Loading a Kayak at 80 

I know, it's quite an investment. It used to be $600. But for me it was worth it. I used it this morning, and at 84 yrs, I can still get it on my car myself. Well worth it to me!

After watching this video I ordered this Kayak carrier. I am 61 so I hope I have 20 years to follow in this grandma shoes. I want to grow old following in her footsteps.

Kayaking at 80! Well done!! Love that Hullavator system. Makes loading and unloading very easy. That set of rear travel wheels will help you as well. Happy yaking!

Well done! thanks for making this video, I have now ordered my own set and there is nothing stopping me in the future. You are an inspiration!

I currently kayak with a few 80+ year olds, I’m 63 with two artificial lumbar discs and a body decimated by non-Hodgkins Lymphoma + Chemo, The Hullavator Pro is amazing! I have two atop my Audi SQ5, loading 17’ to 18’ sea kayaks is a breeze by myself, I’ll have to try your kayak stand method to make it even easier. Thank you and happy paddling!

You definitely inspired me to follow in your foot steps ...appreciated, a healthy 76 and thankful

Great. I applaud your enthusiasm.

Wow. I can only hope I've got it going on at 60 the way you do at 80. Joan... you rock.

Well done Joan, thats showing the young bulls how to avoid injury , very inspirational & a testament to why you are able to still enjoy whatever life has to offer

Joan this is fabulous - thank you - I also have a Revo 11 and have been struggling to load it on top of my SUV using a Rhino Side Loader for a year and have nearly had some catastrophic mishaps..I have replicated your method and it is a breeze - it's a game changer for me because I was starting to see the loading/unloading issue as a barrier to getting out on the water...thanks you so much and also for the inspiration to keep paddling! With good wishes to you from Melbourne, Australia

Hi Joan.. Hope you're still kayaking. Stay strong.

You’re awesome! I’m not 80, but at 5’1”, I think this is an absolutely great idea. Thank you for sharing😊

You go girl! You have some good ideas

You are gem. I hope you are still kayaking x

Very ingenious! Thank you!

I just wanted to say you look really great and healthy!

badass. that Thule rack is a pretty sweet piece of gear.

Thank you for sharing this, I am truly inspired by your independence and problem solving. Thanks

Thank you!!!

What an inspiration! Joan, I hope I'm kayaking at 80 like you!! Keep paddling for many more years

Your fantastic, thank you for this video!

So cool! Thank you! 😎

Joan I have just watched you load your Hobie, your so inspiring and look awesome at your ago, I hope I follow in your footstep. I have a Hobie 11 as well and love it, have had mine for 9 years now, one of the first generation ones, hubbie has one as well and he loads them on the Truck, BUT I wanted to go on my own as well, so I invented a roller stand that straps to the back of my Subaru. So often have lovely guys ask if I need help but they watch and say no she’s got this lol. Love my Hobie but at 32 kg they are heavy when you get older. I’m nearly 60 and only weigh 56 kg, hope to be kayaking for another 20 years. xx all the best happy peddling Deb

You are awesome!

Bravissima. Good solution.

Well it works. Only thing is The Thule Hullavator is the price of three kayaks?

WOW 🤩 Excellent job ✅ 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🤪

You are quite admirable, Joan. I'm an older paddler, too. Hope I'm in as good a shape as you when I'm 80! Good thinking on your set up there.

Ingenuous, Joan! Just seeing this now, having purchased the now $900 msrp Hullavators. They certainly didn't put one penny into improving the instructions or packing hardware Ikea style in shrink wrap with clear identification! As for using them, this is not one size fits all! Ease of use by one depends on your height, strength, wingspan and knee condition, and your vehicle and roof rack height as well as kayak dimensions and weight. Our Chevy Tahoe means we have to do an Olympic Clean to nearly shoulder height to set the kayak in the cradles, or do a high curl and risk ripping biceps. Can't wait to try that tray stand idea! Also like the knee pad idea, but I can't kneel, so I reach around under and squeeze the handles one at a time from a standing position, just have to lift up a little to keep each side free to rise. Now if I can figure out how to push the kayak up and over without doing a head-butt or using a step-stool, I'll be a little less aggravated. Wishing you continued health, longevity and happiness, Joan. Thanks again!

That's awesome what's the roof rack system called?

Love that quicksand 4Runner trd pro on the right

Great idea. What is the proper name of the folding devices and where can they be purchased

Great idea but I can’t afford the fold down holders😫I’m 64 and about to go pick up my new kayak ! Hope I can lift it, it’s only 40 lbs but I have back issues

god love her! amazing

Great idea!

Amazing. Thank you. good video. I think I will buy an equal model for my car. Greetings.

That’s a great solution. I bought my wife a slipstream wee lassie. It weighs only 13 pounds, and she loves it.

Joan, How did the op go? Like getting your life back isnt it? PS what is your Sony lens collection?

Your an inspiration !

I wish that I had seen this video before I bought my Yakima trailer. I love it, and have a cargo box on it beside the kayak. However, there are a couple of parks that don't allow trailers. It's stupid! My kayak weighs 81 pounds.

You are an amazing woman at 80. Yes, I have seen those Hullavators and they work nicely. I have a Rhino Rack 1500 VA System on my high Profile Tundra Truck. The bars on the vortex are not square or round, they are more shaped like an egg (narrow in the front and wider in the back). Would you know, if the Hullavator would work on the Rhino Rack or are they designed specifically for Thule?

Will this fit 2 kayaks?

Legend~!

brava! i just got a hullavator and was told it wouldn't fit on my prius prime. i had 53" bars that only extend about 2" from the roof -- is it true that i need at least 4" of clearance to make this work?

Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooodjob~!!!!!

How do I get my kayak to quit making a whistleing noise on top of my suv. it sounds like someone forgot to put the window up. please help someone its making me crazy

Well I have done everything that has been suggested to me about my kayak whistleing on top of my suv. i have twisted ropes and turned the kayak to the inside of the car. you can now see the back side first. It is still whistleing. I don't know what else to do. i can't stand the noise. Any more suggestions?

Almost better to find a small utility trailer to tow behind that Prius; great for hauling kayaks and trips to Home Depot!

Et demander de l'aide à quelqu'un c'est pas possible ?

better solution ; buy a trailer If you can't afford a high end new kayak trailer then a used jet ski trailer will work

Thank you for this video! 4 years later, and it's still enormously helpful! The first time I tried loading with the Hullavator, I could not lift it by standing in front of it, and I wound up also using the Hercules-style lift. (I'm a 52 year old woman). Because all of the other videos of men effortlessly lifting it up, I thought I was doing something wrong or had installed it incorrectly. Your video showed me otherwise,. I'm very grateful!

Great job, Joan. You're a true inspiration.

you are inspirational! Well done...

Wow - you’re incredible Joan! I hope to be paddling in my 70s and I’m only 58. Truly inspirational 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Remarkable ! i admire your ingenuity and motivation. thank youfor this vdo.

Great job! My only suggestion is to look into an Eddyline kayak…only 35 pounds!

THANK YOU ❤❤❤ I was getting so frustrated not being able to lift my 75pound kayak high enough for the power assist to kick in! You saved my summer! 😊

Love it! 51yo and trying to figure how to load. Thanks so much!

Dang girl, you just won't stop. Totally impressed.

You rock kid! Love it. Let me know if you ever get to the Northern Neck, I'd consider it an honor to host you for a paddle. (only if you load my kayak though)

Wow! 80 and loading and kayaking by yourself!! Not to mention filming for RU-vid!! Awesome!!

Love that loader. The device is cool too 👍👍Thanks for sharing.

Awesome video! Thank you!! I was looking for a video that showed a woman using the Hullavator. I definitely appreciated finding yours! I am getting up there in years and don't need to know how a 20 year old is going to load her kayak. :) Do you unload it using the stands also, or can you get it off the rack without them?

Looking into buying the stands...I already have the hullavator. I'm getting a new boat next month that will be heavier than my current one. And I'm short, so I need something to help me get the boat up by myself. Thank you for the ideas, Joan. I sure hope that when I reach your age, I'm 65 now, that I'll still be at it like you are.

Hi Joan, I have same system for my kayak -love it and I know how hard is point when you load kayak and want press, hold and lift so will start going on , even for me it's difficult but please don't use your head or neck , I figured with using 5" spring clams , on each hande.. Press ,hold and put spring clamp same direction how you putting hand will keep holding trigger , than do on other side , than put hands on kayak I'm middle and just lift , when kayak/canoe will set up , just release clamps and done ☺️ please save your head and neck 😉 btw new season is coming and wish you best

An innovative idea to overcome a problem. Need is the mother of Invention, they say. If possible, I suggest the side mirror be pushed against the car, if possible, until the kayak is loaded.

Great job! I am 68, small Asian woman...it is getting harder for me to load my kayak and I was dreading the day when it was so inconvenient that I would no longer take my boat out. I am so glad you made this video, I will use the same method and look forward to many more years of kayaking. Thank you a thousand times!

If you flipped the kayak so that the bottom was on the rack, you would find it much easier

Nice video. For anyone unfamiliar with the Thule Hullivator, it really makes loading easier. It's expensive in one sense, but a good investment if you consider repairing a dent in the side of your car roof costs at least $200 and back surgery is 100x that. Her use of the little stands is clever. I'd point out that a Prius is already low to the ground which makes this setup look perfect. My SUV is higher and that creates a challenge with any type of lift assist. Stooping beneath the yak to push up with her shoulders is probably not the right move. It can compress the spine or strain it unnaturally. Otherwise, hats off for this solution! My personal solution is an upsidedown "L" shaped horizontal and vertical bar combo that connects to my front roof rack temporarily. I lift the front of my yak up on the bar, that takes only half the effort of lifting all 50 lbs. I then lift the back up while stepping up on a small step stool and push the yak up onto my Yakima J bars. It isn't pretty, but it works. I'm 6'1" and 160lbs and over 65. If I keep kayaking, I may get a Hullivator.

AS OF TODAY, THE PRICE HAS GONE UP TO $920. THERE ARE LESS EXPENSIVE WAYS TO MOUNT A KAYAK ON A CAR.

I think a small trailer would have been a better option but I am very impressed.

Wow a strong woman… good work!

Thule Hullavator is not cheap. I saw one on Amazon for almost a grand.

Thanks for the tips, very helpful !!!

Wow! I was reading the Hullavator Pro blog from Enviroyak and found you in the comments which brought me to this video. First of all; you're amazing! Like you, I'm an outdoors gal but a young one at 68 and I sure hope to be like you when I'm 80. Great video, and very inspirational. Thanks for all the tips and keep on going strong sister!😘

I wish they made a crane that would attached to the car

Very clever idea! I can just barely lift my Hobie Sport onto the cradles, but each boat hull is different. The Sport is only 9' long, but I will remember how you did this in case I need more help in the future or use a longer hull. Hope to see you out there on the water some fine day!

Great job on so many levels. Adapting and overcoming at its best. Outstanding demonstration of out thinking a heavy inanimate object.

God bless kiddo, stay in it. You're such an inspiration 💛

My wife and I love this video. I just mounted two Hullvators on my truck today. There might be some Seahorses in my future. Joan, thank you very much.

You're completely bad ass! Happy paddling Joan. Cheers.

PERFECT! My mother is 80+ and I'm taking her kayaking in a few weeks (her first time). I was beginning to second guess my decision until I saw this. LOVE IT! You inspire me!

Awesome video , sweety you don’t look 80 at all , Thanks for the tips .

WAY TO GO! I want to be as active as you when I get to your age! Keep rocking!

Well done on handling this heavy boat by yourself at 80! Much kudos. 70 lb & only 11 feet long, Yikes! The problem is manufacturers making kayaks way too heavy. Back in the early 70s, I got into slalom kayaking for high school sport. This is not high level competition, we just used a simple cheap fiberglass construction & made our boats during the summer holidays from materials and molds supplied through the local canoe club. I made 2 boats a few years apart. In those days, the boats were 13 ft long & 2 feet wide. The 1st boat weighed 40lb, but with the 2nd boat I was more savvy about weight & was more careful not to over wet out the layup. That boat weighed 28 lb, it was a more modern design of that time (Letterman Olymp) & my favorite boat. I should point out that serious competition boats of that time were made of carbon fiber & Kevelar & they weighed less than half this weight. So, from my perspective an 11 foot 70 lb kayak is just ridiculously overweight. It's been pretty much par for the course these since the advent of PE Kayaks though. You can still buy fiberglass and not thermo-form kayaks, both of which kayaks which are still much lighter weight than the roto-moldered PU kayaks like that Hobie one. The less it weighs, the less water you gave to push through when paddling, so every aspect of kayaking becomes easier the lighter weight the boat is. Some people still make skin on frame kayaks which are the lightest weight of all constructions & with modern materials can still be reasonably robust. People used to make kayaks in their garages & it is still possible to do that & it doesn't take much skill before you begin either. learn as you go. However, the lighter the boat is, the less robust, so just take a little care & don't seal launch off cliffs, or paddle over waterfalls or oyster beds etc. Just be a bit sensible & reasonable about how you treat the boat & it will reward you.

Excellent video, thank you. What are those wheels you had on there? They look like they take up less space than some I have seen people using. I am also glad to see more people loading their kayaks into the Hullavator face down like you do too. I don't want mine holding water on top of my car since I will be traveling with it on there.

LOVE IT! I too have been looking for a way to get my kayak on my roof. The use of the stands is a great idea IF the stands are the same height as the hullivator arms. I am assuming that changes with the height of the vehicle. Do the stands adjust in height?

Smart, determined, sharp thinking, please continue your inspirational videos. Great solution BTW.

Thank you so much for sharing this, Joan! My mother just turned 80 and started kayaking. She's been asking about ideas to make it possible for her to transport her kayak, and I'm sure she'll find this helpful, as do I. I may not be 80, but as a small person I find it challenging to get my own kayak on the roof of my small SUV! Very inspiring! Enjoy your adventures!

Wow Joan! Great shape for 80. I can only hope🤤. Thanks much👍

85 years old? Wtf?! Really? You looks like 57!! I want you! I'm 42! Ha ha I'm going to kayaking my whole life. Thanks for sharing this. Keep it on! I recommend you trying to fish in a kayak if didn't yet

You are an AMAZING inspiration!!!!!

Outstanding

Wow, outstanding!!! I hope to get at your age that healty!!!

You look so cute handling that all by yourself. Love it. Keep paddling!!

Nice video!!! the doubt is: is the revo too heavy for the Thule Hullavator? I think the limit for the lift is up to 18kg...(sorry for my english, I'm from Italy) ;-)

Joan, you're incredible and I want to be just like you when I grow up......I am only 52 so being like you is my ultimate goal!! Keep on keeping on and living life to the fullest!!! xoxoxo!!

Worth every cent for us mature aged folks.

That Thule rack costs twice what I paid for my kayak.

#lifegoals When I am 80 I hope to still be paddling!