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Originally Posted by DapperButch
Wow great information and much appreciated advice, Sparkle and Oiler!
Sparkle - the only thing around here is calm waters, except for the ocean. I don't think I would be too keen on that. My dream though would be to do white water kayaking though (but, I could never do that on a regular basis due to location, so that is out). Our trip is the bay side down the beach.
The information on the tandem is very useful. It would annoy me to have to work with someone else. I have never had patience for "group projects"!
Oiler - Thanks for the suggestion of a demo day (somehow I forgot Blaze mentioned that when I read that post yesterday!), including the information on different paddles.
We are taking a mini hiking vacation in June and I am heading to the outdoor store to check out hiking boots today. I will take a peek at their kayaks and see what I can begin to learn.
Thanks again, guys!
ETA: Now I am wondering the cost to add a kayak attachment to my SUV roof rack?
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Adding a rack depends on a few things:
1. Do you already have roof rails?
2. If you have roof rails, do they already have crossbars?
If you have roof rails, you are one step ahead; if you already have crossbars, you are two steps ahead. If you don't have one or both, racks made to attach to a vehicle in the rain gutter can be somewhat pricey.
Yakima and Thule offer high end racks with mostly high-end prices, but it just depends on what you are starting with. Also racks can vary depending on what you want the rack to be able to do; there are racks that make it easy to raise and lower from the side to get the kayak closer to the ground for unloading; there are racks that have bottom rollers to facilitate easier loading from the front or back of the vehicle, but you have to be able to get at least one end of the kayak up to the rack to use them. Malone racks are not as pricey as Yakima or Thule, but again, it all depends on what you are starting with and the size of the kayak(s) you are trying to haul.
It can also depend on whether you are going to haul one or two; two somewhat narrow kayaks can travel flat on the bottom of them; if you have one narrow and one wide, one of them may have to be on the rack sideways. You pretty much have to get your kayak(s) first and then figure out your rack. Some racks are generic, but some have to be purchased specifically for your vehicle if you don't have factory side rails. But, you can always just get the foam blocks the kayak rests on while on top of your vehicle. Personally, I don't like them but they will work in a pinch.
My car had factory side rails, but not cross bars. Santa brought me a set of crossbars made for my car, which then allowed me to have a little more variety with racks. Just be careful when buying if you don't have rails and crossbars. Don't let someone trick you into buying a rain gutter rack system if it isn't specifically for your vehicle. You will possibly end up having to buy some parts to get it to work on your vehicle if it doesn't match.
If you have racks and crossbars, you can get a Malone set of supports for around a hundred bucks; then,,you have to tack on the cost of tie-downs. Spend your money wisely with your tie-downs. Standard ones are cheap, but you will cuss them in short order, lol. My favorite set of tie-downs is a ratcheting set that uses rope instead of nylon straps. A bit more expensive than standard nylon straps, but they are worth every penny for ease of use.
Glynn