This is part one of a two part review. Part two will be on the water.
There are three great reasons to look at the new Hobie Compass -- price, weight and design. The boat comes with the basics -- first rate hull, GT (roller bearing) Mirage Drive, seat and paddle. If you want more features you can either add them (for a price) or purchase a different model.
The Compass beats the Outback price by $600 and the Pro Angler 12 by $1450. Hobie is able to do this by eliminating the extras that come with the main line Mirage Drive kayaks. The Compass comes without the reversible MD 180, bow and cargo well hatches, side pockets, carrying handles, pre installed internal routing for transducer cable for those who use one, sailing capability and an extensive color palate to name the major items. If those items are important to you, you can add many of them back in -- for a price, or opt for one of the 12 other Hobie PE Mirage Drive models in a variety of color combinations.
At 68 pounds, the Compass is third lightest of the Hobie Mirage line (not counting inflatables), 13 lbs. lighter than the Outback and 37 lbs. lighter than the PA 12. It slides easily into my 6' PU bed with a bed extender with very little lifting.
fig. 1Elegant in its simplicity, the hull is unique and beautifully designed, bearing similarities with both the Pro Angler and Revolution series. Like the PAs, it has the prominent twin sponson aft section for stability and excellent cargo loading, and a similar under-hull rudder design. The finer bow entry appears to be influenced by the Revolutions. In function, it is often thought of as a cross between the Outback and PA 12, but I don't see any outback design heritage in it, with its tapered stern and a high volume bow.
Here is a composite shot including the basic specs of Compass, along with the Outback and PA 12 for comparison:
fig. 2Lets look more closely at some of the Compass features:
Starting at the bow, there is a shallow well to store gear under the (included) bungee cover. Remove the cover and there is an outline to add an 8" hatch.
fig. 3 a and bIf the boat takes on water at the bow, it drops into the well and harmlessly drains through the notch and out the drivewell. For those wanting to add a forward hatch and are allergic to water in the hull, be advised this area can get wet. Additionally, the internal space available is limited there. It's a great option, but you just want to make sure you have a use for it.
fig. 4Moving aft in the cockpit, you see the rudder up- down handle, H-track and water bottle holder.
fig. 5In fig. 5, the retracted rudder handle shows the rudder in the down position. The rudder is spring loaded to the down position so you pull the cord to retract it to the stored position, like this (fig. 6):
fig. 6The cord uses a a cam cleat to lock it in position. It works well, but would ideally be placed a little closer to the seat area, along the the H-track.
The H track is very sturdy, versatile and easy to use.
The hatch is in the usual position and easily accessible. Because hull access is limited, flotation is packed along the gunwales near the hatch. This shouldn't interfere with normal access. The flotation bundles can be temporarily moved if necessary for additional access.
fig. 7The water bottle holder is not the greatest IMO -- your bottle rolls right out if the boat is tilted. On the other hand, once underway, it always stayed in place for me. I think it would be easy to fasten an insert to grip your bottle higher if anybody finds it problematic, like for instance, in surf launches.
Fig. 8 shows the seat pan area. The bungee behind the hatch in fig. 5 is used to secure the Mirage Drive fins against the hull; you see it in the stowed position. The longer bungee behind that secures the seat bottom. The hole in the rear doubles as a scupper drain and transducer access. Hobie really does have handles and indeed, you can see one here on the side. It's a finger grip for picking up the boat by its side. Better than nothing, but inadequate for picking the boat up over your head or having a grip to hang on to while underway. Fortunately, Hobie sells a variety of grips that you can add to suit. Here are some pics and prices:
https://www.hobie.com/forums/viewtopic. ... 1446604feb . (Thanks for jcanracer for listing many of the options).
fig. 8The seat is a mesh over frame with adjustable back rest via straps that snap into padeyes (fig. 8 ). Both lumbar and upper back support can be adjusted by cinch straps across the back of the seat to suit. Seat height is not adjustable, but the installed position is close to rail height -- high, dry and stable in this boat. Although there are no extendable legs, the seat can be removed and used ashore very comfortably as a beach lounge. I apologize for not having any pics of the seat.
Finally, fig. 8 shows the eyelet that secures the paddle on the starboard side.
The hull is a piece of artwork IMO -- clean and functional with no wasted deck space. Fig. 9 shows the overall deck plan with a generous cargo well aft. This is a very well supported area and can carry a heavy load in the most stable part of the boat. Fig. 2 shows a better view of this area.
fig. 9Bow view:
fig. 10Stern view with rudder retracted (a) and rudder deployed (b). note skid pad -- great idea for the boat draggers.
The rudder is thin and flexible -- looks like it can take some abuse, although I didn't actually try to break it. Fig. 1 shows that it tucks out of the way nicely.
Fig. 11 a and b 
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