Anyone know what department stores have been carrying pool noodles with the ¾” hollow cores lately. I hate shopping and hoping I don’t have to go to every dang * Mart out there.
Also, I know I have to slit them to get them on, as the Yakima bars are 1-1/8” dia. and the hollow core is only up to ¾”. I’m hoping they don’t rotate around to slit facing up when I adjust the position of my boat on the bars. I slit the electric taped pipe insulation so I could move them back and fourth between my vehicles and the sun wouldn’t attack them on all those days when I’m not carrying a yak. Problem now is they rotate to slit up and the boat hull just pushes them off the bar. Then I have to pick the hull up with one hand and get them back on.
I know I could go to fancy store bought pads, or saddles or Js. Working the frugal lines right now though.
Paul S.
pool noodles
I bought some the other week at CVS. Not sure about the inner diameter though.
Dollar Generals
have the ones with the holes.
Of late KMart and target have caried only the solid ones…Home Depot carries the already slit Large Pipe Insulators…no idea o their durability however.
Clearance
today at the local Wal-mart for $0.70/ea.
Home Depot Or Lowes
for foam pipe insulation.
sing
pool noodles
try your local racing stores for rollbar padding already has slit and hole though them and different colors also. they also work good for portage yoke padding.
vinnie
Yep, the Dollar Store
Walmart is the best bet, though they
haven’t gone on sale where its still hot yet. Swimming season doesn’t end until mid-October down here.
If you’ve got $5
try responding to sale-193347789@craigslist.org on Seattle’s craigslist:
*****
Roof-rack cushions for kayak or canoe - $5
Reply to: sale-193347789@craigslist.org
Date: 2006-08-12, 1:04PM PDT
There are 8 of them in the box, and you can have any or all of the lines and/or straps you want too!
The money is going into our 5 year olds “Disneyland Fund”.
* this is in or around west Seattle~Admiral Dist.
* no – it’s NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
Big Lots
Started at Walmart. $4, pink only. Lady pointed me to the dolar store down the street. Dollar store out of stock. Lady pointed me to Big lots down the street. Half off, 2 for $1.29! Plenty of lime green ones to match my deck :-). Done.
By the way, these are smaller diameter and shorter than I had pictured, which is just right. (We had some big honkin’ ones for our pool.) These look about like the foam tubes in the Thule pads for $26. Just no nylon bag.
Thanks everyone.
Paul S.
If you or someone you know well sews,
its not difficult to sew up a nylon tube. Or, if you don’t mind being tacky and want to make the foam last, just wrap them in duct tape. I’d suggest white or black tape.
Pipe insulators are the way to go…
…I find. Cheaper than noodles also.
Pool noodles & Duct Tape
I use the noodles on my Yakima rack, then cover / wrap the lime green suckers with black weather-resistant duct tape. I find the pool noodles have more padding and "give" than the pipe insulation.
.99 at Wal Mart
- T
Pipe insulation
Right now I am going with pipe insulation that is attached with heavy-duty cable ties. I have found that the pipe insulation is fairly whimpy. Seems to rip easily and move quite a bit. Switching to noodles soon.
WalMart
Wal-Mart had 'em for $1 last night. Yellow, green, pink, purple and blue. They were the really thick, extra long hollow ones too. Just head to the seasonal stuff and you'll see a bunch of pool supplies on sale. Usually the noodles are standing upright in a bin right in the middle of the aisle.
I use them on my canoe to pad the gunwales. My kids like to sit in the middle, down in the bottom of the boat. With the noodles on the gunwhales, they can rest their arms without burning their arms on the hot surface.
Look for
Larger pool noodles. They do make them, they have a 1" hole and with a little liquid soap solution go on Yakima bars just fine. My chartruse ones make it easier to find my car in a parking lot too 
I haven’t had much luck with pipe insulation, it just dosen’t last.
Hard to find them with…
the larger one inch holes.
I’ve been using them for five years now on the Liberty/Thule bars.
I trade them with neighbors that own pools. I’ve hoarded them too but now I am down to just one for the front bar.
On the rear bar I had to resort to one of the thinner ones with a three inch hole.
My neighbors are tapped and I haven’t seen any with the one inch hole for two years now.
The only, minor problem is the way these breakdown over time and leave a dusting on the roof.
I think I’ll hit the local pool stores and Walmart again this weekend.
Funny thing here. In June we had an inground pool put in. The first night of swimming my daughter had some friends over. They were all floating around on noodles and I came outside with three brand new noodles. One of her friends asked me if I got them from my Jeep. Okay, kind of funny.
I have the 1 Inch…
found Two Yellow ones I’m using as outriggers when I’m sailing the Yak…so they ARE still made…try here for all kinds of Pool Noodles…
http://www.tundrafoam.com/custom/custom_index.html
The Original Manufacturer of Pool Noodles…
Ask customer service where to buy the size you need…heck, maybe we can get P,net to stock the most useful sizes in the p.net store…