First time solo loading a Wilderness Systems Tarpon 100
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- Опубліковано 1 тра 2016
- The Tarpon 100 is more than twice my height and more than half my weight at 10' long and 55 lbs. My stats are slightly under 5' and weigh ~106 lbs currently. This was my first attempt to load and unload this yak by myself. I'll need some more practice but I think it worked out okay.
Car: 2010 Mazda3 5dr hatchback
Rack: Thule Aeroblade Edge
Carrier: Thule Slipstream 887XT - Спорт
Exactly why I have a truck. I’d never deal with this.
Yep, it’s a reason I want a truck. Also for my all toys… bikes, etc. but a pick up is just not practical for my daily driver.
I have the same kayak and I use the same basic technique except I use a thick moving blanket and a small ladder to help me out. I've also seen some folks use a big pool noodle to load it without scratching the back of the car. Good job.
Loading and unloading without damaging your car is a massive pain in the arse. I use a thick blanket and my life jacket as a cushion, still though the bloody kayak has little to no pre designed hand holds and is still a bit of a battle.
Yeah, it’s a bit pain doing it solo! I honestly have been considering an inflatable for the future? But I am not sure if that will work out because I like going to rivers. I don’t know how durable they are. I do really like my Tarpon 100 otherwise and would be a shame if I stopped using it.
great job lady
Thanks!
Hey Cindy: I'm only 125 lbs. For you, me and anyone else solo loading our WS Tarpon 100 kayaks onto our car roofs, I bit the bullet and bought the $750 Thule Hullavator Pro (my fourth try and final rack for this purpose) and it far out-performs the $500 Thule that you bought. The kayak is upsidedown when mounted in the THP, so it is perfectly streamlined and rain-shedding.
Hi, Larry. Thanks for checking out my video. I thought about the Hullavator but didn't want to spend the extra money on it. Since it was my first kayak, I wasn't sure if I was going to stick with the sport. Plus, my car is not very tall and I figure I could manage without it (and I can). If I ever got an SUV and was still putting the kayak on the roof, I would possibly consider the Hullavator. Btw, the Slipstream carrier I bought was $275.
You can buy a used jet ski trailer for under $300...just saying!
Sure, but I have no place to put the trailer lol
a small single step stool will help you get a little extra height and you can throw it in the back seat for unloading. Great job doing that by yourself
Like a boss..........one suggestion would be to use a bath mat with a rubber back on your rear spoiler....the towel is a good idea but it can slip around...it's likely that the kayak will start to get away from you if it starts to slide off the car. Kayaks can get pretty hard to handle when you get a bit off balance and they can cause a lot of damage to the vehicle when they do.
Hi @CNC9999, thank you! The bathmat would be an excellent choice actually. I was trying to figure out what I could use that would not only stay on my car but also be non-slip for the kayak as well. I've have it slip off as I try to put it on the car, I tried it without the towel, definitely NOT a good idea lol... thanks again for the suggestion. Appreciate that. Cheers!
Well done! That's not easy task. I don't like that little cart, once mine slipped off the back of my canoe and the canoe almost scratched the side of my car. I had to push the canoe away.
Thanks. Yeah, I agree, I also don't like the cart. I haven't used it since. It might be nice to use it if you need to park the car far away from where you're gonna launch and if you physically can't carry the 'yak but I can, so I don't use it. Oh well.
Thanks Cindy! Any kayaking videos? How do you like it after about a year of ownership?
Pepper Shaker Hi. No kayaking video. I took it out a bunch of times last year but this year, only once or twice. Still like the yak very much though. It's a single person kayak but I rode 2 person on it once... someone sat in the proper seat and paddled while I sat in the back and enjoyed the ride. I wasn't sure how well it would work with the added weight. Our combined weight didn't exceed the max capacity of 325 lbs but water did start to pool around me, not much though. It was a little tough for the paddler lol but it worked okay.
Cindy Lee that's awesome 😂 Wish to see more videos from you in the future. Take care
I have the same kayak and I'm short and also have a tougher time. Mostly because of the awkwardness and the bulkiness of the kayak.
Yep, totally agree. It's just awkward and bulky, hard to handle. Speaking of, the real handles are nice though, as opposed to kayaks that have the molded handles.
Lock the slipstream back down before you put the boat on. Also, pull down on the stern to push the boat more forward into the front saddles.
Thanks. Yep, figure that one out after putting it on the first time :-)
Good Job Cindy! What kind of rack is it?
Thanks, Tony! The rack carrier is a Thule Slipstream 887XT.
I'm very new to kayaking, but been fishing forever. Decided to pickup a used Tarpon 100 for some lake fishing. I been Youtubing every thing about the Tarpon 100 and came across your vid.
Tony C I am also super new to kayaking and new'ish to fishing. I'm at the stage where if I get any catch, I'm lucky lol I do enjoy my Tarpon 100, I've taken it out to the local reservoir and the local river. Thanks for stopping by and checking out my video. Have fun!!
I haven't bought any kayak yet. But came a across a used Yellow Tarpon 100 in Craigslist for $600. Comes with some extras. BUT!!! Here in San Francisco, the homes are small, mines has no side yard, barely a front yard and an OK back yard. I have very limited space inside my garage, its not cluttered, jus not tall like them suburb homes. With that being said, now I'm looking at an inflatable kayak. All I do now is get on the internet and compare prices, models then I UA-cam them....sounds familiar? Have a great time with your kayak
Tony C ha, that's pretty much what I did. My yak is kind of just wedged up in the corner of my garage. There's barely any room for it but it fits. Yeah, you might be better off with an inflatable in that case. Either way, good luck and have fun out there! :-)
Lots of lessons learned here. A little instruction from the rack seller would have avoided a lot of frustration.
Maybe a pool noodle slipped over the rear spoiler?
Dee Davidson I started using a padded shower mat as I really just needed something to cover the spoiler in case I mess up and don’t get it exactly and it does slip and make contact with the spoiler. If I get enough practice doing it, it’s not necessary. However, the shower mat has suction cups on it (but they don’t actually suction to my car? Lol) and it’s real simple to throw on the car just before I attempt to throw the kayak up. Unless it’s a windy day ... then the suctionless shower mat goes bye bye lol thanks for the suggestion!!
Even better idea :)
Thank you :)