Jackson Kayak/GoPro “Levator” Elevated Mount for Kayaks Now Available for Purchase! by ericjackson | Dec 13, 2012 | the innovator, Whitewater | 42 comments Nick using the Levator GoPro mount by JK- set on .5 second intervals for photos Taking photos or video of kayaking has never been easier than it is today with the invention of the GoPro camera and mounts that work on helmets, boats, paddles, etc.. There is one angle that is almost never seen and produces the most impressive shots in kayaking, the head level shot from the bow or stern. Many kayakers have figured out how to make one with lots of effort, cost, and usually some damage to the kayak. Finally a design that requires no tools, is super versatile, and is truly innovative. Simply hook the mount on the grab handle, tighten down, and off you go! Production model has Silver Vertical Tube Here is a “GoPro How To” video on using the mount for filming: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkGnfn2jRXE&feature=plcp[/youtube] Check out the GoPro facebook post… For some photos- many you might have seen recently if you are a friend on my Facebook page: Notice the Bow mounted position for this shot To Buy the Levator see your local Jackson Kayak Dealer or Go to the Jackson Kayak Store- Click Here If you have seen my “Journey of a Little Man” video I made of KC, I discovered that this mount quickly locks onto your windshield wipers as well getting some cool driving angles… I haven’t really experimented to see how many places I can use this mount besides the bow, stern and swimmer grab handles, but I am sure there are plenty! As Team JK start getting their mounts, look for lots of new angles and cool shots coming up! This is a fun toy to play with! MADE in TN- USA at our Jackson Kayak factory. See you on the Water! 🙂 EJ P.s This is the first accessory design done my by father, James Jackson. That is right, another Jackson is now a part of Jackson Kayak. Jim Jackson (known as Dad) has spent the past 20 years working as a design engineer directly under Dean Kamen of Deka. Before that designing copy machines and before that for 20 years, at Piper Aircraft as an advanced design engineer. Now, he works as a designer at Jackson Kayak and this is just one example of his innovative style! Small, simple, lightweight, but super effective and easy to use! Thanks Dad!! 42 Comments Chris on December 13, 2012 at 2:09 pm WOW! Great design with the Levator. Saw your review and I’m very interested in it. Does this by chance work with the Stomper? I know it should work on most boats with metal grab loops, but I worry that the opening underneath the grab loop is too large/wide. Thanks in advance! Reply Eric Jackson on December 13, 2012 at 3:26 pm Hi Chris, Should work fine with the Stomper as well. the hook holds onto the grab handle and dome fits over the opening for the hands and sits on the deck- you screw it down tight with your hands and it holds it in place securely.. pretty cool how it works- quick on and off. Reply Chris on December 13, 2012 at 5:20 pm You bet, it’s genius. Thanks for the feedback. Reply Michael Murphy on January 29, 2013 at 2:52 am I just got my Levator and it fits my Stomper 90 perfectly. Reply Jessie on December 15, 2012 at 7:00 am Wow, nice to see them doing that. Can I join? exmouth fishing charters Reply john on December 31, 2012 at 3:41 am Hi eric, i really want one of your mount, how can i get one, how much do they cost and can you ship it over to me. i live in edinburgh scotland. i`ll look forward to your reply. thanks john Reply Emily Jackson on January 2, 2013 at 8:10 pm Simply order one right here http://store.jacksonkayak.com/gopro-levator-mount/ Emily Jackson Reply Kieran on January 6, 2013 at 5:05 pm Are the Levators shipping yet? I know when I placed my order I saw the words “pre-order” but now just says order. It’s my first time ordering from the JK store. Will I be notified when it ships? Or do I just continue waiting and hoping that today is the day? Reply Emily Jackson on January 6, 2013 at 6:01 pm They are just starting to ship now, production could only make so many a day, so we are shipping them, we have NONE in stock as they are sold through so whenever it is made it will ship asap. You should have yours shipped next week! Emily Jackson Reply Kieran on January 7, 2013 at 2:52 pm Thanks for the quick reply! Can’t wait! Happy paddling! Reply Bill on January 9, 2013 at 5:05 pm This looks like a really great design. I am curious as to what happens if the boat is upside down and the mount hits a rock? Reply Stephen Wright on January 10, 2013 at 2:42 pm Bill, It could, of course, be damaged by rock hits. But we haven’t broken one yet 🙂 Not to say it couldn’t happen, but it just hasn’t happened. Stephen Reply Marcis on February 22, 2013 at 7:36 pm Hy! Cool item. How long is vertical pole? And do you ship to Larvia in Europe? Thanks Reply Emily Jackson on March 6, 2013 at 7:13 pm The pole is 2 feet and we do ship all over europe Cheers Emily Jackson Reply Marcis on February 22, 2013 at 7:38 pm Hello, Wery nice item. I was wondering, how long is vertical pole? And, do yoy ship to Latvia in Europe? Reply Shaun on March 24, 2013 at 11:39 am Dose Levator get in the way of your roll when you go over? Reply Stephen Wright on March 25, 2013 at 1:34 am Shaun, Nope!!! If you backdeck roll and reach the paddle back with extended arms, you’ll hit it. But for every other roll, you won’t feel it. It does create some drag as you move the boat underwater, so it’ll roll slower at first, but then comes right up like normal. Enjoy!!! Stephen Reply Adam on May 19, 2013 at 4:20 pm Great video, thank you. Will this mount work for a sea kayak as well? Thanks! Reply Stephen Wright on May 21, 2013 at 2:38 pm Adam, IT should work with any boat with a solid grab handle on the deck 🙂 Stephen Reply Vegar on May 29, 2013 at 8:26 am Hi! Does the mount bend at all? Reply Clay Wright on May 30, 2013 at 4:10 pm Hey Vegar: The metal does not bend but the plastic it connects to the boat with DOES. So while some shots may ‘sway’ on rocky hits or landings it’s meant for overhung rocks, log ducking, and brush to brush past. The mount is very durable but will bend then collapse before it really hangs you up. We have seen several people miss rolls or get knocked over when failing to duck a log with it but have not seen anything dangerous looking yet. It’s a great tool, but like any tool you need to use it carefully. All the best! Clay Reply Vegar on June 3, 2013 at 11:31 am Sounds good! Thanks 🙂 Reply Neal on July 31, 2013 at 6:52 am This post makes it sound like it is a toilet plunger and that the round base is bendable. It is NOT. I haven’t used mine yet but it doesn’t look like any amount of force is going to cause this to bend before it just straight up collapses my hull. Reply Clay Wright on August 4, 2013 at 5:01 pm Hey Neal – It’s thermoformed plastic and will bend a certain amount when needed. Not saying it’s not going to knock you over, but it will flex a good bit back and forth if you hit a rock overhang or log or another boater – we’ve definitely tested that! So far no kayak damage but have ripped the mount a bit when upside down in shallow water. Clay Reply Jason on May 30, 2013 at 2:51 pm Great product! My friend has one and the angle gives more versatility in video editing. Any chance of a mid height or height adjustable option? Also a securing point for the GoPro leash would help. LOVE IT Reply Lukas on July 7, 2013 at 2:29 pm hey! is it possible to get a hold of this mount in europe? last time i checked with robson, they did not have any available. greets, lukas Reply Emily Jackson on July 8, 2013 at 5:06 pm Sure is, just order it and we will ship it to you. Simply go to our store and place an order Emily Jackson Reply Jan on August 6, 2013 at 8:47 am Hey Emily, you removed the levator from your shop? i can´t find it, and the link above does not work anymore. Please help, cause i want to buy one. Greets from germany, Jan Reply Clay Wright on August 7, 2013 at 12:31 pm Thanks Jan! Just fwded to Emily who will look into it. Thanks for noticing and letting us know – Clay Reply Clay Wright on August 13, 2013 at 8:52 pm Hey Jan – From what I hear it was out of stock but should be available again soon. Keep checking! Clay Reply Jan on August 14, 2013 at 11:38 am Hey Clay, thanks for your help. I will check the link again 🙂 Kieran on July 9, 2013 at 1:18 pm How easy should it be to rotate and/or remove the vertical tube? I’ve never had it come out accidentally, but you can twist it out relatively easily. It feels reasonably secure when I put it back in and I’m pretty confident that water would have a VERY hard time replicating the movements required to take the tube out, but I still have nightmares that I’ll look back one day and my camera and half the mount will be gone! Do I have anything to be concerned about? Or is this by design? Thanks, Reply Nick on August 18, 2013 at 4:26 am link not working again… how do I order one? Reply Drew Gregory on August 20, 2013 at 4:19 pm I think it should be working now. Check it again. If it still isn’t working for you, you can always call in and our customer service department can help you get one on order. The number is 931-738-2628 Reply Kevin Burke on August 21, 2013 at 9:50 am We tried putting one of these on a Pungo 120 (comfort rubber handles) and it was a no-go. Seems to me if the base were taller it would work. Any plans to support kayaks with soft-grip handles? Reply Emily Jackson on March 19, 2014 at 4:32 pm Haven’t made plans to change it quite yet but we will certainly take the soft grips into consideration Emily Jackson Reply Chris hill on September 28, 2013 at 12:40 pm You say is won’t work with the older grab handles but surly if the hook pushs the handle tight it will work. I have a older villain could the grab handles be changed for the new ones ? And are you going to make a the mount without the pole so you can attact at the same sort of height as a standard mount would be ? Reply Clay Wright on September 29, 2013 at 3:39 pm Hey Chris – In my experience the old grab handles go easily on the new boats and MOST new handles go on the old boats. But I haven’t tried them all – not every mode even not to mention every size. Perhaps contact customer service about that or write Dane or EJ directly (their first name@jacksonkayak.com). I haven’t heard of plans for a shorter ones. Clay Reply MYLO on November 7, 2013 at 7:06 pm hey guys, just wanted to ask if the mount is compatible with other kayaks such as riot or dagger because in the comments i read somthing about it having to secure onto handle bars and that there was even a difference between old and new Jackson handle bars. thx for your response, i will be getting one of these. Great idea ! Reply Stephen Wright on November 7, 2013 at 11:55 pm MYLO, It should work great with any boat with a solid grab loop. The hook can grab anything solid securely. Enjoy! Stephen Reply Andy C on November 23, 2014 at 2:18 pm Hi, just wondering if it would fit an old school topolino sud. The fixed handle on a spud is more raised than modern boats. Will it still fit? Great idea for mount! Cheers Andy Reply Clay Wright on November 24, 2014 at 7:29 pm Hey Andy – Not sure how different it could be, it’s pretty adjustable. I doubt the Topo loops are that much higher than our Karma and it will certainly go 1/2” further up. You could always tape something on the underside to make it ‘lower’ to fit. Good Luck! Clay Reply Submit a Comment Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ
Chris on December 13, 2012 at 2:09 pm WOW! Great design with the Levator. Saw your review and I’m very interested in it. Does this by chance work with the Stomper? I know it should work on most boats with metal grab loops, but I worry that the opening underneath the grab loop is too large/wide. Thanks in advance! Reply
Eric Jackson on December 13, 2012 at 3:26 pm Hi Chris, Should work fine with the Stomper as well. the hook holds onto the grab handle and dome fits over the opening for the hands and sits on the deck- you screw it down tight with your hands and it holds it in place securely.. pretty cool how it works- quick on and off. Reply
Michael Murphy on January 29, 2013 at 2:52 am I just got my Levator and it fits my Stomper 90 perfectly. Reply
Jessie on December 15, 2012 at 7:00 am Wow, nice to see them doing that. Can I join? exmouth fishing charters Reply
john on December 31, 2012 at 3:41 am Hi eric, i really want one of your mount, how can i get one, how much do they cost and can you ship it over to me. i live in edinburgh scotland. i`ll look forward to your reply. thanks john Reply
Emily Jackson on January 2, 2013 at 8:10 pm Simply order one right here http://store.jacksonkayak.com/gopro-levator-mount/ Emily Jackson Reply
Kieran on January 6, 2013 at 5:05 pm Are the Levators shipping yet? I know when I placed my order I saw the words “pre-order” but now just says order. It’s my first time ordering from the JK store. Will I be notified when it ships? Or do I just continue waiting and hoping that today is the day? Reply
Emily Jackson on January 6, 2013 at 6:01 pm They are just starting to ship now, production could only make so many a day, so we are shipping them, we have NONE in stock as they are sold through so whenever it is made it will ship asap. You should have yours shipped next week! Emily Jackson Reply
Bill on January 9, 2013 at 5:05 pm This looks like a really great design. I am curious as to what happens if the boat is upside down and the mount hits a rock? Reply
Stephen Wright on January 10, 2013 at 2:42 pm Bill, It could, of course, be damaged by rock hits. But we haven’t broken one yet 🙂 Not to say it couldn’t happen, but it just hasn’t happened. Stephen Reply
Marcis on February 22, 2013 at 7:36 pm Hy! Cool item. How long is vertical pole? And do you ship to Larvia in Europe? Thanks Reply
Emily Jackson on March 6, 2013 at 7:13 pm The pole is 2 feet and we do ship all over europe Cheers Emily Jackson Reply
Marcis on February 22, 2013 at 7:38 pm Hello, Wery nice item. I was wondering, how long is vertical pole? And, do yoy ship to Latvia in Europe? Reply
Stephen Wright on March 25, 2013 at 1:34 am Shaun, Nope!!! If you backdeck roll and reach the paddle back with extended arms, you’ll hit it. But for every other roll, you won’t feel it. It does create some drag as you move the boat underwater, so it’ll roll slower at first, but then comes right up like normal. Enjoy!!! Stephen Reply
Adam on May 19, 2013 at 4:20 pm Great video, thank you. Will this mount work for a sea kayak as well? Thanks! Reply
Stephen Wright on May 21, 2013 at 2:38 pm Adam, IT should work with any boat with a solid grab handle on the deck 🙂 Stephen Reply
Clay Wright on May 30, 2013 at 4:10 pm Hey Vegar: The metal does not bend but the plastic it connects to the boat with DOES. So while some shots may ‘sway’ on rocky hits or landings it’s meant for overhung rocks, log ducking, and brush to brush past. The mount is very durable but will bend then collapse before it really hangs you up. We have seen several people miss rolls or get knocked over when failing to duck a log with it but have not seen anything dangerous looking yet. It’s a great tool, but like any tool you need to use it carefully. All the best! Clay Reply
Neal on July 31, 2013 at 6:52 am This post makes it sound like it is a toilet plunger and that the round base is bendable. It is NOT. I haven’t used mine yet but it doesn’t look like any amount of force is going to cause this to bend before it just straight up collapses my hull. Reply
Clay Wright on August 4, 2013 at 5:01 pm Hey Neal – It’s thermoformed plastic and will bend a certain amount when needed. Not saying it’s not going to knock you over, but it will flex a good bit back and forth if you hit a rock overhang or log or another boater – we’ve definitely tested that! So far no kayak damage but have ripped the mount a bit when upside down in shallow water. Clay Reply
Jason on May 30, 2013 at 2:51 pm Great product! My friend has one and the angle gives more versatility in video editing. Any chance of a mid height or height adjustable option? Also a securing point for the GoPro leash would help. LOVE IT Reply
Lukas on July 7, 2013 at 2:29 pm hey! is it possible to get a hold of this mount in europe? last time i checked with robson, they did not have any available. greets, lukas Reply
Emily Jackson on July 8, 2013 at 5:06 pm Sure is, just order it and we will ship it to you. Simply go to our store and place an order Emily Jackson Reply
Jan on August 6, 2013 at 8:47 am Hey Emily, you removed the levator from your shop? i can´t find it, and the link above does not work anymore. Please help, cause i want to buy one. Greets from germany, Jan Reply
Clay Wright on August 7, 2013 at 12:31 pm Thanks Jan! Just fwded to Emily who will look into it. Thanks for noticing and letting us know – Clay Reply
Clay Wright on August 13, 2013 at 8:52 pm Hey Jan – From what I hear it was out of stock but should be available again soon. Keep checking! Clay Reply
Kieran on July 9, 2013 at 1:18 pm How easy should it be to rotate and/or remove the vertical tube? I’ve never had it come out accidentally, but you can twist it out relatively easily. It feels reasonably secure when I put it back in and I’m pretty confident that water would have a VERY hard time replicating the movements required to take the tube out, but I still have nightmares that I’ll look back one day and my camera and half the mount will be gone! Do I have anything to be concerned about? Or is this by design? Thanks, Reply
Drew Gregory on August 20, 2013 at 4:19 pm I think it should be working now. Check it again. If it still isn’t working for you, you can always call in and our customer service department can help you get one on order. The number is 931-738-2628 Reply
Kevin Burke on August 21, 2013 at 9:50 am We tried putting one of these on a Pungo 120 (comfort rubber handles) and it was a no-go. Seems to me if the base were taller it would work. Any plans to support kayaks with soft-grip handles? Reply
Emily Jackson on March 19, 2014 at 4:32 pm Haven’t made plans to change it quite yet but we will certainly take the soft grips into consideration Emily Jackson Reply
Chris hill on September 28, 2013 at 12:40 pm You say is won’t work with the older grab handles but surly if the hook pushs the handle tight it will work. I have a older villain could the grab handles be changed for the new ones ? And are you going to make a the mount without the pole so you can attact at the same sort of height as a standard mount would be ? Reply
Clay Wright on September 29, 2013 at 3:39 pm Hey Chris – In my experience the old grab handles go easily on the new boats and MOST new handles go on the old boats. But I haven’t tried them all – not every mode even not to mention every size. Perhaps contact customer service about that or write Dane or EJ directly (their first name@jacksonkayak.com). I haven’t heard of plans for a shorter ones. Clay Reply
MYLO on November 7, 2013 at 7:06 pm hey guys, just wanted to ask if the mount is compatible with other kayaks such as riot or dagger because in the comments i read somthing about it having to secure onto handle bars and that there was even a difference between old and new Jackson handle bars. thx for your response, i will be getting one of these. Great idea ! Reply
Stephen Wright on November 7, 2013 at 11:55 pm MYLO, It should work great with any boat with a solid grab loop. The hook can grab anything solid securely. Enjoy! Stephen Reply
Andy C on November 23, 2014 at 2:18 pm Hi, just wondering if it would fit an old school topolino sud. The fixed handle on a spud is more raised than modern boats. Will it still fit? Great idea for mount! Cheers Andy Reply
Clay Wright on November 24, 2014 at 7:29 pm Hey Andy – Not sure how different it could be, it’s pretty adjustable. I doubt the Topo loops are that much higher than our Karma and it will certainly go 1/2” further up. You could always tape something on the underside to make it ‘lower’ to fit. Good Luck! Clay Reply
