Securing a kayak to prevent it being stolen on a trip.

My girlfriend and I are taking a trip to Boynton Beach, Fl. for a bit of fishing over a 4 days stretch. Our Mirage and Pro Angler rides in the bed of my truck, but we're pretty concerned over how to secure the kayaks to prevent someone from stealing them each night. Each hotel we've called that we'd like to stay at in the West Palm Beach/Boynton Beach area each say they have no storage area to put the kayaks in considering their size. Obviously we're considering just buying a huge chain and big lock as the only option, but a big bolt-cutter could potentially make short work of most chains. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated, because I'm out of ideas! Thanks much.

I have Kanulock locking straps. Now I haven't done an overnight anywhere. I use them to lock the kayak up over night at home or if I stop someplace for a bit.

With the hobie I run one thru the cassette area and the second thru a rear scupper.


He's an idea. A rent a space place.

Rent an enclosed Uhaul trailer when you get there? Would be a portable garage!

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Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Get a place on the first floor next to the parking lot and wheel them inside with you for the night.

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Mark
Tandem Island- 2013
2 - Sports - 2014

Great advice...will look into the U-haul price and a storage unit big enough to fit both the Outback and the Pro Angler. No matter what the price, it's better than losing $5000 worth of kayaks and equipment!

Thanks all.

No good place to launch in Boyton area with a trailer and most storage places don't open early enough for a sunrise launch. A chain and a cable make using bolt cutters a little difficult. Kept two kayaks in the bed of my truck for two years in Miami and had no problem. Hobies are not worthless without the drive but it doesn't make them easy to sell either. Back your truck in wherever you stay to make them less visible. I fish Boyton quite often and the fishing is getting better by the day.

I have hauled my two Hobies (sometimes three) all over SC, Ga and Fla., left them out overnight, never had a problem. I use the cables with the locking ends that I found at Lowe's. They have a nice plastic covering so they don't scratch the hulls (but I don't hiway them), lock them up every night, take off before traveling... just loop them through the MD holes and to each other and onto some part of the truck. They're also great to lock to the dock overnight (if you are lucky enough to have a dock available..). NOTHING will keep them from being stolen if someone really wants them..... if you have professional thieves with bolt cutters, etc,... not much you can do... most thieves are opportunistics... see something laying around and grab it.

Or just fill the hull with some water with a hose while on the back of the truck or trailer. Automatic theft deterrent if it weighs 300 lbs, just a thought (actually it might even ride better on a trailer, I know our trailer seems too light on the highway), no I'm not going to try it.
Actually we have about 200,000 road miles with kayaks on our roof pulling our camper all over the country and never had any problems, we just put bike locks thru the mirage drive openings then thru the roof rack. But we stayed mostly at campgrounds where everyone leaves their crap out.

Bob

Redsinthehead summed it up well. I kinda like fusioneng's idea too but I would probably never go through the trouble of filling one with water to prevent theft (but I have filled them with water to prevent them from blowing away in a hurricane).

In addition to a quality cable and a QUALITY lock, there are two things I haven't seen mentioned:

When possible back up to a wall, fence, a thick hedge or other immovable object to make removing the kayaks a bit harder.

Insurance is cheap for kayaks. You might still end up boat less for the weekend if a thief picks your stuff as his target but wouldn't it be cool to get it replaced at very little cost?

Jus my 2¢.

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Proud owner of a fleet of Hobie Revolutions! Five in the household and five Revo's on the water chasing redfish, trout & flounder in the shallow marshes of Loozyanna.

I used a cable lock with a number cylinder lock through the mirage drive hole and around my roof rack. At home I lock to a fence post.
http://www.masterlocks.com/product/351/ ... cable-lock

http://www.masterlocks.com/product/349/ ... cable-lock

You could also put a second cable through the well scupper holes. Just confirm size of loop.
http://www.masterlocks.com/product/365/ ... cable-lock

There are other cables and locks available. Just select one the fits your needs best and lock to your rack or eyelets in the back of your pickup.
Any cable can be cut but it is a deterrent. Thieves look for quick easy pickings and if they have to stop and deal with things they move on. They will take whatever they want if they are determined enough.

Revo

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I would rather be kayaking and think about work than to be at work thinking about kayaking.
A Thrill Ride is being dragged around in your kayak for 40 minutes by an extremely large fish.

This is what I've done

Classic... only thing better would have been to put it in the bed with covers over it! Just for the shot of course.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

I think you can now put the Hobie Kayak in the bed with you and marry it. The Supreme Court says marriage between a human and a Kayak is legal now.

Hahahaha priceless

My wife has a lock for her scooter that can't be cut with cutters, she bought it at the scooter dealer, I sometimes borrow it when we rooftop our TI, I run it thru the mirage drive hole and around the cross bar on the cars built in roof rack. We have left our kayaks locked on our roof for months at a time while traveling, and the have never been messed with, but we may have just been lucky.
FE