JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COM Lindsay Peters of Go Bananas Hawaii in Kapahulu, demonstrates how the device makes it easier to load a kayak to the roofrack of a vehicle

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Need a lift?

The Hullavator roof rack makes
it easier to load a kayak

If you've ever loaded a kayak on your car, you know what a challenge it can be.

Thule Racks "Hullavator" kayak carrier Suggested Price: $399 Available on Oahu: Go Bananas, 799 Kapahulu Ave., 737-9514; or 98-390 Kamehameha Highway (next to Dixie Grill in Aiea), 487-3400 E-mail: info@gobananaskayaks.com On the Net: www.thuleracks.com Features » Reduces the power needed to load a boat to the roof of a vehicle by 50 percent, according to manufacturers. » The lift system functions without any vehicle contact and reduces the traditional loading height by more than three feet. » Takes up only 28 inches of the load bar. » Accommodates kayaks/boats up to 30 inches wide. » The load bar spread must be at least 24 inches, and the load bar must extend a minimum of four feet past the foot. Longer bars might be required for certain applications. » Mounts to a Thule or Yakima crossbar system.

Lifting a kayak atop an SUV, truck or minivan can be especially difficult for a woman when the watercraft weighs 65-pounds plus. While traditional roof racks hold the watercraft firmly in place once it's loaded, getting it settled in the racks can be touchy.

With the Thule's innovative Hullavator, the kayak only needs to be lifted to about waist height, and the loader fitted with pneumatic gas tubes provides the extra muscle to make loading and unloading a breeze no matter your height or strength.

The Hullavator is an innovative alternative to traditional roof rack kayak carriers. The lift system is engineered to bring the boat loading platform down to the user's level, enabling anyone to load and unload any type of kayak much more effortlessly.

The Hullavator dramatically reduces traditional loading height by more than three feet, reducing the power needed to load a boat to the vehicle's roof rack by as much as 50 percent. That's because gas-assist shocks in the cradle help to raise the kayak onto the vehicle's roof rack.

I've been thinking about adding kayaking to my arsenal of water activities, especially for those no-surf days. So when I heard about the Hullavator, I wanted to give it a try.

This is an industrial-strength, serious rack, and it took me longer than I expected to assemble the first cradle. But like all Thule products -- I've been a Thule devotee for more than a decade -- the fittings and general assembly are practical, and the second cradle came together in just a few minutes. The cradles holding the kayak sit atop another long and narrow rack attachment.

The Hullavator's cradles can be left on the rack -- there's a puka for locks to prevent theft -- but be aware that some parking structures are too low for most Hullavator-equipped SUVs, trucks and vans. At the Restaurant Row garage, I stopped just in time when I saw low-hanging pipes only slightly higher than my roof line. Knowing the height hazards, Thule engineers designed the cradles for easy removal. It takes just a few seconds to remove them.

Another nice feature: The Hullavator can live side by side with other Thule rack carriers -- I have Thule's new Hang Two surfboard carrier on the other side -- because the lift system only requires about 25 inches of space for mounting.

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JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COM Peters prepares a kayak for mounting onto the new Hullavator by Thule.

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