For my 12’ plastic kayak I use Yakima Evenkeel saddles (not padded really) and load from the rear, sliding them on.
I am looking at getting a CD Vision 130 and don’t think those are appropriate for the composite material. I also have 16" foam blocks but those are mostly flat. I considered j cradles but read those can be even harder to load. So, I need some advice on loading a composite kayak onto SUV oval crossbars, and recommended saddles, at reasonable cost.
You could get these for the rear bar, then it should be easy to load form the reat like you are used to doing:
I will also look for something to pad the front evenkeels, maybe a piece of minicell foam. Had another thought of covering the saddles in crown royal bag with inside shaped closed cell foam, cinched down for padding and “slide”.
The EvenKeel should be just fine with a composite kayak.
Slight chance if you have some grit on the rear one when you slide the kayak up it will cause minor scratches on the hull.
We’ve been using Yakima Mako saddles with composite boats, which have been replaced by the Deckhand saddles, for 24 years with no problem. They have included felt pads. Fine to rear or side loading. The Yakima SweetRoll saddles are also padded and the rear saddles include a roller specifically designed for rear loading.
Think of an expensive mount system for composite boats, and I’ve probably bought it…
And after all that, my go-to is the 16" EVA foam blocks. I mount my boats upside-down because it’s a lot easier on high roofs. Bow and stern tie downs are pulling down and aren’t trying to roll the boat, etc. So, the “U” that comes stock pretty much conforms to the deck without modification. For hull mounting, I just copy the shape on cardboard, and cut that into the foam with a knife and smooth with #60 sand paper.
These pics are square bars on my van, but I also have them for aero-bars on my cars.
Foam blocks work just fine if they are designed to fit on crossbars. Just be sure to remove the blocks if you are not carrying a boat. We have quite a collection of them we have picked up on the roadside. We use them in our class on Kayak Racks and Loading and Here. When we get an extra pair, we sell them for $5.
