Malone SeaWing & Stinger Combo

Load Assist Kayak Rack for Any Size Boat

Malone has been designing and producing auto racks and sports trailers for the past 25 years. They were the first company to introduce the J-Cradle kayak carrier and the first to introduce a single-piece V-style kayak carrier to North America. Malone was also the first to offer load assist modules that can be integrated with kayak carriers.

What the Seawing and Stinger combo does best is making an affordable kayak rack for solo yakkers who need to load different boats with different dimensions. Transport shouldn’t consume time or energy–it shouldn’t prevent a solo paddler from getting out on the water–and this system executes on this well.

From delivery to installation to expedition and back again, the SeaWing Stinger proved a durable and convenient solution to a common logistical necessity for kayakers.

The rack itself is such high quality for the price. Whether you’re paddling alone or with friends, the wing-style cradles will keep your boat safe from damage and secure even during the most bumpy rides.

Installation

Installing the Seawing and Stinger system is incredibly simple. Despite statements that no tools are required, you will need a Phillips screwdriver for the second step to attach the V-Block to the mounting frame. This was our only surprise in the entire installation process. Everything else was straightforward, taking anywhere between five to fifteen minutes.

The rear carrier and the extension frame of the SeaWing are attached to a mounting plate on your rear crossbar. This allows the loading frame to extend out 25” to the rear of your vehicle. You can attach the mounting plate as far to the edge of your vehicle as you would like. If you’re planning to carry two kayaks on your vehicle simultaneously, you will want to ensure there is enough room to attach another cradle.

The Jawz brackets are a quick and simple way to attach the carriers to your crossbars and allow for all shapes and sizes of racks. If you have square crossbars, the carrier’s base has a rectangular cutout that fits snugly over the crossbar. If your crossbar is round or oval, this cutout will not affect installation.

The rear mounting plate comes with 70mm bolts that are long enough to fit most custom and aftermarket racks. These bolts are longer than the front attachments because they need to feed through the mounting place and the carrier. The front bolts are 60mm, as they only need to feed through the carrier.

Because the SeaWing Stinger Combo requires very little assembly, you can install it in under ten minutes by following the detailed instruction manual. The Malone FoldAway-5 comes with two mounting brackets as opposed to the one of the SS Combo, so it takes a little longer to install.

The Thule Hullavator, on the other hand, which is also a load-assist carrier, took at least an hour to install. Out of these options, the SS Combo was the quickest and most basic to install.

System Weight

The Malone SS Combo is extraordinarily lightweight for a load-assist carrier, weighing only 15.6 lbs compared to the 39.4 lbs of the Thule Hullovator. Though some muscle work is needed to get a full-sized kayak on top of your vehicle with the SS Combo, there’s no struggle to install it on your vehicle or when moving it around if you need to take it on and off.

The advantage of having such a lightweight carrier to transport your kayak is that it won’t add a lot of extra pounds to your crossbars. If you’re planning to transport two or even three kayaks on your vehicle at a time, which you could do by adding the Malone FoldAway-5, you need to make sure the kayaks and carriers don’t exceed your maximum load limit for the crossbars.

The extension frame is so light that it’s easy to question whether it can support the weight of a 75lbs kayak. But the polycarbonate construction is so strong and flexible that it can withstand the full weight of your kayak as it slides over the top.

Versatility / Adjustability

The Malone SS Combo is versatile in its ability to securely transport your kayak and support the loading of your boat onto the roof of your car. Although you’re limited to only carrying a single kayak in this carrier compared to the Malone FoldAway-5, which can carry two kayaks, canoes, and boards of almost any width, the load assist function puts this rack in a completely different category.

The SeaWing cradle is wide enough to fit most kayaks comfortably and securely, with a maximum width of 32”. This includes wider sit on top crafts like fishing kayaks. The V-Block on the load assist extension is also shaped to accommodate any shape of kayak hull when loading.

The extension arm of the Malone SS Combo can lengthen to 25”, which on a typical SUV is more than enough to reach the rear end of your vehicle. The pads on the end of the extension frame should sit right on the edge of your vehicle to act like a cushion between the frame and your vehicle. This means you may not need to extend the frame the entire way depending on your vehicle size and where your crossbars are mounted.

Stability

The Malone SS Combo is attached to your vehicle’s crossbars using a mounting plate for the rear carrier and extension frame, two Jawz Brackets, four bolts, and four T-Knobs, which loosen and tighten the carriers. Once tightly secured, the wing-shaped carrier frames will not move, but you should always make sure that the T-knobs are tightened securely.

Because no tools are needed for installation (except for a Phillips screwdriver), the T-Knobs are tightened by hand, which means they could be prone to coming loose faster than a bolt that uses an Allen key. For added safety, Malone has included bow and stern safety tie-downs to ensure your boat remains securely in place during transportation.

These tie-downs have also been included because the load straps feed through the two slots at the end of each wing, meaning the kayak is securely strapped to the carrier, not to the car. Many carriers will suggest tying the straps under the cross bars for added protection, which you can still do if you’re concerned. But the tie-downs will ensure the kayak won’t move during transportation, even if one of the cradles did become loose for some reason.

Malone’s Lifetime Limited Warranty depends on using the safety tie-downs when transporting your kayak, so it’s always a good idea to do so.

Loading / Unloading

We were excited to test out the load assist function of the SeaWing Stinger Combo given everything we’d read about it. It did not disappoint. The extension frame slides out easily and can be loosely tightened once you have it at a length where the rubber pads sit against the rear end of your vehicle when flexed.

Don’t be concerned with how much the extension frame flexes when the weight of the boat is resting upon it. This is exactly how the design is supposed to work. The V-Block keeps the bow of your kayak straight and aligned with the carriers so that when you push the kayak up and onto the rack it slides on straight.

It can be very difficult to load a sea kayak single handedly from the rear of your vehicle onto J-Bars like the Malone FoldAway-5. With rack systems like this, we always need to protect the back of the vehicle from scratches using a piece of foam, blanket or towel. With the Malone SS Combo, you don’t need any of those items, plus the extension arm takes some of the weight out of the lift and helps to slide your kayak easily onto the carriers.

The load assist function of the Malone SS Combo is not as high-tech as the Thule Hullovator, which extends down the side of your vehicle so you can load your kayak at waist height. But the Malone SS Combo is about a third of the weight and a quarter of the price.

If you’re only looking for a little extra load support when paddling on your own, the Malone SS Combo is like having an extra set of hands guiding your kayak onto the roof of your vehicle.

The extension frame can also be used when unloading your kayak and works well. Our only warning is that because the frame flexes down so easily and because the V-Block is smooth and allows the kayak to slide well, your kayak may come down at you a lot faster than you’re expecting. This happened the first time we tested unloading, and is something you should be aware of when using it for the first time.

Ease of Use

The Malone SS Combo makes strapping your kayak to the carrier simple with the two slots on either side of the wings. This means you can set the straps on the carrier before loading your kayak and feed them over it and through the opposite slots once in position.

Other than having to screw the extension frame and carrier onto the mounting plate and attach the V-Block, the Malone SS Combo is practically ready to use straight out of the box. Its lightweight construction means it’s easy to install, and the one mounting bracket is easy to take off.

Like the Malone FoldAway-5, the SS Combo cannot be locked to your vehicle. Because it is only secured to the vehicle using a single bracket and two T–knobs, you may want to remove it if parking in a high-theft area.

Price/Quality Ratio:

You can purchase the Malone SS Combo from Malone’s website for USD $229.95, which is a fraction of the price compared to other load assist carriers like the Thule Hullovator, which retails for over $1,000.

Malone’s mission is to produce affordable, easy-to-install, and simple-to-use auto racks and sport trailers, and the SS Combo holds true to all three of these points. Its corrosion-resistant polycarbonate construction makes it lightweight, strong, and able to withstand the elements if you leave it on your car year-round.

The Malone SS Combo is also an attractive-looking piece of gear. It’s low profile enough not to worry too much about height restrictions in parking lots and easy enough to take off if it pushes you over the limit.

What we loved most about this rack is Malone’s attention to the small things. They have included four rubber plugs to fit over the holes where the bolts go through to protect your kayak and the hardware from the elements. It’s these small details that set Malone apart from the numerous brands of kayak carriers on the market.

The only accessory we don’t love is the load straps, though these are not manufactured by Malone and simply come with the product, so you have everything you need. We found it hard to thread the end of the strap through the cam buckle and retract the end of the strap out of the cam buckle when removing the boat from the racks.

We might have got a particularly finicky set of straps, but this was our only complaint about the quality. The carrier itself far exceeded our expectations.

Do we recommend it?

The Malone SS Combo is a fantastic product. We would highly recommend this kayak carrier to anyone looking for an affordable rack that can fit almost any shape and size of kayak, including sit on top kayaks.

The wing-style carriers on their own are fantastic, but the added bonus of the load assist extension frame is like icing on the cake. This function helps with the heaving lifting of your kayak when loading solo from the rear of your vehicle. For many people, this can be the difference between getting your boat onto the water or putting the idea to bed.

The affordability of this rack makes it accessible to most people. There are products on the market like the Thule Hullovator, which takes almost all the muscle strain out of loading your kayak. But the Hullovator is almost four times as expensive, heavier, and more complicated to install.

If you’re looking for a kayak carrier that is easy to use, affordable, simple to install, and allows you to easily load a full-sized kayak from the rear of your vehicle by yourself, the Malone SS Combo is the perfect option.