Introducing the NEW Hobie Mirage Compass

[BassMoore]

i think its pretty over priced for a pretty basic kayak.. also does not come with the 180 mirage drive.. thats why costs are kept low.. needs some tracks on it, better storage upfront.. and better carrying handles to warrant the price its currently at

[Jimbo]

I don't think the differences in amenities warrant the price difference. I think Hobie wanted to tap the sub $2k market and not dilute the value of their existing line.
As far as the real world differences, the drive was standard a couple years ago and an upgrade at that. Plus the 180 drive has had a lot of complaints/breakage. I do like the reverse feature, but it's not yet proven in terms of durability and I was content without it.
No front hatch is something that several dedicated hobie users have told me they prefer. I really don't care either way.
I personally wouldn't refer to it as a stripped down version. It's simply different. It comes with gear tracks as an example.
I've had a revo and several outbacks. I alway agonize over which one to buy. Perhaps it's me, but I thought it was a classic question when buying a hobie fishing kayak, OB or Revo. I haven't been in one yet, but it appears that the Compass is the answer to the question. If it performs the way I think it will, I'd take it any day over a non 180 drive OB or Revo at the same price point.


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[RavensDfense]

i think its pretty over priced for a pretty basic kayak.. also does not come with the 180 mirage drive.. thats why costs are kept low.. needs some tracks on it, better storage upfront.. and better carrying handles to warrant the price its currently at

Most sub $2K kayaks are relative "basic". Take a look at the Perception Pilot. The Compass does have Hobie's H-Tracs on each side, which is a welcome addition. And youre right that the subtraction of the 180 drive helps keep cost down, but IMO the GT Mirage Drive is still a great piece of equipment. The addition of carrying handles would have been nice.

[BassMoore]

i know 200$ doesnt sound like much.. but a 1799 price tag makes this a clear winner for ALOT of people.. that 200 can be spent on electronics.. or boonedox.. or hobie wheels.. or H crate.. i know the mark ups help them make money. but if you sell more boats with less mark up.. more profit..

[RavensDfense]

i know 200$ doesnt sound like much.. but a 1799 price tag makes this a clear winner for ALOT of people.. that 200 can be spent on electronics.. or boonedox.. or hobie wheels.. or H crate.. i know the mark ups help them make money. but if you sell more boats with less mark up.. more profit..

You're right, for some people, the $150 price difference ($1799 vs. $1949) will be the deciding factor. This is just my opinion, but for $150 more, I'd much rather have a Mirage Drive powered kayak that is Lowrance Ready.

[BassMoore]

is this pre drilled for anchor trolley like the rest of the hobies?

[Jimbo]

is this pre drilled for anchor trolley like the rest of the hobies?

Seriously? They are? Lol, I didn't realize this.


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[BassMoore]

yeah. the little black dots on the sides of the hobies can be backed out and its pre drilled for your anchor trolleys

[RavensDfense]

yeah. the little black dots on the sides of the hobies can be backed out and its pre drilled for your anchor trolleys

This only applies to the Pro Angler Series. Outbacks, Revos, and sports do not have this feature. The Compass doesn't appear to either.

[BassMoore]

oh my bad.. ive only owned pro anglers.. didnt know any different.. whoops

[Mark]

As mentioned here already, the Compass bow is Revo-like which is a good thing.

But as a person who car-tops his boats, I'd have to see if the width of the hull at 34 inches would inhibit my ability to lift the kayak to my roof rack. That's almost 6 inches wider than my Revo which I grip by the gunnel handles to lift. A wider boat would simply be harder for me to bend over, grasp the handles with sufficient strength and lift. The longer reach would place more torque on my back as I twist to prop it up on the back of my van, not to mention the Compass is heavier than my Revo even though it is shorter.

I understand Hobie's desire to produce stable boat, especially one with a raised seat. The wider beam helps in that regard. But I believe transporting the kayak to the water must be way down on their priority list when they design a boat -- not that Hobie is alone as a kayak maker in this regard.

[baitball]

Mark, I didn't even notice it until now, but the Compass doesn't have gunwale handles!

Whoops. That's gonna turn quite a few people off. Like you mention, for those that car-top their boat this may be a deal breaker. And if you should ever have the need to get back into the kayak from the water, you won't have the handle to grasp and pull yourself into the cockpit of the boat.

[Jimbo]

I wonder if anyone would be interested in buying my new camo outback with the GT drive for the price of the Compass, $1949.


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[silasvirus82]

I wonder if anyone would be interested in buying my new camo outback with the GT drive for the price of the Compass, $1949.


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Crickets

[ski357]

Mark, I didn't even notice it until now, but the Compass doesn't have gunwale handles!

Whoops. That's gonna turn quite a few people off. Like you mention, for those that car-top their boat this may be a deal breaker. And if you should ever have the need to get back into the kayak from the water, you won't have the handle to grasp and pull yourself into the cockpit of the boat.

I noticed that myself. I think a simple aftermarket solution would be to purchase and install the handles yourself: 88991061 Side Carry Handle retails at $19.39 (MSRP). You figure that your Hobie dealer could help you with that. For an aftermarket install, you'd probably want a backing plate or some other sort of reinforcement, I noticed that the handles on production models have molded in screws. Alternatively, the I'm sure you could rig up some sort of side handles via the gear tracs. Overall, I'm pretty impressed with what Hoie has done with the Compass and I'd also like to see some in the water performance and reviews.