Compass with Mods vs Outback?

I am looking to get my first ever Hobie really soon. I really like the compass's weight over Outback since I will be car topping mine.

My question is that if I get Compass, I will have to add a few modifications. Looks like money adds up really quickly. lol This will leave me only a few hundred buck differences from the outback.

Square hatch
map pockets
Sidekick - for stability (wake from boats)
H-bar
Rudder and Turbo fin

Should I just get outback then?

Welcome to the forum! Last September we were in the same boat in looking for a kayak for my wife. We took both kayaks out for a thorough on the water demo. I highly recommend you do the same thing. It will help and could possibly save you from wasting money on buying the wrong kayak.

We don't have to cartop so the weight difference wasn't that big of an issue. They both have very similar stability. The Compass is easier to paddle if you fish in waters where you need to paddle at times. For us it came to down having reverse and comfort and the Outback was the choice for her and she absolutely loves it. Reverse is one of those things you don't think you need until you have it. Then you wonder how you ever survived without it lol. The Outback seat (in our opinion) was considerably more comfortable than the Compass seat. Also (in my mind) resale was a factor. The Compass is a great kayak but it is an entry level kayak. Let's face it kayak mods just don't bring much in the used market. You're lucky if you get half of your investment on mods back if you ever decide to sell. Outbacks have great resale value. A nice feature we didn't anticipate is the kick-up fins (we bought a 2020).

Just our experience. Again a thorough on the water demo is huge. Your dealer should be able to arrange this.