How to Tie Down a Kayak
Posted by adminSome incredibly lucky outdoorsmen may live at a house mere meters from water, but the rest of the kayaking population has to transport their kayaks to the water with their vehicles. Learning how to strap down a kayak is very important.
The first time that you strap down the kayak, expect it to take an hour. It may not take this long, however, you will need to test it out by driving in your neighborhood after it has been tied down.
Although it is not completely necessary to have saddles for your kayak, it is recommended. This will reduce the risk of your kayak or your automobile getting damaged in the process of loading and unloading. If you have a nice vehicle or a pricey kayak consider investing in these.
On the roof rack the kayak should sit with the cockpit area down towards the automobile. You may need to maneuver it several times until it is centered properly. If this is difficult ask for assistance. You can also use nylon webbing rope to help with this process.
Now you will be able to start the tie down process with nylon webbing straps. Take the first strap over your kayak and to the other side. Repeat this process with the alternate strap. Check for any knots or twisting of the material well.
When you have properly adjusted the straps and checked for any twisted areas in the material, you can place the buckle portions of the straps towards the rack and buckle cam.
With the nylon webbing straps adjusted and fed into the cam, make all of the final adjustments. Use your hands to try to push or pull your kayak with medium force. Make sure the kayak does not move much at all. If it does, you must readjust.
After you have properly tied down all of the loose ends, you can test out your tie down abilities. If this is your first time doing this, take a spin around the neighborhood and be sure to stop and start quickly. Turn off the radio and listen to hear if there is any movement.
Tags: nylon straps, Nylon Webbing
This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 8th, 2011 at 9:54 am and is filed under Nylon Webbing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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