How To Tie Down A Kayak On Your Car’s Roof Rack

I could feel the rumble of rocks under the truck as I worked my way back up the dirt road in the dark. My headlights swayed into the trees with every bounce. Then, my eye caught a reflection. It was a helmet. I stopped and picked it up.

Soon, I found a paddle, and then a boat, and another paddle. As I continued, I found more boats and gear scattered along a mile of remote forest road. The truck ahead of me, just out of sight, was full of seasoned professional kayakers I had spent the day with on the river, and even with their collective experience, a bad tie-down job had led to a yard sale. While losing a boat or gear along a road once or twice is a sort of rite of passage in paddlesports, it raised the question, if a group of the best whitewater kayakers in the world couldn’t tie down a kayak right, what hope is there for the rest of us?

It’s not just inconvenient or expensive to have kayak gear come off the roof of a car; it can also be dangerous. Two years ago, a kayak flew off a car on a highway in Wisconsin, killing a man driving a truck. The year before, a motorcyclist was struck and killed by a kayak falling off a trailer in Tennessee. The good news is, there are some very simple ways to safely secure your kayak and avoid losing a boat or putting others at risk.

How to tie down a kayak on your car’s roof rack

What you’ll need

• A solid roof rack. A rigid-bar roof rack system works best. Soft racks can be an affordable or convenient alternative, especially for travel and rental cars.
• Two tie-downs. I recommend using cam straps or rope. Ratchet straps may seem like a good idea, but they tend to get too tight, potentially damaging your kayak or causing more problems down the road. Always replace them when they start to look worn.
• Additionally, every paddler should learn at least two simple knots: the trucker’s hitch and the half hitch. While most paddlers use cam straps, you may not always have them, and a rope will work just fine if you know a couple knots. The trucker’s hitch is a fixed loop created to cinch and tie off a load with a rope. I always recommend using three twists before creating your loop though, instead of the one or two generally recommended. This keeps your knot from locking up after a long trip or bumpy road, and makes it easier to untie later. The half hitch is used to secure the trucker’s hitch or to use up the spare webbing from a cam strap.

Step 1

Position your kayak parallel to the car and centered on your roof rack.

It’s typically better for it to be positioned upside down to protect the hull on the bottom of your kayak from denting, also called oil-canning. It also prevents your kayak from filling with water if you drive through rain. That said, I often transport my kayaks upright anyway because it can be easier to secure a strap through the security loops if the kayak is upright. And, modern whitewater kayaks often have a deck shape that doesn’t sit well on a roof rack upside down. It doesn’t matter if the kayak is bow first or stern first, but I always position it as aerodynamically as possible based on the kayak type or shape.

Also, if you store your gear inside the kayak, make sure it is secured to prevent it from falling out of the cockpit.

Step 2

Loop each strap (or rope) around the bars and between the towers (where the bars connect to the car) to prevent the tie down from slipping off the ends of the rack.

If you are using cam straps, shorten the end with the buckle and drape both ends over your kayak. If you’re using a rope, use a loop, I prefer a Figure Eight on a Bight, on one end and pass the rest of the rope through the loop to secure your rope to the bar.

Step 3

Always run a side of each strap or rope through a security loop or handle near the cockpit when possible. This keeps the kayak from slipping forward or backward while also keeping it on your car if one of the straps breaks.

If the boat is upside down, this may mean only running one strap over and the other side of the cam strap under and through the security loop, but going through a security loop or handle is always better if you can.

Step 4

Run the strap back around the bar, between the towers again, and cinch it down until the kayak is secure but not flexing.

If you’re using a rope, this is where the trucker’s hitch comes in. Twist a portion of the rope three times and pull a small loop through above the bars. Run the rope around the bar and back up through the loop, and pull it down to tighten. Cinch it down until the kayak is just tight enough not to move, but no more. Then finish the hitch off with a few half hitches at the base of the loop. Be sure the half hitches are slipped up against the loop so the rope can’t loosen while you’re driving.

Step 5

Secure any extra rope or strap.

I like to tie off the extra with a half hitch and then run it back around the rack and through a security loop or handle again before adding more half hitches. It’s a great way to use up a lot of rope or strap, but it also acts as a fail-safe if one, or even both, of the straps break. You can do the same thing with spare rope.

Step 6

Always have a backup.

If a strap snaps or part of your rack fails, you don’t want anything becoming a projectile. If you were able to secure each of two straps through the security loops of your kayak, then you’re all set for a standard trip. But, if your kayak doesn’t have security loops or handles near the cockpit, is longer than 10 or 11 feet, or if you’re transporting kayaks over a long distance, it’s good practice to use separate bow and stern lines. There are a variety of hood loops and trunk anchors to choose from, but each should be secured to your frame and to the ends of your kayak.

How To Transport A Kayak Without A Roof Rack

Additional tie-down tips

Always carry spare straps in your car. Consider locking straps for urban areas. And never leave your kayak on the racks if you aren’t going to and from the river. It can be exciting to always be ready to paddle, but extended time on a car in the heat or sun can warp your kayak. The extended sunlight also adds wear to your rope or straps.

The longer you paddle, the more methods and tricks you’ll learn for tying down boats with minimal ropes and straps. Creativity will often win the day for a shuttle. Just make sure you always go through the security loops or handles and always have a back up in your system.