Car Topping Pro Angler on a 07 Toyota Prius

That's a great idea on the side rail.

Hey just moved to Florida and dying to get some spearfishing and fishing done! Wanted to originally get a jet skit but decided that a kayak would be easier to transport. I know this topic is old but any advice? I have a 2014 Prius and know jack zilch about roof racks and set ups. I am thinking a pro angler 12 because it is a little bit lighter than the 14. I want something very stable that I can take a few miles out and get in and out while spearfishing when the water gets chummy here. I’ve had a few really close encounters shore diving some bridges in Miami with some big bulls and I don’t want to be out there with no protection again.

I know it's not what you want to hear but if you're going to stick with car topping you should really look at a lighter kayak. Go for an Outback or something similar. One of the advantages of the PA is the storage space, but if you're car topping you'll need to empty it out to reduce the weight, and then you're still looking at over 100 pounds to lift onto your car. Also, because of the steering controls it won't easily sit upside down on the rails for the most stable transport. In my opinion the Pro Angler is for people who have a pickup or are willing to put it on a trailer.

Thank you for your response I have actually also been looking at outbacks. Still lost in the type of rack I should get. I’d like something with a side loader to facilitate getting it on the car. Space is important because I will have dive gear, free dive that is. I don’t want to be circled by 5 bulls following me around to point of having to jettison all my catch for the day and poke a few in the face for distance.

Thinking about getting this right here.

https://www.etrailer.com/multi-product. ... odel=Prius

I show how I load my Revolution onto my roof rack from the side of my SUV, using a towel to protect the vehicle's paint, in a post at https://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/i ... #msg204958. This works fine with kayak-sized kayaks such as the Revolution and the Outback, but I have never tried it with a bass boat sized kayak like the PA12 or PA14.

I car top a PA 14 360 on my 2020 Honda Accord. Have faith, it can be done!

https://ibb.co/ZLzL5bn
https://ibb.co/wwNpdkK

Here is a video I did a while back of me using my Rhino Rack T Load which makes it really easy to get big heavy kayaks up on top of a car or SUV, you do need a 2" hitch receiver to use it though (I added one to my Subaru Outback that I got from eTrailer.com). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKSUkB1M39c&t=94s

I've used this to put just about every Hobie up on top (I work at a dealer) and it works better with the heavier boats (Outback and heavier), the lighter boats don't quite have the mass to move the T-Bar forward as easily although you could probably easily modify it to allow that. Been using this for a couple years now and love it.

Kevin