Transporting my kayak

I recently got my first kayak. I’m looking for a stable, easy to use car carrier. The kayak came with foam blocks and straps, but those seem very time consuming and do not fit my car very well. I would prefer a non-permanent solution if possible - I’m not sure how long I will be keeping my car.


Thule or Yakima systems
Both Thule or Yakima systems move from car to car (you’ll need to buy car-specific clips if you change cars, but that’s no big deal). These systems aren’t cheap, but most people find they’re worth the $. Online shops have good deals, especially ORS racks direct.

Second that.
What kind of kayak do you own??

Factory siderails?
If you have factory siderails on the roof, both Thule makes a set of towers that strap onto the siderails and hold crossbars in place. Saddles, etc. can be attached to the crossbars. They go on in less than 5 minutes and the vinyl coated metal strapping doesnt leave any marks. They fit a wide variety of cars/suv racks so they can be used on multiple vehicles. A lot of the tower kits are specific to a particular model and require parts to be swapped or purchased to use on a new car.