Review: The Other Stuff

Ever tried to wrestle a kayak onto the roof of a sport-utility vehicle? Anyone who has will be happy to discover Yakima's new HullyRoller (888-925-4621), an innovative rack mount that let's you hoist your rig with single-handed ease. Yakima eschewed the typical system of flexible nylon hammocks, which tend to grapple with a boat as you try to slide it into position, for four sets of thermoplastic wheels that pivot to accept a hull of any size or shape. Simply maneuver the bow onto the rear rollers, lift the stern, and push; it's not much harder than closing a large file cabinet drawer. Once you've loaded the boat, lock the wheels with the simple flip of a lever and cinch everything down with straps at each end.

To be fair, this perch, which costs $110 if you already have a Yakima rack ($175-$250 if you need everything), doesn't quite do the motherly job of cradling your boat that conventional mounts do. If your plans call for a lengthy detour over washboard roads, you'll be wise to use extra tie-downs, lest you have to stop and recinch the load every so often. Still, you can rest assured that this setup will withstand the heaviest of winds and the twistiest of roads — anything, really, that an SUV can handle. — Jonathan Hanson

Outdoor Research Spring Ring Headnet

If slathering bug-dope on your face gives you the heebie-jeebies — or worse, a rash — you might consider repelling the invaders with Outdoor Research's new Spring Ring Headnet ($10; 888-467-4327). Pull it over your noggin like a Saints fan donning a paper bag; a stainless steel ring at the neck keeps the netting at a comfortable three inches from your face, while a cord-locking drawstring gathers the bottom together at your shirt collar. In the north woods, where voracious black flies and mosquitoes dive-bomb any exposed patch of flesh, the Headnet's tight weave turns them back with the effectiveness of a shark cage. Of course, it's not the most comfortable piece of headgear, especially on a sultry Vermont day, but at least the mesh is black, which makes it easy to see through. And best of all, the ring is hinged, so that it coils into a flat four-inch hoop that'll fit into a fanny pack or even the back pocket of your khakis.

— Jerry Gibbs

Removable Surfboard Fins

There are essentially two kinds of surfers in the world: those who've snapped a fin and those who haven't — yet. Whether the damage comes from a coral outcropping or courtesy of a clumsy baggage handler, the fate of the fragile surfboard fin has seemed all but inevitable. Until this season. A host of board makers have incorporated into their designs a recently viable innovation: removable fins. Now you can take off your fins while traveling, or replace a broken one in minutes. Moreover, you suddenly have the luxury of choosing a fin that best suits the conditions, since numerous options are available. Each brand attaches to the board in a slightly different manner, but regardless of your preference, you won't be reduced to making castles in the sand while your compadres are getting barreled.

O'Fish'L — They're the lightest fins around, but the real selling point is that they install sans wrench or screwdriver. After all, says one spokesman, "Kids today just aren't good with tools."

How They Work: A rectangular fin foot presses into a slot in the fin box and is secured by a plastic clip that wedges between fin and board. You'll want to have few extra clips in your board bag, just in case.

Found On: Robert August and Harbour boards

Fins: 13 shapes. $8-$24. 714-496-4798

Fin Control Systems — The word here is availability. FCS has dealers at the best breaks around the globe, so a snapped fin in Bali won't be any more tragic than one in Ventura.

How They Work: Two tabs on each fin plug into the board like a giant electric socket, and a recessed Allen screw locks each one into place.

Found On: Rusty, Channel Islands, and Spyder boards

Fins: 11 shapes. $34-$50. 619-490-4343

Lokbox — This is one of two systems that fine-tunes your ride beyond swapping fin shapes: You can slide the fins a half-inch forward for lip-bashing in small surf or move them back for soul-searching tube rides. You can also have any of Lokbox's fins custom-shaped.

How They Work: Each fin slides into a snug slot and fastens with the turn of a screw.

Found On: Xanadu, Surf Prescriptions, South Coast, Jeff Clark, and HSO boards

Fins: 25 standard shapes, and any number of custom models. $17-$40. 760-753-0255

Excel Fin Systems — These also allow a half-inch of back-and-forth travel, and the deeper-than-average fin box yields stiffness and thus a measure of responsiveness to your cutbacks.

How They Work: The fins slip into the fin box and fasten with a slotted screw from the deck side of the board.

Found On: Randy Cone, IG, and JC Hawaii boards

Fins: Two shapes. $30. 805-583-0057

— Joel Bourne

Photograph by Eric O'Connell,
Kayak courtesy of Wild River Sports, Santa Fe