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Old 12-11-2017, 12:45 PM   #7
Ddwineguy
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: san diego
Posts: 210
Hobie Compass - Recent Updates?

Quote:
Originally Posted by ProfessorLongArms View Post
Could not disagree more about turning radius. My outback turns just fine. I couldn’t imagine needing to turn any faster than I currently do. If anything I have to be careful that I’m not turning too Sharp when I’m trolling.



To be clear, what I meant was the actual controls apparently are not as good. One thing I’ve noted that’s very important is having a very light touch on the rudder if you’re trying to do something while pedaling out to a destination or trying to stay stationary in the current.



What I’ve heard, not experienced, is that the compass doesn’t have as responsive of a control between your hand and the rudder.



I will add that because of this entire experience, it’s only mostly hands-free, not completely hands-free. I have found that getting one hand is still a huge improvement because it means I can drink a coffee, eat a sandwich, Stow stuff that got thrown around while fishing, but it’s a little more tricky to do something like tying a rig without suddenly veering way off course


I bought a Compass. Turns sharper than any other Hobie. I have owned an outback, Revo and pa. The rudder control is a finger tip dial. It is a little less intuitive than what is on the other Hobies.

Haven’t surf launched yet. But is a very stable boat and really quick, if you add turbo fins. Very little chop over the bow, much like a Revo. I did add the rectangular hatch and some map pockets, due to its lack of storage.

It is lowrance transducer ready, but you have to drill all your own holes to run the wiring.

The seat is comfortable. A bit wider than a Vantage seat and you really have to crank on the straps to adjust the lumbar, but once you do it is nice.

The reduced weight is great for me as I have a bad knee and 68 pounds (hull weight without seat and drive) is a lot easier for me to throw around.

Definitely worth a look for those interested in a new addition. To outfit it right it is only a couple of hundred dollars less than a stock outback, so it is not really a much cheaper option.

What I like about the Compass is it’s weight, it’s lack of Hull chop, it’s mobility, and it’s openness in the cockpit. Super roomy.

What I don’t like is it’s lack of storage.

Here are two photos of the upgrades. Rectangular hatch, map pockets and moved the stock hatch upfront for FF battery.





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