A kayak is a large and unwieldy object to carry. It can be difficult for one person to handle, which is why you might need some assistance of a kayak cart or kayak carrier. This article will discuss the different ways that you can transport your kayak, as well as provide some helpful tips on how to carry it with just one person.
Carrying Small Kayak
If you only have a kayak that’s about 90-100 lbs, one person should be able to carry it. To do this, place your arm around the top and bottom of the boat so that both hands are on opposite ends. Once you’ve got it balanced in your arms, lift up with two legs and walk forward to where you need to take care of loading onto your car or truck bed. If there is no vehicle handy for transporting your kayak, then use some type of cart system instead!
Carrying Large Kayaks
For larger kayaks (over 100 lbs), all bets are off as far as who will carry them because they’re difficult for even two people. If the kayak is big and heavy, it’s going to be a challenge for one person – so make sure that whoever takes on this responsibility has experience in handling boats before loading up their own. Generally speaking, if you’re at all concerned about carrying large kayaks by yourself (especially ones weighing more than 100 lbs), then please invest in a good kayak carrier as soon as possible. These can help save time and energy when loading onto vehicles or carts/pedestals.
Dragging Kayaks with Kayak Carry Handles
Dragging a kayak with attached carry handle is not a difficult task. With the kayak carried upside down, one can simply loop their arms through the handle and drag it in that position – which is probably how they were doing it before adding handles to kayaks!
Just remember not to drop your end of the canoe or kayak if you’re dragging with its carry handle; this will cause stress on the boat’s hull and might even create an open wound on your arm from sharp edges rubbing against skin. A better option would be for someone else to hold onto the other side as well. If possible, try wearing gloves when handling boats so that hands are encased in protection from splinters or scrapes (especially important during colder seasons).
Using Carts to Carry Kayaks
Another option could be purchasing a kayak cart to haul the kayak. The kayak cart is a cost-effective option for those with multiple kayaks to transport. Kayak cart will do the heavy lifting. You just have to put the kayak on it and push.
Arthur G. Moore is a veteran paddler. He has over 10 years of whitewater kayaking experience in his kitty. When he was young, he used to love kayaking in rapid III and rapid IV but as time went on, he decided to concentrate mainly on covering long distances on a standard touring kayak. He is currently working as a senior editor for Kayak Manual.
