Flower pot
Try doing it the Greenland way: -Hang the kayak outside your balcony. If the apartment manager complains, tell him it’s a flower pot. 
A better solution might be to find storage at a local kayak, sail or surf club. That way you’ll be close to the water and meet some nice people.
i agree with tsunamichuck
look at FeatherCraft…i’ve got their Wisper and abs. love it, not for the storage ease but because it can be so many boats:
Greenland cheater
day paddler
weekend cruiser- if you pack lightweight backpacking style…
An inflatable kayak,
would be faster to set up then a folder when you want to paddle after work.
On the wall
Hi live in an apartment in NJ - actually it’s the first floor of a divided house. I bring my boat in/out through my dining room window and hang is on my dining room wall - It’s a Valley Avocet - not exactly tiny but it looks great there and it’s totally out of the way.
Avi
Where in New Jersey, I know people
who have houses all over NJ with lots of room for kayak storage. What’s your Zip Code?
My two solutions…
I store one boat at a local sailing center. Right on the water and about $100 a year (plus membership). Benefits far outweigh the modest cost (showers, meeting other paddlers, beer, etc.).
My other boat is stored in my son’s closet. Folding kayaks rock for many reasons, not the least of which is their easy stowage.
sum it up
Sounds like everybody mentioned most of what’s out there. Locally i’d have the following options:
*Inflatable-faster to set up and takes least space
*Folding kayak-way faster than inflatables
*Various stash away spots around apartment complex-Personally i wouldn’t be able to sleep at night knowing my 2000$ kayak is “out there” with all sorts of idiots walking around F$%king things up for the fun of it.
Rent a storage locker-this may be good or not, depending on whats availible in the area and how convenient.
Another idea is to get a whitewater boat that’ll fit just about anywhere, something like Pyrahna Master TG, cheap,has a skeg for tracking. You still won’t get anywhere fast but probably not slower than most inflatables and you won’t poke a hole in it and it’ll be rollable and surfy.
18’ kayak
Where to put it in my narrow townhouse, finally decided to hang it from hallway wall using some straps from Campmor, works like a charm and keeps it out of the way.
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=35795425&memberId=12500226&storeId=226&catalogId=40000000226&langId=-1
Not “What’s your Zip Code”!
“What exit?” Sheesh! This is NJ.
08536
I didn’t even think to just use someone else’s back yard or something…if you know someone trustworthy, let me know…Thanks!
Can’t store it outside apartment…
I asked the manager, and she said no to storing it in an inconspicuous place outside the apartment (behind some bushes).
Talk to the apt manager
They might allow you to build a rack and store on site, or have some additional indoor storage available for a small fee.
Not enough room…
I don’t have enough room to sensibly hang 2 kayaks in my apartment. They’d just take up way to much room.
Spoke w/ manager…
I did speak with the manager yesterday afternoon. She didn’t seem to have a problem with my trailer idea.
So, I could buy a trailer and kill 2 birds w/ one stone. I could lock my kayaks to the trailer and lock the trailer up to a lightpost or something near the apartment. AND it would be that much easier to go on solo trips and not have to hoist the heavy kayak onto my car alone…
Now, I just have to consider the risks of parking 2 kayaks virtually in plain sight for any theif/criminal/vandal to see…
Closed Trailer or Roof of Building
I have never seen a closed kayak trailer…but somthing could be converted or built. 18 ft long will be the biggest problem.
Closed trailers are popular with snowmobiles in the north. Portable year round storage.
Could you get access to the roof? Some roofs are easy to access.
Good Luck.
Been there done that
Rob, I had a similar predicament for about 5 years. I stored my canoes at a family home about 40 miles from my apartment. I had to plan a little in advance to have the canoes available when I needed them for known trips, but spur of the moment trips were out the realm. I talked to the manager of my complex and they were cool with storing the canoe for short periods of time adjacent to the building with a lock on the gas meter. But it was a $2300 canoe and I wasn’t real happy with that arangement for awhile. I looked into storage buildings, and found them nearly as pricey as my apartment, and the budget didn’t support that. So I muddled through alternating using the family house, the canoe on the car, and occasionally at a friends house. None were optimal.
I ultimately bought my own house and dedicated the entire basement to canoe storage. All better now!!
PK
folding kayaks
If you’re feeling crafty, you could build a folding kayak from Tom Yost’s plans. The offsets are free, and materials should run around $300 or so.
www.yostwerks.com
speaking of whitewater boats
the Wisper is my favorite boat to roll because of success, but when winter comes i can’t take it to the pool because of the chlorine and the skin … so i’m thinking maybe a used whitewater kayak just for winter rolling sessions in the pool…any recommendations?
i plan on staying in the lake via the Tuliq until it freezes over, then it will be the pool
Thanks for hijacking my thread.
I checked out your Zip Code / Exit
Sorry, I can’t help