A kayak cart is a great accessory, even for an inflatable kayak. In a rigid kayak, the cart allows one person to carry a kayak to the shore. It’s true that the vast majority of inflatables can be carried with one hand. But that’s only good for short distances. From experience, I can tell you that carrying the
The kayak cart is also cheap and more economical than going to a physical therapist in case you get injured from carrying your canoe and equipment. In any case, you can build the cart yourself. However, the parts can be expensive, and the result may not be very practical. I’m telling you this as someone who has built two homemade carts.
WHAT YOUR KAYAK CART SHOULD BE LIKE
Whether you build a homemade kayak cart, steal it, or buy it, your cart should be as I describe.
WATER RESISTANT
Since we are going to take it on board, the materials must resist water. And if it is seawater, even more so. Plastic wheelbarrow wheels work well, even if they don’t have bearings. For the structure, aluminum is best because of the relationship between resistance and weight of that material. There are homemade carts made of PVC plumbing pipes.
THAT IT IS FOLDABLE AND REMOVABLE
Another condition for carrying it on board while we are sailing, always attached to the kayak so as not to lose anything with a wave or rollover. In this sense,
RUBBER WHEELS
Think about what terrain the loaded cart will be moving on. Sand and stones slow down almost anything. My experience tells me that rubber wheels with an inflatable tube are the best. Although they have the handicap that they may need to be inflated when you least want to. But they work on all terrains. The balloon wheel kayak cart rolls great, but then it is almost impossible to carry in the canoe.
There are solid wheels, with a relief and even a rubber band, which are not bad either, although I have not tried them in person. Forget the flimsy wheels of toys, shopping carts, and similar contraptions. And even less if they are solid and small. In many places they will not turn and when you least expect it the kayak will be scraping the ground.
It is important that the kayak cart does not allow the kayak to rub against the ground. Or that it rubs against the wheels. In both cases we can quickly damage our canoe. I say this from experience because it has happened to me. There are some very wide balloon-type wheels that should roll very well on the sand. And although I have no experience with them, I think they are too big to carry on board the kayak.
IMPORTANT a STRAP
Regardless of the kayak cart we use and what we transport, we are going to need a strap or belt. A powerful rubber band can do the same function for us. In the end, it is about preventing the load from moving and causing the cart to overturn or the kayak to rub against something.
DON’T LOSE THE CART
If you can’t take the cart on board, one option is to leave it on land. But don’t let it happen to you like it happened to me, that they steal it or throw it in a container. That’s why it’s better to secure it with a bicycle lock. That way we also avoid losing it in the water, or it deteriorating due to salt water.
BUY INFLATABLE KAYAK CART
Most carts are designed for sit on top kayaks, or closed kayaks. These can be used for an inflated kayak. It’s just a matter of the cart being very wide, and placing it at the end of the stern. That way we avoid the possibility of rubbing that I mentioned. On top of the kayak we can place the rest of the equipment (pump, vests, dry bags and paddles).
To place a folded inflatable kayak in its backpack, it is more complicated to use any kayak cart. Well secured, we can place the bag on a kayak cart. The problem is going to be having a point from where to drag the set while walking. At least for a long distance.
That is why the alternative is fishing or surf carts if we live far from the water, or have to use public transport. They withstand water well, allow folding, and the wheels can be removed. Although it can be complicated to carry them on board the kayak because they take up space when folded.
SUP BOARD CART
Everything I have told you about kayak transport carts applies to SUP boards. Carrying a board alone can be complicated not because of the weight, but because they are very wide. For a short distance of a few meters we can manage or ask some hottie for help 🙂 If the distance to the water is long, you are going to consider a cart. A kayak cart works if you place it at one end of the board in a horizontal position and secure it well.
There are specific carts for boards designed to carry the SUP board vertically. You can place it in the middle, or at the end so that it is child’s play to get to the water on foot.
I hope I have helped you to be successful when buying or making a cart to transport a kayak. In any case, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to send an email.
