surface that catch a lot of wind, which can cause a board or complete rack to eject if not secured properly. The best solution for this is the Yakima SUP Brah, a nose and tail tie-down system with a connecting center strap to keep the straps from slipping off the board. This system can be added to any of the full surf carriers above as an upgrade.

No tie down points at the front and rear of your vehicle? Add the Thule 530 Quick Loop Strap, Thule 529 Hood Loop Strap, or Yakima Anchor Straps.

You can also carry surfboards using a truck tailgate pad like the Yakima SUP Tailgate Pad or Thule 808 Tailgate Pad for SUP and Surfboards.