Hauling inflatable

I just bought an inflatable, Sevylor xk2020, for snorkeling in Sea of Cortez. Question how do I determine inflated pressure? Can I safely haul this as an inflated car topper? I have hauled an inflated river catamaran through MT, UT, CO, NM during summer months with no apparent problem.

Just pump it up till it’s hard.
But keep an eye on it in the sun. If it gets too hard, relieve some of the pressure.



Car topping is ok if you have tied down really well.

I always do it
I always have to bring it back on the roof of the car. I don’t want to put it up wet after my last experience. I sometimes even rinse it after I get home and then it has to dry for a day or more before it is OK to fold it up again. The inflatable is really a pain.

Traveling with an IK
I think that a key advantage of inflatable kayaks over hard boats is that I don’t need to carry it on top of my car. Once deflated and rolled up I put it in my trunk. I don’t have to worry about my boat being blown off the roof, nor about someone stealing it.

I use a barrel pump with a manometer. In most cases I don’t need to check the pressure but I do it when it’s hot.

My IK is easy to dry because it is not built with an external hull and inner bladders. I just need to mop the hull and it’s dry enough to be rolled up. Before storing it for a longer period of time, I let it dry for some hours.