Kayak Trailers - How useful are they?
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Travel & Leisure > Boating
Feb 25, 2008
Vickster
Kayak Trailers - How useful are they?
Kayaking is a great way to relax and just about everybody can take up kayaking or canoeing whether you are young or old. Kayaking caters for all types of needs and requirements whether it is for sport or recreation. You can buy sit on top kayaks for fun at the beach with the family, go kayak fishing, white water, or take the sport up as a professional racer. The cost of taking up kayaking can also be done on a budget as you can buy used kayaks for nominal amounts. The one area where kayaking can become a real pain is transportation. Unless you opt for an inflatable kayak that can easily be thrown into the back of your car, you will need to buy a roof rack or van to transport your boat to the water. Your transportation problems do not end there as in most cases the waters edge will not be by the roadside which means you will need to somehow get your kayak to the water by other means. Carrying a kayak over any distance and on your own can be impossible and what is more you will be exhausted by the time you get to your destination. Furthermore it is not just your kayak you will need to carry; you will have paddles, a life jacket, and food, together with any other kayak accessories you wish to take on your journey. Kayak trailers although expensive can really help out in getting your kayak to the water. That said I have yet to come across any kayak trailers that are quick and easy to fit. Maybe I am being too optimistic in thinking there should be, by now, a simple universal 'click and go' design by now but unfortunately I have yet to find one. I have two kayak trailers both of which cost in excess of $100 for not much more than a couple of go cart wheels and some aluminium tubing. However I do accept kayak trailers are a niche market so one must expect to pay a premium. The closest design I have seen to a 'click and go' solution is for a sit on top kayak where the aluminium bars of the kayak trailer simply slot into the scupper holes at the bottom of the boat and there is no strapping required. This is fine if your journey is predominately a flat surface. The problems arise if you need to go up a curb, stairs, cross a ditch or any other terrain where you would need to lift the kayak, as the kayak trailer simply falls out. Whilst this situation is manageable it is awkward and far from perfect. Similarly using kayak trailers which require the use of bungees or roof rack straps can be equally frustrating especially if you are trying to balance your boat whilst simultaneously trying to tie the kayak trailer to it. My answer to "is it worth investing in a kayak trailer?" would be yes, but at the same time I do think they are expensive and not without their faults.
Vicki Churchill writes for a site that specializes in Kayak Accessories providing you with excellent resources and products including reviews on the stunning Sevylor Ranger Inflatable Kayak. And an excellent guide to Kayak Trailers
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