Standup Paddleboard Car Roof Rack

by DianaK1982 in Outside > Water

5485 Views, 15 Favorites, 0 Comments

Standup Paddleboard Car Roof Rack

13668983_1014781181976034_3125753324578344494_n.jpg

DIY Poolnoodle Roof rack • thick pool noodles • vinyl coated clothing wire • Zip ties

For Straps: Kanulock Straps - nylon coated wire straps with lock! Whatever cuts nylon, doesn't cut wire. Whatever cuts wire, doesn't cut nylon.

The Design

13521927_989456077841878_3347760720624828535_n.jpg
13876293_1014781171976035_6355694139012844160_n.jpg
13557675_989455644508588_2381463556511568610_n.jpg
13606776_989455444508608_7541352358041479275_n.jpg
13567478_989455187841967_4557355513508468355_n.jpg

Improved pool noodle roof rack. With my first design and this design, I got up to 90mph with 2 boards on my BMW (Kanulock straps) and it held solid! This is an improved design taking the roof and board shape into consideration as well as adding vinyl tubing & pipes inside the noodles.

Length of rack = 85% of car roof length

Width of rack = depends on board width but with decent amount of space to the roof edge

Works great on naked roof! Matrix style vs 2 single noodles prevents roof from denting in bc of weight distribution. Supplies needed:

  • A sketch with your measurements of your roof
  • Your Paddle boards as models
  • 3 thick pool noodles
  • 2-3 thin pool noodles
  • Vinyl coated clothing wire
  • Zip ties to secure ends of wire
  • Measuring tape
  • Marker
  • Xacto-knife
  • Wire Cutter
  • Cargo straps (run thru frame of car)
  • (Preferential: extra pool noodle pieces to cushion edges of board, depending on the straps, they may or may not leave marks or dents the tighter you'll pull the straps. And tying the straps tight and secure should be your first concern)

Cutting the Noodles in Place

13529181_989455224508630_1955848172152256124_n.jpg
13606860_989455237841962_684687482917175643_n.jpg
13567315_989455291175290_2884319839489491424_n.jpg
13592440_989455307841955_2123616458748330113_n.jpg
13532879_989455367841949_4313279758706731042_n.jpg
444444.jpg

The Length of this rack should be about 85% of your car roof length, mostly depending on the concavity of your car roof tho. It needs to fit. No wobble, no excess! Safety first!

  • Line up the noodles in a grid and cut them accordingly.
  • thick noodles build the outside of the rack because of the shape of your board (see Pic)
  • pull clothing wire thru the noodles tentatively so you are able to see how it lines up without them rolling off the board and also to keep them in place to not lose track of their position
  • cut/correct accordingly

Insert and Cut Vinyl Tubing & Pipe

13606776_989455444508608_7541352358041479275_n.jpg
13599991_989455507841935_622161716625985562_n.jpg
13533120_989455461175273_8174765504493557009_n.jpg
13567078_989455477841938_4104448535367906943_n.jpg
13528737_989455627841923_4416965054301602771_n.jpg

I've used both, but really the use of either is fine as well as preferential as well as a fitting question. Thin and thick pool noodles do not have the same inner diameter. That was my main reason to use vinyl pipe on the thin noodles and vinyl tubing on the big noodles. Find whatever pipe or tube you want as long as it fits snug.

The main reason for this design is being able to really tighten the wire, without it eventually cutting thru the pool noodle, rupturing it and you having to redo the whole thing OR even worse, causing an accident on your Drive.

Wiring the Rack

13567117_989455664508586_866135896223808749_n.jpg
13532862_989455677841918_4640431508154643988_n.jpg
13606451_989455691175250_3700376807162694478_n.jpg
13439134_989455881175231_8957629544421273947_n.jpg
13533033_989455721175247_1641401271138413152_n.jpg
13599897_989455914508561_5390635069095313823_n.jpg
13567471_989455901175229_8220849293100683954_n.jpg

This step is super important!

  • Every pool noodle NEEDS to be connected with adjacents! Even if that means the wire runs thru the tube/pipe twice or triple.
  • Pull tight as you go. Find something to cause a stop "in pull" where you start, like a clamp OR
  • if you already know your wire's path, you may already zip tie the wire on its first round so that it allows you to pull the wire tight thru the rest of the tubes/pipes.
  • This step may require a few attempts. It's ok. As long as the end result is TIGHT!

Securing the Ends

13566944_989455934508559_3695537159642680644_n.jpg
  • Zip tie and cut the remaining pieces off.
  • Go a bit extra on the wire and tug it into the tube in case the rack does loosen up a bit, which it will over time, so it doesn't become undone and you can easily tighten it again.

Fitting & Tying the Board Down

13516584_989455951175224_4796343653537493442_n.jpg
13529185_989455964508556_8108195922132069456_n.jpg
13886328_1014663558654463_7323344646648933467_n.jpg
13892343_1014781221976030_2334919927996245174_n.jpg
13925072_1014781198642699_239896643479732177_n.jpg
16649009_10211956238811953_2511845312567198038_n.jpg
16865065_10211956238931956_7814940104457273893_n.jpg
16831085_10211956239051959_4744327145925047664_n.jpg
1493215_415270225243086_114604986_n.jpg
  • The noodles should NOT go further out than your board.
  • If so, retie it. You may or may not have to cut off more from the horizontal noodles
  • For Straps I can recommend: www.Kanulocks.com
  • regardless of straps, it helps to cushion the edges of your board when tying it tight. And you want the straps to be tight! Safety should be your first concern.