All the information you need about kayak racks in one place.
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Kayak Racks are a must when carrying a kayak on or behind your vehicle. You will not run the risk of ruining your car or ruining your kayak, and with innovative products to help you load and unload the boat, getting to the water and enjoying the day will be a breeze. Whether it is a rack for recreational kayaks, whitewater kayaks, or touring kayaks, Rack Attack sells Thule and Yakima Kayak Racks to suit your individual taste.
Roof Mounted Kayak Racks REQUIRE that you already have a roof rack system in place, either from the manufacturer of your vehicle, or if your vehicle roof is bare, one of our multipurpose base rack systems. To see what multipurpose base roof rack system options are available for your vehicle, check one of our Automated Roof Rack Fit Guides.
The next step is finding the right kayak rack to best suit your needs. Kayak Racks are best categorized by the style in which they carry your boat.
Useful with company, and crucial when paddling alone, Lift Assisted Kayak Racks help you get your vehicle on to the roof of you car. Rack Attack sells a number of products which will help you lift your boat onto your roof, widely ranging in features and price
By far the best system to help you get your boat onto your roof is the Thule Hullavator Pro. This system uses pneumatic gas struts to lift the vast majority of your boats weight. The system folds down to the side of your car only requiring you to lift your boat to a comfortable height
Note: The Hullavator Pro ONLY works with Thule roof rack systems, and can not be used with a factory rack.
A good roller system allows you to life just one end of your boat up to the roof of your car, and then pick up the rear and simply roll the boat forwards onto the roof.
The most simple type of lift assistance is having a pole that slides out of your roof rack allowing you to lift just half of your boat at one time.
Note: The products below ONLY work with roof racks of the same brand. Yakima for Yakima racks, Thule for Thule.
Horizontal Kayak Racks lay your boat flat on its belly. This style of carriers offer the most surface area contact to your boats hull and can be adjusted so as to fit a wide range of boats. Horizontal Kayak Racks are easy to load and unload and transport your boat in a safe, sturdy, and stylish fashion. They also feature minimal wind resistance and utilize the aerodynamics of your kayak to reduce fuel consumption. Higher end models of Horizontal Kayak Racks are engineered to assist you in loading your boat on and off your vehicle's roof. The number of boats you can carry is limited by the width of your vehicle's roof and essentially the size of your crossbars. Pay attention to the model that you select as some are sold in pairs, which is only enough to carry the front or the back of the boat. This means you can combine them with another pair of the same product, or a different pair of a different product.
J-Style Kayak Racks or j-cradles, are the world's most popular kayak racks and have the convenience of folding down when they are not in use. Sitting your boat on a 45 degree angle creates more room on your crossbars so that you can transport other water toys. J-Style Kayak Racks allow you to load your boat from the side of the vehicle or from the back. They also feature locking capabilities so you can lock your boat to your rack and your rack to your vehicle with the purchase of locking accessories.
Vertical Kayak Racks or kayak posts, allow maximum boat capacity by stacking your boats vertically on their sides. Their on/off hardware allows rapid installation and removal, and there is no adjustment ever needed. Simply lift the kayak and place it against the post or against the neighboring kayak. Vertical Kayak Racks will hold up to 4 kayaks at a time.