Kayak Security

I was reading a kayak posting that was talking about kayaks getting stolen....I've never considered something like that happening. The general feeling seems to be that your highest chance of getting your kayak ripped off is while you are on the road away from home...however the idea of wrapping some sort of security system around a wooden kayak might cause exterior cosmetic damage. Is kayak theft really a concern? And if it is, what do any of you suggest so I don't damage my kayak?  


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RE: Kayak Security

Maybe I'm just lucky, but in almost 20 years of taking my kayaks places I've never had a problem with anyone attempting to steal anything.

Laszlo

RE: Kayak Security

   While I haven't tried it yet, I have been mulling over an idea to put a  GPS device inside the boat. A cheap, off-the-shelf cell phone would work. If you are into physical computing, you can get GPS integrated circuit modules pretty cheap. Of course, you have to either be in range of public wifi or pay for a phone line but that may be worth it to you.

If you don't have bulkheads you can get an extra long bike-lock-style cable and lock it to your roof rack. This will only deter the opportunist thief that has no bolt cutters handy but its something.

RE: Kayak Security

   On all of my family's plastic boats I just run a coated steel cable through the handles and then down to the frame of trailer or rack. I'd planned something similar with the one I'm building. Steel cable doesn't cut as easily with bolt cutters in my experience. Either way, no matter what you decide to do it's only going to keep the honest people honest.

RE: Kayak Security

 I use the Suspenz Kayak Locking Cables when travelling with the boats.  A loop goes over the stern, another over the bow, then you wrap the cable around a cross bar to take up the slack and lock the ends together.  I do not have these on when driving, only when the boats are unattended.

RE: Kayak Security

   When transporting on a trailer we use a Lasso Lock similar to the one  Mark N.  uses when the trailer is away from us.  Last time that was was at the Sweetwater Kayak symposium. Where we parked in the hotel parking lot. And locked the trailer to a sign.  When transporting on the truck we lock the Hullivators when at places where the truck would be parked for long periods away from us or the camp site. However the un-initiated would have to be ambitious to want to steal off the truck...........boats are 7 ft up. 

Of course we are "social distance"-ers from way back and don't do down town, motels, etc much.  However we did park the truck with kayaks on top at a Allison Brown concert.  It was easy to find the truck in a crowded parking lot. 

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