> Funny you should post this now -- I have a Thule set-up on order for my
> new Golf. You won't see it on the Thule site yet, but they have a new
> system that's similar to Yakima's 'Hully Rollers' but they call them
> 'Hydroglide Saddles.' It's a pair of small saddles for the rear bar that
> are covered with a low-friction polypropylene surface. Just like the
> rollers, you park the bow end on them and slide the kayak foreward into
> the H2GO saddles on the front. The big advantage over Yakima is that these
> slick saddles have a larger contact area, so the stresses of strapping the
> kayak down are lower. There have been kayakers who have cracked their
> boats on Hully Rollers due to the small contact patch.

Yak has introduced a new saddle called the Mako --- very similar to the new Thules, and actually introduced six months earlier than Thule. They look a little like inverted toilet plungers, but they work well --- similar to the Hydoroglides you described above.

> Another drawback to Yakimas is that the components can sometimes rotate around the bar as you load your boat, making loading difficult and even damaging your vehicle.

You can eliminate that by attaching a small patch of the screen used in sanding drywall between the bar and the attachment "snaparounds" --- gives a good grip and prevents unintended bar rotation.

Jack