Different Seat

My husband and I purchased the new Compass...I am in love with it. We used to have the PA 12's and they were too heavy for us and we were having trouble moving them even with the wheel. ANYWAY, my husband is short and heavy, and the seat is a not as heavy duty as the PA seat. Can you put a PA seat in the Compass, we would have out dealer do it. Would it cause the boat to be too top heavy? I am thinking it would... Would be easier for him to go on a diet

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2017 Hobi Compass
Animal Artist @ http://www.gaildolphinart.com
Wildlife Art and Photography

Yes...it's a plastic frame seat as opposed to the PA seat. I don't have the same solid feel on the seat back as I do on the PA Vantage seat, but I am getting used to it. I can understand where you are coming from, but am assuming that the seat was made without a metal frame to help keep the costs lower. Happy Holidays! Love the Compass myself!

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Steve Stubbs
USAF (retired)

SeaDek Fishing Team
Unfair Lures Pro Staff
Ziptailz Ambassador

2015 Pro Angler 14 - Papaya
2018 Compass - Sea Grass

I got my compass in October as soon as it came out. I’m a big guy myself that floats between 285-300 that’s also working on my diet. This is my first Hobie and pedal drive kayak. I was concerned about the plastic seat myself. I have not had any issues with the seat. Did make some minor modifications to the seat to put in a lower position. I rounded the front corners of the seat for it to sit down between the original seat pegs. Rounding the corners will keep the seat from cutting into the side walls of the kayak. See pictures below.

Original High Position


Low Position




Rounded Corners

Texas Dan,

That's an interesting modification. The seat is rated for 275 pounds if I remember correctly. Glad you figured out a solution that works for you.

I have played around with eyeballing the PA Vantage seat on the Compass. It's doable if you slightly bend the lower frame in so the stance is a little shorter from front to back. But I would never want to weaken the PA seat by doing that even if I had a second seat to play with...lol! Happy with the current Compass seat for me since I added a seat cushion to keep my rear off the seat frame. I like the fact that I can stand beside the Compass, sit down on the seat and then just swing my legs in for launching. On the PA14 I climb in.

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Steve Stubbs
USAF (retired)

SeaDek Fishing Team
Unfair Lures Pro Staff
Ziptailz Ambassador

2015 Pro Angler 14 - Papaya
2018 Compass - Sea Grass

Thank you so much for all the responses!! He had a better day today...getting a little more comfortable with the position and we brought his back forward. We got spoiled by the PA seats.

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2017 Hobi Compass
Animal Artist @ http://www.gaildolphinart.com
Wildlife Art and Photography

TexasDan

I would be worried the deck won't be able to sustain the load in the lower position you have it. The seat was engineered to distribute the weight over the post. I suspect the the Compass uses a little thinner material in order to save weight as well.

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Mtmouse,

I've been using it like that since October without any issues. Of course I don't stand so there is no up and down. All the area around the post seems to be fairly thicker than the rest of the yak.

I suppose it might be possible for them to control thickness in different areas but I wonder how. Youtube videos i've watched on kayak molding show adding buckets of powdered poly into the mold, closing it up, then heating while rotating and tilting to distribute the plastic. Maybe they pour more into the seat area and it doesn't distribute around that much....