First impressions

[ronaultmtd]

New Mirage Compass...got it home thanks to Manny (Baitball) hauling it atop his spare kayak rack...initial observation...the build quality is as good as any Hobie...costs were cut back in no handles, only a single 8 inch hatch, a simple but ingenious rudder system, and standard glide technology Mirage Drive with standard fins, not turbo fins...modified it by installing a second 8 inch round hatch in the bow deck yesterday that was left over from the rectangular hatch install on the Lady Luck...the hull thickness is very good, structurally as good as my Outback. I plan on installing the Hobie battery holder in the forward hatch that will power the electronics. Friday, is the scheduled maiden voyage. I will use my Outback Mirage Drive with turbo fins to see the speed comparisons between the Compass and my Outback so we are comparing apples to apples...will update this Post after the maiden voyage...thanks again to Brian at Delaware Paddlesports for sponsoring the kayak raffle at the CBKA tournament.

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[Yak67]

Very Nice Ron. I know you will do it right! Now the "BIG" question is...…….. The Name???


Lady Luck was on point for the Outback.... But the Compass???

Yak67
2017 Hobie PA-12 Camo

[mchottie]

Very Nice Ron. I know you will do it right! Now the "BIG" question is...…….. The Name???


Lady Luck was on point for the Outback.... But the Compass???

Yak67
2017 Hobie PA-12 Camo

I vote for "Lucky Duck"

[ronaultmtd]

Since this was always intended for my 18 year old Daughter Laura, it is her choice for names...she is preoccupied with college and working at Starbucks right now and has shown little interest in the kayak...

[ronaultmtd]

First impressions

Gary and I met up a daybreak to calm winds and frost on the windshield...cold this morning...put the kayaks in the water shortly after 6:45...had a good day to field test the new Hobie Mirage Compass...I had my drive from Lady Luck with turbo fins and I have to say the Compass is faster than an Outback...the layout of the cockpit is different...no foot pegs, completely smooth and open...deck is flat for standing...the legroom is more...I had to readjust my drive so it was easier to peddle as the distance from the seat to the drive is longer...it felt different sitting in the Compass, seemed a bit higher and noticed the seat was really comfortable...a good two inches wider than the Outback seat...it turns quickly but does not track as well as my Outback....one plus is that it paddles well, much better than my Outback....had boat wake hit me from the rear/ right side that had a bit of concern, but it was just a different feel from the same situation with my Outback. The Compass is much wider in the stern and that makes putting the cart under the boat in the water a lot more difficult than my Outback when we got back from fishing. We got out to our fishing location pretty quickly and hit fish right away..it was a good top water bite this morning with the biggest fish coming from poppers...several mid-20 inch fish and one really frisky 30...we got into the flounder with Gulp but no keepers...five over 16 inches but none 16.5...as you can see from the pictures I had no problem fishing from the Compass, my homemade pvc rocket launcher from my Outback fit it perfectly, so plenty of rods. The cockpit is a lot more roomy due to no foot pegs, extra leg space, smooth vertical surface gunnels, no built in trays, so bringing in a fish was easy...all in all I would recommend this boat to anyone looking for an alternative to the Outback because of price, However, I prefer to fish my Outback. Maybe it is just more familiar for me, but I don’t think about anything but fishing when I am in my Outback. One other comment about the Compass, the quality is there, this is a Hobie...the cost reductions are based on features other boats have this one doesn’t. Only a single 8 inch hatch, no handles, no side pockets, only two molded in rod holders behind the seat, basic seat (surprisingly comfortable), standard Mirage GT drive without Turbo Fins...but if you want to add accessories, the boat can be fitted with every option Hobie makes...but then you have the same costs as buying an Outback...

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[DanMarino]

Cool kayak. Nice review and comparison to the Outback.

[ski357]

Nice review. I have a 2015 Outback myself and am very interested in the performance difference between it and a Compass. What I'm really intrigued by is the Outback redesign vs the Compass. Hopefully at some point in the near future, I hope to make another addition to the flotilla.

[ronaultmtd]

I have not personally seen the 2019 Outback, but from the Videos and reviews, it looks like a lot of the Compass found its way into the new Outback...

[Yak67]

Thanks for letting me hang out with you Ron to get the skunk off the new Yak and get the "Mojo" flowing! And Boy did it....

That compass moves really well, Ron was keeping pace with me using the Torqeedo with little effort at all. The Compass is a nice Yak. Very basic and simple, yet just enough to do the job without all the "Frills"

Ron put on a top-water clinic for me, with a PIG of a Fat 30 incher, in addition to a bunch of nice legal keepers. I got lazy and trolled paddle tails and got 16'-19 inchers for a good while. Truly Rocktober.

Then to round it out, Ron says lets try the Flounda bite, as the Rock bite died off... and again another clinic. He just kept pulling them in, I lost count. A great day on the water with a new yak and World Class fisherman

Yak67
2017 Hobie PA-12 Camo

[ronaultmtd]

How about instead of “world class” just an old fart...but I did notice the flounder were mixed sizes with lots of little bitty ones mixed in the the 12, 13, ,14, 15 and 16 (+) inch ones we were catching...I counted 18 flounder...five over 16 that will definitely be 17.5 to 19 inch fish next year if they survive the winter and commercial fishermen...the 16 inch fish were very fat and fought good on light tackle...but the credit for the flounder has to go to the President of the SMOG crew, Big Mike...he is the Flounda King...he showed me once...

[Mark]

Nice review of the Compass Ron, and great fishing as usual.

I believe there's a lesson from the Compass that all fishing kayak makers should take to heart. And that is that less expensive lightweight boats with fewer frills can introduce more people to the sport while also providing a very functional platform that even experienced kayak anglers can appreciate.

It's nothing new. Henry Ford figured this out a century ago providing basic autos to meet the minimum transportation needs of many and eventually higher end models for those seeking extra niceties and status. Hobie is now doing the same thing.