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Simple Folding Stands for Kayaks and Dinghies

This is almost trivially simple and can be done with endless variations, but I'm posting it to help prevent any more "consumer moments" than necessary. You can go out and buy things like this, but it's a fast project that can be accomplished with scrap material (or mesh slings you can buy here) and an hour or two of time.

© 2007 by Steven K. Roberts
Nomadic Research Labs

There are lots of good reasons to keep kayaks and dinghies off the ground... including general boat hygiene, keeping rodents and spiders from nesting in them, speeding the washing and drying process, raising them to a working height that's easy on your back, and expanding available storage space by opening the area beneath the boat. This little trick is a lightweight solution to the problem, and can be scaled to whatever height and width needed.

I used 3/4-inch Schedule 40 PVC for these, and it has been quite adequate. I wouldn't quite trust them with body weight, but that's not the intent... it just keeps my boatlets off the eternally moist concrete floor or muddy lawn. The units shown here are made from the following components... quantities shown are for a pair of stands, good for one kayak:

8) PVC vertical members, 24" long
8) PVC horizontal members, 13" long
16) PVC 90° elbows
PVC cement (not really necessary but recommended for maximum toughness)
4) pivot bolts, 2.5" long 1/4-20 with lock nuts (either 2 regulars jammed, or one nylock).
4) 1/4" washers between the tubes (optional; it's good form but not really necessary)
2) Fabric slings, approximately 10x17 inches with sewn-in tunnels.

All this is non-critical dimensionally - if you want it taller or shorter, just adapt the vertical members accordingly. If you want to get artistic, feel free to use wood or other materials. The pivot point is midway down each long tube, and is easily drilled with a 1/4 bit (if you're freehanding, you will get more accurate results by drilling a smaller pilot hole first).

The important part is the fabric saddle; I recommend a strong synthetic mesh instead of a densely woven cloth that will hold moisture against the hull and cause mold:

4 PVC folding stands, with 2 different fabric types

Completed kayak stand with two 1x2 foot rectangles of PVC pivoting on 1/4-inch through-bolts at midpoint of the long dimension. The 10x17 inch mesh sling constrains the opening to a suitable width for typical kayaks, which can be stored either right-side-up or upside-down according to your preferences (and whether rain is an issue). The slings shown here are our original ones with sewn edge-binding; this has proven to be unnecessary, and the new ones are simpler and conform more completely to the shape of the hull. There's a PayPal button below if you wish to order a pair of slings (NOT the PVC stands; they would be too expensive to ship and are really easy to build).

You could use simple web straps and slide-release buckles (or, I suppose, even rope) instead of the somewhat more complex sewn tunnel shown in the photos, but I would advise caution with this... not only are there moisture-retention issues, but some hull materials like rotomolded polyethylene will take a "set" if stress is concentrated in a small area over time, especially in hot weather. After considerable experimentation, we settled an a strong mesh that has held up over 5 years of use without any sign of degradation from the evils of ultraviolet, moisture, and stress:

Large-hole polyester mesh, 450 denier, 24 gauge, 4.5 oz per square yard.

This is, in principle, a simple home project - the total cost of the PVC parts for each stand assembly is only about $8.00. The slings are a bit trickier, as sewing an open-weave mesh requires careful handling:

Sling detail, with heavy fabric tunnel. These are the new ones that we sell, with maximum flexibility compared to the earlier "bound" models that were more attractive but less able to conform to the extreme curve of some hulls.

If you don't want to "try this at home," as they say in the idiom, you're in luck... we've decided to add these slings to our product line of technomadic tools. (Ordering information is at the bottom of this page; you can get the slings from us, since that's the hard part, and then assemble your own PVC frames.)

Here are a few photos of the units in use:

The day the new Hobie Revolution kayaks arrived, they were put to use immediately!

During a recent project to make a custom cover for my 11-foot Delphin dinghy, we used five of them. This was good for all the wrestling and fixturing; now that the dink is just sitting quietly in my yard, it is perched on three stands.

They also work well for inflatable kayaks, as long as the boats are pumped up firmly enough to not sag too much.

There are lots of ways to do this more beautifully (and expensively) with wood, aluminum tubing, or other materials... but for a quick solution to an annoying problem, simplicity and low cost are Good Things. The same technique can also be used to keep your sailboat mast off the ground while the boat is in surgery or off-season storage, as it's easy to relocate the stands as needed to gain access to parts of the rig that need to be serviced.

Cheers from Nomadic Research Labs!
Steve

Mesh Slings for Sale

Due to the tricky sewing and exotic fabrics involved in making a proper sling that will neither hold moisture against the kayak hull nor induce deformity by concentrating the load over too skinny an area, we have decided to produce these here in the Pacific Northwest and make them available via web order. The cost is $27.50 for a PAIR, plus a flat $2.00 for shipping regardless of how many you want (one pair is a 4-ounce package in a poly bubble envelope, and costs us about $2.00 including the mailer; for larger quantities, keeping the shipping price the same is our way of offering a quantity discount without the complexities of a PayPal shopping cart). The mesh is blue; tunnel colors are assorted.

For each stand, you'll need to locally acquire the PVC and bolts as specified above. A pair of stands will support any kayak, including doubles, and has been tested here in the lab to 250 pounds (a week loaded with a 2x10 board stacked with concrete blocks had no discernable effect on the slings). We have recently (November 2009) changed the design slightly to maximize the sling's ability to conform to hull shape; by removing the edge binding shown in some of the photos (which was largely cosmetic anyway), we have made certain that loading on the hull is as uniform as possible.

The "Buy Now" button below will allow you to purchase a package of two slings via PayPal. Washington state residents will be charged sales tax. If you want a huge quantity, need more than one for international shipment, or have special requests, please get in touch directly.

We can easily take Visa/MC directly by phone/fax/mail (or even a check the old-fashioned way) - please email for contact info if you prefer this instead Paypal.

Cheers and thanks from Nomadic Research Labs!

Kayak Stand Mesh Slings - $27.50/pair plus a flat $2.00 First Class Mail regardless of quantity - a single pair is usually a 3-ounce pagckage.

Made in the USA

We also produce kayak paddle bags under the Technomadic Designs name.

User Feedback

If you use this design and would like to share a photo or comment, please contact me.

Martha in Arlington Heights, Illinois:

Thanks so much for providing the directions and the slings for the stands on the Internet. I was investigating storage options for my Necky Looksha and Perception Tribute and I was horrified at the price tags. Google led me to your much more reasonable solution.

Logan in Richmond, Kentucky:

Hey, special thanks for the mesh to make the kayak stands. Finally got around to making them not too long ago and they work great on keeping my two Hobie Revo's up off the ground. Thanks again!

Jerome in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey:

What a great and practical solution to the boat sling problem. The ones I have been using cost $100+ each. That gets impractical after a while.

Scott Kafer in Odessa, Florida:

The whole project took about one hour to assemble -- a slow and easy pace. My hardware store cut all the PVC to length making the overall project move right along. Also, I'm not sure you need to cement the joints, mine is merely press-fitted and works just fine. FYI, my sit-on-top tips the scales at 52 lbs. Another good point to note (with use of the stands), you can rinse off and dry your kayak prior to placing same on a roof rack -- thus sparing the car's paint from the hazards of salt water and sand. That's important to note since many folks shy-away from roof racks due to the issue of salt water and sand. Thanks for a great product! Your stands cost much less than half of what I've seen in kayak stores -- and the quality and build is superior!

John in Northport, New York, writes:

Got the mesh slings, and put the stand together following your instructions for supplies: 1,2,3. Easy as pie. They're great. Thanks! I'll spread the word.

Here's John's Hobie Adventure Island on the stands, with a Hobie kayak cover: