Hello… I’m new to the board, and this is my first post. I have two poly kayaks that I am storing on tubular hooks, on their sides. The tubes that the kayak sides rest on are approximately one inch in diameter. I have seen, while deciding on a storage system, that many people push pool noodles over the tubes to provide some cushioning and protection to the hull. I now see that the noodles are not nearly firm enough. After a short time, they are thoroughly squashed, providing no cushioning support. After all, I realize a pool noodle’s function is to hold air and float, not provide any firmness. I’m afraid that over time, the hulls will become dented where they’re resting on tubes. Both boats weigh about 50 pounds. Does anyone have any recommendations for a substitute? Thanks!
Replace the tubes if you prefer cheap disposables,
Or pad with denser foam such as minicell. They will still compress, just less.
Or wrap with towels. Less cushy but less compression.
A. Use the boats enough that they do not rest on the same spot much.
B. Search “kayak rack pads” They will be a low density pad with waterproof cover.
C. I use Talic racks that have 2" +/- wide strap.
D. Always keep in mind that Poly boats are really tough. You might be thinking too much. The pool noodle might be more than enough. They are also cheap.
Boats stored on their sides rarely develop “oil canning”. That only occurs on the hull bottoms which are weaker. The compression of the curvature on the sides resists flattening. I have stored my kayaks for years from trapezes made of poly rope threaded through pool noodles with no problems. Even if the foam is “squashed” it is still providing some distribution of force on the hull anyway. You can get thicker pool noodles, by the way.
Thank you so much for the quick replies. Good points/suggestions from all! Overthinking, unfortunately, is one of my strong suits! Regarding thicker pool noodles… my wife just told me she saw some. Here I thought all pool noodles were created equal! Thanks again, folks!
Waiting for TsunamiChuck to reply to this message 
Poly boats are strongest stored or transported on their sides. But If you are concerned, there are thicker or denser versions of pipe insulation that will work too.
My boats rest on softly inflated boat fenders and they love it.
I’ve had good luck with roll bar padding, it’s inexpensive and denser & much more durable than pool noodles
Roll bar padding for a race car is very, very hard. I like the boat fender idea you can adjust the pressure I use 4" wide nylon webbing.
there are different types of roll bar padding, the cheaper stuff (non-SFI) is not “very very hard” but holds up much better than pool noodles for not much more $. fits over tubing/pipes up to 1-7/8" dia and if you split it open along the seam, it fits over the edge of 2x4’s if that’s what your rack is made of.
I am use to SFI
I use the thicker pool noodles for padding and they work well for my big kayaks. I have also used them as cross bar padding and they work well. The smaller diameter noodles are too light for my needs.