I have a factory roof rack and slit my noodle only 3/4 of the way through - it then slips right onto the rack crossbar. I agree; if you strap it down tight, the "noodle rack" is solid as a rock.

: As I put my finishing touches on my Panache, I realized that my "kayak
: fund" was about empty and I had not purchased any type of roof rack
: cradles or padding to transport my beloved yak to the lake yet. So,
: inspired by my daughter playing in her backyard kiddie pool with a foam
: water noodle, I ran up to the store and purchased a $3.99 foam noodle. I
: cut it down the middle length-wise, giving me two semi-circular tubes. I
: strapped these securely (flat side facing the car, curved side facing the
: yak) to the kayak and then strapped the whole boat to the top of our cars.
: One car has a factory-rack on it, the other car does not. The cheep
: padding works perfectly and protects both the cars and kayak. I suppose I
: could spend $40 for foam blocks or a few hundred for Thule/Yakima gear,
: but the $4 option seems to do the trick just fine.

: Hope this helps some other 'budget builders.'
: -Mark

: p.s. - the initial voyage of the Panache was great! It takes almost no effort
: to move through the water. Great design, Rob.