Hobie Compass
 

My son just got his new Hobie Compass from Fastlane SD. Changed out the round hatch for the square and move the round hatch to the front. Added his fish finder. Now he just needs to get it in the water. SD Bay Saturday should be good.

Sweet looking setup!
I'm actually going down to OEX to test out the Outback and Revo this weekend but they don't have a compass in their rental lineup yet...

Curious if you had a chance to compare them with the Compass. That outfit is almost exactly what I'm considering (square hatch in the middle)

Actually I just picked up my first batch of 2018 models this morning and have a Compass to demo this weekend :D

Give it a shot. I have the PA14, we will swap out this weekend and see how much of a difference it is. It better be a huge difference with how much more I paid.:D

Looks cool! Save the scrap pieces in case you need to do any plastic welding repairs down the line.

That's a great idea.

Nice setup. I may get one to take out on the boat to the islands, would be just about perfect for it.

Catches fish too. :reel:

How did the Compass end up comparing to your PA 14?

Compass
 

We had a Hobie demo day up in Oxnard last weekend at Channel Islands Harbor and I got to try the Compass. It's a kind of a mashup of the PA and the Outback.
The yak turns on a dime since the rudder is up in the hull and more towards midship that at the back of the boat... and you'd better be ready for that sharp turn if you really crank it over.
The seat is a simpler version of the Vantage seat we've all come to love for it's comfort....it has webbing and buckles to adjust the angle and the lumbar support. not as easy as the Vantage seat to adjust...but you can see that Hobie was trying to keep this new boat below the $2000 price point.
The Mirage drive is the older turbo style fins without the 180 device...again to make that price point. The 180 drive can be easily inserted and retrofitted. Adding the rectangular hatch and moving the round hatch to the front seems like a great idea. It's a pretty stable boat, although you do seem to sit a little higher than on the Outback...I didn't try standing in it (next time).
The lightness and the surf ability of this yak will help make it a popular seller.

Curious if you had a chance to try it out since we chatted... I'm also interested to hear what you think about the rudder placement for surf launching (esp in rocky areas)... Seems like even with the recessed area, it could be vulnerable to getting beat up compared to the outback design.

It was good. I am used to the room in the PA14, but if I didn't know that it is great. The fin are not the turbo GT so my son was spinning out. He has now changed to the GT's. Going to go out again Saturday.

Awesome. Super intrigued by it. I demoed one the other day, but have never been in a PA or outback. It's nice to get a review from someone who has tried both. Thanks a bunch!

Demo available?
 

:rolleyes:

Why would the seat be sitting so high ?
 

:confused:

I was questioning the seat height. I still would hesitate surf launching it without a lower setting. Guys are doing in the PAs though, so sure it will be fine for most.

How was lifting the yak from the side. I'm thinking abut getting one a was wondering about grabbing or lifting the yak from the side.

Where do you put the bait on a kayak to catch fish?

I am in a PA, so the seat looks low to me. It is about the same as when the PA in set in the low position.

It is still a little heavy. The weights they give are with no rigging. I believe that is without seat and Mirage drive. I am a pretty big guy and I dont think I would carry this.

We dont typically bait fish, but you could easily fit the smaller Hobie livewell.

Hobie Mirage Compass
 

I too own a compass. I had Fastlane put in the rectangular hatch and move the circle hatch up front for the FF battery that I will install later. I also upgraded to a mirage drive 180 with turbo fins. I plan on installing the mesh map pockets as well and am toying with some additional handles. The compass has two molded in carrying handles adjacent to the seat (which by the way sits at a good height, not much more room than a small tackle box/tray under the seat) however its hard to get a good grip as you can't wrap your fingers all the way around it like you can an actual handle. The regular Hobie bait tank would fit fine on the stern or rear deck of the yak. I went ahead and put a folding stadium seat in the back for my daughter to hitch a ride. I've only had it out a couple of times in the South side of the San Diego Bay and it handled great. The yak is basically a hybrid: front end of a Revo, good stability equal to or slightly better than an outback with the help of the PA inspired back end. It slices through wake and chop like a Revo with the stability of an outback and the turning mechanism of the PA on a lighter platform. I like the hull a lot. I have two complaints about the Compass, one major and one minor. The minor complaint is that there are only two molded in rod holders (would have liked two more in the front end to place my pole while re-rigging) this can be fixed with accesorries so it's not that major. The major complaint is the seat. I love that the seat is wider than the Vantage CT, however the lumbar support on the seat is pretty negligible. I will probably have to buy some sort of lumbar support. Aside from that, I love the Compass. I really enjoy the hull design as it is very stable, agile, and light-weight for a Hobie. If you want to keep it barebones, you can stay under 2K, once you start rigging it up it gets just shy of an outback with similar if not better performance. Time will tell. I think Hobie has got a good seller on there hands with this one.

Thanks for the info. I got a lifted jeep so wondering about loading it in top. Guess I'll have to add some handles and a yak load assist.

I have a Yakima rack system on my accord. I have the Yakima boatloader arm extension, which makes lifting it on the car a breeze. If you can get something like that for your Jeep, only lifting half of the kayak at a time makes it much easier.

My son has the same problem with the seat. It is plastic and flexes. My son only goes about 180# so its not a lot weight and shouldn't be flexing like that.

Great review!

Make sure you have tightened the strap for the lumbar and corners. They are not shipped tight. It can make a big difference.

I’ve tightened the lumbar strap as far as I can, I’d hate to feel my back if I relaxed the strap at all. I’ll have to check the corner straps to see if that makes any difference. With that said, the radial dial for lumbar support on the CT vantage or P.A. Seat would have been a welcome addition to the compass seat.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

CT upgrade?
 

Can you upgrade to a vantage CT seat on a compass?

Based on my storage needs, I’m thinking I might end up getting a compass with a CT seat and a rectangular hatch like you’ve done.

Upgrading to the CT would not really be an option as it utilizes different mounting points......and it costs over $400:D

Bumping to see if anyone has had any other first hand experience with the Compass. Tried the Compass, Revo 13, and Outaback briefly. Torn between the Revo 13 and Compass, but leaning towards the Compass. Any positive input is appreciated. Thanks.