How easy is it to roll, with kayaks on, by hand? Has anyone hand-maneuvered it across pavement? Uneven ground?
663403
It's easy...just remember the amour of weight you are moving. You could have a hold of 300 pounds fully loaded, which could get away from you on an incline or make it difficult to move over ruts, large rocks, or holes. With 80 lbs of kayak and gear, I've never had difficulty wheeling the trailer around the driveway, launch ramp, or trail.
663404
Once you get the balance right while holding onto the handle it rolls very easily on pavement. On uneven ground you have to push somewhat harder but it is not bad. I usually haul 4 kayaks on my trailer. Although the kickstand is not well made it is a great accessory if you need to stop.
663405
It is pretty good from my experience. I have to roll it on grass and a slight slope to get it to the car with no boats. I have moved it on gravel with two paddle boards. if the load is balanced it is pretty easy. You do need to watch the momentum once you get it going -- allow space to stop.
663406
Have done both. Compared to standard trailer (boat or otherwise) it is a piece of cake. On pavement it rolls easily. On modestly uneven ground, not much harder. The tongue stand is highly recommended as it makes it much easier to pick up and set down (less bending & lifting).
663407
Very easy to roll. The large diameter wheels make easy work over uneven ground. The tongue weight with one or two canoes or kayaks is minimal. With a 16'7" Royalex canoe I would estimate the weight no more than 15 pounds.
663408
It is pretty easy to maneuver even with 4-5 kayaks on it. Especially on smooth surfaces. Not so sure about rocky/bumpy surfaces. Can move it loaded through grass OK. weight well balanced on the rear axle.
1245285
The experience is different from a conventional rigid hull kayak in two primary ways. The first is that it has no semblance of a keel line so the sway with each stroke is substantial which could be easily countered with two people taking syncronized strokes on opposing sides so in that manner, it's more difficult than a conventional kayak with a single person, however, this problem can be corrected to a large degree by utilizing the bow and stern attachable keels. I only use a stern keel and it still swings even with the stern keel attached a little more than I am accustomed to, but it's not significant. The other factor is that having the two large inflated tubes running along your sides slightly reduces the normal room that paddlers of conventional kayaks are accustomed to, so you have to take a slightly wider stroke where your lean is accentuated more than normal. Niether of these factors are a big deal... you get used to both quickly and the quality of the kayak along with the convenience inherent in the design far outweigh a couple small differences which you quickly adapt to.
1420602
I have used it with just one kayak without having any problems. I just stick it on the passenger side. No stability problems here. As far as the plastic tightener coming loose, I test it every time I have used it, but barely any slippage, even if it has been a couple weeks.
2136369
I've tried but it's too wobbly for me. But is a great deal for the price of other kayaks.
428136
The issues are the kayak balance point on the cart, and how rough the surface is on which the wheels have to roll. I have a 10-foot sit on top kayak and find that the cart works best about 2 feet from the rear of the boat. That way I can lift from the bow handle and walk easily. Be sure the little legs on the cart are facing forward, if not you'll drag them as you lift and pull. Over any type of rough or soft surface, you must really lash your kayak to the cart securely or it will slide or bounce off. Keeping all this in mind, you should be able to do what you are asking.
2053204
Essentially 100% if you put it on correctly. I place it so the kayak is ever-so-slightly front-heavy, but lifting it is easy... it's a moveable fulcrum. The forward propulsion is up to you. You can rig a waist strap or shoulder strap if you like (that's what I do).
638903
There isn't really much to assemble; just slide the wheels onto the axles and secure them using the included pins. Make sure the air fill valves are on the inside of the wheels so they can't snag on the pins as the wheel rotates. Spread the padded support arms apart until the strap is tight and spread the support "kick" stand out, too. I like to have the support stand legs toward the front as I'm pulling the kayak along so that should it swing down (never happened yet) it can't jam into the ground or get snagged on a root. The thing you'll have to fuss with the most is the long strap which secures the kayak to the cart. Each kayak is different in terms of weight, its placement on the cart, and how the strap best captures the kayak and locks it to the cart. Experiment with it for about 5 minutes and I'm sure you'll find the ideal configuration.
456717
Hi Molly - we've used ours in brackish water (head of the river - partly salty) and the kayak material is SUPER sturdy. If your question is less about the material holding up in salt water and more about being able to control the kayak in open seas, I can say that it is a very stable kayak (we kayak with our little dog - no problems and no rocking) but it is not as fast as a hard-sided kayak. That being said, we've never had a problem navigating in fast moving water over rocks and tree trunks. We've use the kayak hard and bought a second one based on being happy with its performance and wanting to kayak with our kids. Hope this helps! PS Definitely get the package with the upgraded seats (they inflate and are really comfortable - well worth the price!).
1541036
NO, will not fit in or on my kayak, I like it because it,s easy to roll on soft sand. Since I don't expect to use the cart until I come backto the launch point no problem leaving it in truck.Jim Baldwin
459612
I have! I use it for kayaks, paddle boards, and a sailboard, and I honestly haven't had any problem at all. Either pull the foam all the way over the corners of the frame to give it more grip or lay a folded yoga towel (my wife's idea) across the frame and make sure to bungee fairly tightly when you use it for the boards. Also place the frame about 2/3rds back and lift the front of the board, it won't work very well if you try to place the frame in the center of the board. Hope that helps!
1966960
Although our kayak rack is in the garage and rests on boards due to dirt floor, I would agree with Scott and LC. Their precautions make sense. It may be possible for the top kayak to become dislodged if it gets blown about by extra strong winds.
2075282
The stock wheels folded with a very heavy load while going down a sidewalk slope, my own fault. I do have the decking, I use it occasionally to place equipment on, but I prefer to rent a magliner to do work from.
1776151
I roll it on decking and then have moved it to driveway. No problems in either area. have not tried to swap wheels and would not wheels are great. I have both small and large one. Plan on buying another for my blueberry on a large. Both of those I have now are used under lemon trees so they can be rolled in the garage when we have freezing weather.
1439761
We have glassy to choppy out here, and on a choppy day it stayed stable even though I was just on my second try. Got tired and had to sit ( I'm definitely getting the seat! ) and paddle in. As I get more proficient I have no doubts about it being a solid stable and fun ride in less than smooth conditions. Though it is harder to turn..
1317505
I'm going to buy another one ! It is too much fun to have by myself ! The kayak is stable and made of tough stuff , I'm 220 and six foot tall and I fit just fine.
435208
Cliffy, it's actually easier than rowing, because you can see where you're going ! If you can swim, I don't think you'd have any safety issues. I've used mine on calm water, in a running tide and going downriver with the current--paddling upstream might be pretty challenging, but otherwise I've been very impressed with what this kayak can do.
1772514
Its easy because it floats on the surface and its not heavy. Just roll it up.