2023 Hobie Compass Review | Is the seat good?

[@ByronTeaHill]

FAR OUT! This guy just keeps hand chopping the air for 20mins.😂😂 big shout out to James and Ryland for the support behind this video! Give them a shout out!

[@jimm244]

I bought a Compass Camo last summer and went on a 4-day, followed by a 3-day fishing trip where we paddled in with all our gear. Also did a bunch of short stents in local waters. The Kayak was well worth the cost for the memories! I had a great time with the boat and the others on the trip! I agree, It’s not ideal for standing, but overall I did not want the added bulk of the Outback. I also do some leisure cruising for which the compass is much better suited.

[@noahkc]

Hey Byron, my name is Noah and I am a 16 year old fishing enthusiast. I have been saving up to get a fishing kayak for over 2 years and regularly go surfing on gumtree and facebook marketplace to look at a good deal for a kayak but whenever I try to buy one, someone beats me to the chase. I really love fishing but it is pretty hard because the only form of fishing available to me is land based fishing and everyone knows how troubling it can be at times. Last week me and my mates took some inflatable rafts out to kakarook park to try and fish but we were out of luck and one of the rafts popped right when we were in the middle of the lake so we had to swim back to shore. I have been looking at the Hobie brand of kayaks for a while now because I want to upgrade my style of fishing from landbased fishing to kayak fishing. My favourite colour for the Hobie Compass is the camo colour. I am based in Melbourne so I would be mostly using the kayak to fish in Port Phillip Bay with my mates and to take my dog out on the water and perhaps go fishing with him too. Winning this kayak would mean the world to me and I have been a fan of the channel for a long time. Keep on making good content. Thanks!

[@daro6245]

Love the hull design on the compass, zippy but still stable. Fisherman and Camo color for the win

[@simonanderson6335]

I love the blue kayaks and would fish the rivers around Coffs Harbour for flathead, bream & whiting

[@edemup44]

Thank you for this review. I am wanting one so bad. I would use it for bass fishing in VA. There are so many amazing water ways here that require and kayak to get to them. I really apricate your attention to detail in your review.

[@zoommaster7253]

Great review

[@troutnbassinkayakfishin]

Just had to add my two cents about the new Compass seat. I had a 2018 Compass. My experience with that seat was awful. I am 6 ft 3 in. 250 lbs. The first problem with the 2018 seat was the crossbar hitting my tailbone. The bigger problem was the way it attached to the kayak. In just under 3 years of use the straps connecting to the side of the yak... The padeye pulled out of the hull. It cracked the hull! The hull was just a few days from going off warranty. Hobie honored the warranty with a 2022 Compass hull. The new hull required a new seat. I love the new seat. Hobie redesigned the padeyes, and the problem with the crossbar hitting my tailbone is fixed. Much more comfortable than the 2018 seat ever was. My new seat has no side to side movement when installed correctly.

[@natol833]

Hey Byron, Another great review. I would have to say that I like to Hobie Compass in the Camo Colour. It would be great to take it into botany bay and try to get myself into some Flathead and Possibly jewfish. Great to see the support you receive from HWS. Keep up the good work.

[@chasej556]

I love the camo color! If I won this kayak, I would take it down the road to the pond I grew up at and still live by, at least once a week. I've been dying to get a kayak, I'm on the fence about an ascend 12T so I can finally fish the other side of the pond or save up for a compass. I'm also going to South Dakota this July to see Mount Rushmore and to fish. I would love to have this kayak to take with me. Either way, I plan to have a good time while I'm there. I'll get a Hobie eventually, hopefully sooner than later. If I won, I could use the money I have saved up to get other gear, like a cart, life jacket, a rod holder, stuff like that

[@craig5147]

Compass are fantastic, love them! I’d use it to fish off of Perth WA. Great content on the channel

[@deanricho1967]

Love the camo tint, I would use it for fishing on Wallis Lake Forster NSW

[@Somethingsfishy65]

Awesome looking kayak!!

[@jackwhite4170]

Cheers for the Video Byron, hope the US is treating you well! Would love a Compass in Camo, I'm from Tumby Bay on the Eyre Peninsula so would be hitting up flatties and KGW down the front and at ski beach.

[@nathandowling6637]

Great video and review of a unreal kayak we have had over 4 compass in our family and a all round good yak it was good to see James in the video top bloke that's has helped me over the past 7 years always enjoy catching up with the HWS team at comps it will be different without you there mate another good bloke ready to help anyone gone but not forgotten tight lines mate

[@saddmon386]

Just wanted to say James and his team at HWS are absolute legends , bought a kayak from them a couple of years or so ago and they went far and beyond to deliver it all the way to Canberra for no additional cost back then.

[@jimcavill5310]

Legend for giving this away. The Blue is my favourite. I’ve just started fishing and would take it out in Corio Bay and the Barwon.

[@mjau0374]

Would love a camo conpass for Christmas to fish the Hawkesbury, Lake Macquarie, and specifically to get into tournament fishing

[@boris3513]

The camo is preferred for me. My current target zone are flats and mangroves. This would be perfect

[@samzts5512]

Papaya orange is so clean!! Definitely would use this kayak in the Yarra river for bream as I love doing that type of fishing!

[@noneyah4047]

My favorite color is the camo. It looks really cool.

[@nathansharkey6209]

Thanks for the content, the reviews are awesome! You’ve convinced of two things, one i should purchase a Daiwa infeet rod, & secondly the Hobie compass is the rig for me. I honestly love all the colours BUT if i had to pick, camo or blue ( the best colour is the one thats on the water ). I have some cheaper yaks, and love them, but a compass with mirage drive is the go. I love the local waterway the Camden haven river on Biripi country. I’d be out chasing flathead, bream, whiting and 🤞jewies, definitely be exploring some new waterways! tight lines.

[@ByronTeaHill]

bahaha, that rod is an awesome piece of equipment. Thanks buddy appreciate your response

[@wattoak6666]

These really are the best kayak reviews around, finaly had a chance to watch a vid, got a few BTH vids to catch up on. I would go Camo or sea green. I am heading to Lake Maquarie this Jan and that would be a great place to take a compass.

[@ByronTeaHill]

Yeah you do! I've been wondering where you have been bud!

[@AngusMacKinnon-xm5ko]

Love the look of that blue Hobie Compass. If would certainly help this pensioner to get out onto Port Phillip Bay, from the Mornington Peninsula up to Bonbeach where I know some sand banks where there are Flathead for the taking. I also love fishing the Warneet inlet on Westernport Bay.

[@MrAlGault]

Papaya orange is my pick. I like wearing bright flashy wetsuits when I surf as well 😂 probably says a lot about me! I’ve moving into our first house in the new year so will be close to Barwon heads and I’d love to get into the skinny water and tackle some bream. My cheap anaconda kayak is definitely not comfortable or dry after even an hour so if I am lucky enough to win this I’d be elated!

[@alexgrubb7446]

Green or camo look the goods 😎👌 id be hitting the very back ends of the feeder creeks at the calliope river (gladstone qld) for jacks,barra and salmon. Also flattys in the shallow of the wild cattle system.

[@kevdelves5317]

Another honest review. I love the blank canvas design allowing for personal modification. I like the Camo. I fish off the south coast of England. Keep up the good work 👍

[@Navsh26]

Great review on the new Compass. Papaya Orange would be my colour pick. I like how it's bright and visible so other kayakers and boaters can see where you are. I'd use the kayak to explore areas that cannot be fished land based in rivers and estuaries but I'd like to also take it out to the bay and come out of my comfort zone and kayak in open water. Keep up the great work!

[@alexmarti7684]

Again another amazing video on some quality products and awesome interviews. Good luck to the lucky winner!!

[@jonathonhunt935]

Hey Byron, thanks for yet another highly enjoyable and informative video. I learn so much. Great stuff! I’ve recently bought a Compass and couldn’t be more chuffed with the kayak (a special thank you to James and Andrew at HWS for their support and advice). As an ‘old mate’ I’ve found the Compass to be simply a positive experience: strong, light, fast, manoeuvrable and stable. Standing up while fishing Lake Mac and the Hunter river hasn’t been a problem…if you trust your balance it’s hard to tip. Cheers

[@anthonyvespia6662]

I love my 2023 Hobie Compass. I have allot of PA Accessories on her. I do run my PP-768, J2 Bixpy, on the power pole mount. Im 5ft 7" 156 lbs, so i can walk all over it. I was getting tired of the 100Lb empty hulls, on my three previous boats. I do keep it on a trailer, from harbor freight, with a few mods, and it's stored in my garage. I have all my batteries, lights, battery box to charge my accessories, phone, drone, and thru holes installed. With two volt meters into the hull, to monitor my batteries. For me i love it. 💯 🛶 🎣

[@aaronwoolnough8591]

The compass is a fantastic kayak. I really like them in the orange. There's a couple of spots along Gippsland I still need to explore, but first trip in a new compass would be to lake tyres 🙂

[@jacobhall8120]

Awesome stuff Byron. Can't go wrong with the timeless camo tint. If I was lucky enough to win, I'd be using the yak down the far South Coast of NSW chasing some bruiser bream up in the racks. Hope the transition is going well for you and the family, also HUGE shoutout for coming 3rd in Angler of the Year. You deserve it mate. Thanks for all you do.

[@ByronTeaHill]

Dude, thanks for that! the guys who were one and two were just tooo good!

[@vickykork7910]

Wow what a giveaway this will make someone’s year my husband always talkes about the compass kayak he loves the camo colour he’ll love to use it in the bay and port hacking river all the best in the new year and thanks for your reviews keep up the good work

[@horvathszovatiandras5959]

Grate detailed review. Nice that you include a second opinion and point out the problem with the seat as well. I think the best color is Camo and this would be a grate kayak to fish for pike, asp and zander in my local rivers and canals.

[@ByronTeaHill]

Glad it was helpful!

[@bengillespie1978]

Nice cameo from Ryland, I’d love a blue compass for the missus. I bought the outback a while ago from your reviews and loving it. Been testing out the waters around Pittwater and Berowra waters

[@ByronTeaHill]

Blue is underrated imo! tight lines legend

[@Omygollygoshie]

I love the Papaya Orange colour, I'd use this kayak around my local water ways in Sydney, so Botany, Port Hacking and even Pittwater if given the opportunity. Love the review keep up the awesome work mate.

[@ByronTeaHill]

Good choice!

[@jamesrussell9077]

The camo is the colour for me! Fishing east gippsland in particular Wingan inlet would be where I head first!!!

[@Nardinator2340]

I love the orange papaya as I love the west tigers 🐅. It would be a dream to be able to go out on from little manly and cruise around hooking up on squid flathead kingys and many more species. Love the work keep it up!!!❤

[@oliversharp2100]

Great video Byron, my favourite colour compass would be the cameo one. I would use it here in south west Victoria a river called the Hopkins river fishing for bream perch and hopefully my first mulloway.

[@Dazspaz6]

Great video as always Byron! I like the slate blue colour on the Hobie Compass and would be out in the bay in Brisbane or exploring all the fishing down the Gold Coast.

[@Med.iced.coffee]

Wow!! Amazing review again, no wonder it’s such a popular kayak. Love the camo and think to would preform perfectly fishing around PPB and East Gippsland.

[@ByronTeaHill]

Thanks for watching!

[@kealc002]

I would love to rig out a Papaya Orange compass for offshore fishing and get it out to Glenelg Tyre Reef chasing some King George Whiting. Would also be nice to have it to enter the Bream Fishing tournaments here in Adelaide!

[@ByronTeaHill]

That would be cool! have you competed in SA yet?

[@stevebaker8138]

Great review! Question about the square hatch. Do you recommend the vertical or horizontal hatch as a replacement for the round hatch? Thanks

[@krisji3812]

The Seagrass Green surely appealing to me. I am always landbased coz I don’t have a garage for the boat, recently the kayak fishing is really interested me, if I get one I will use it mainly in the estuaries in Gold Coast. I really want to chase some big mangrove jacks on a kayak, so after a fair bit research and your video I think I probably will go for the compass!Great video and really thorough reviews! Thanks for keeping produce high quality informative videos I definitely learned a lot from your channel. ❤

[@johnathonLawrence]

It's gotta be the Camo Compass. I'd love to get the compass up the many local creeks and micro systems where I live on the NSW South Coast. This would also be great to get my wife or other family members on the water for a fun day out or to go fishing. Great vid mate, hope to catch up with the HWS team at a few comps in 2023.

[@caska669]

Hey Byron, I've never used a kayak but I'm keen to try one out. I'm a sucker for anything in camo, so the Compass in camo would be my choice. I would definitely use it for fishing in the rivers and bay down in Vic, it opens up a great opportunity for me instead of just fishing land based. Great video once again!

[@danh4782]

Another great video Byron, good job mate. I’m a sucker for the papaya orange, just pops I reckon. If I was lucky enough to win I would be using the Hobie Compass from HWS out on St George’s Basin on the South Coast chasing bream and Flathead. Cheers 🤙🏼

[@ByronTeaHill]

Cheers Dan!

[@darrengibbs2290]

Always great content Byron. The Compass in Camo would be my choice, working my way around the oyster racks in and around Forster/Tuncurry also our holidays down south around Narooma and Batemans Bay.

[@mickcapilli]

Darren,I'm always after someone to fish with, let me know if you're keen... I'm in Taree

[@SamDewing]

Another great video! Camo is my favorite colour.

[@ByronTeaHill]

Good choice!

[@Gaulz12]

Another great video and review, I've used both the compass and outback and apart from a bit of bling these are such a great kayak. I reckon the Camo colour is the pick and would use this up in East Gippsland 🎣

[@simonmcguire5294]

Sweet review @byron. I’d go camo and fish those really tight waterways on the south coast.

[@ByronTeaHill]

Good choice!

[@mickos4472]

If this review doesn't sell 100 yaks I dont know what can. Another excellent video. This would be handy so i could be like all the cool kids with a Hobie

[@JeremyTheOtter]

Thankyou so much for the video. I want to get a real nice fishing Kayak and I’m really leaning towards Hobie and it’s good to hear from competitive anglers that’s it’s a great product. I would use this in some back water fishing or offshore runs for snappers or big game fish for sure.

[@garethrendell-goodhew3529]

Camo would be my choice to help hide all the marks I find on my kayaks over the years. Iwould love the compass to get me on the water more often, especially on the days it been tough at work and want to get out on the water with ease to relax and regather myself. It would also be great to take out friends and get them interested in the sport. Tight lines

[@alberthicks8758]

Great video as usual brother....me if I had it , it would be hunted and fished out of .... basically be my second home..

[@sambeazley3900]

Would love to get my hands on this kayak. It would see a lot of use around the Hawkesbury and Nepean in search of bass but I’m about to head north to the Nambucca river and I’m in need of a way to get out on the flats to chase top water whiting. Favourite colour of hobie is definitely the papaya orange.

[@Pablohiri2]

Love the camo. Had a PA And sold it.. big regret. Using these kayaks for camping down kangaroo valley was alway my favourite way to use these so that’s what I would do

[@rexb3415]

Great honest review, I like the Camo and I would use it in lake Illawarra and also take it down to shoalhaven river and the basin. Cheers mate. Forgot to mention I would use it for fishing.

[@MichaelWilson-lf2fx]

Love the review mate, honestly I'm not fussed what colour like them all. Honestly my life would be complete if I had a Hobie, fishing for me and kids would use it for exploring. Keep up the great work mate. Merry Christmas and have a great New year.

[@leighpartington7231]

Love the camo colour! Would use this bass fishing up on the Bellinger river exploring 👌🏻

[@Hooked.on.Fishing]

camo would be my colour of choice, would use it to fish around wave break and all the rivers around the pin and gold coast canals

[@shaneah1587]

Great video as always Byron. I would be fishing the local water ways of Port Phillip Bay and love the camo color. Best of luck with your new adventures in the states. Look forward to the upcoming videos.

[@jamesleadbeatter3632]

The papaya orange kayak would be great for squidding in the waters around Albany wa due to being highly visible to boats. The light weight means it would be easy to transport and take to bucket list fishing locations such as shark Bay and dirk hartog Island for snapper

[@StandByShields]

Another great review, mate. Camo colour for sure. I've tried a friends orange kayak and reeling a fish in as soon as they saw it would spook! I'd use the camo to sneak up onto those flatheads all around Lake Macquarie

[@scottschmierer7075]

id have to say camo ..id use it around the rivers/creeks in the hunter valley chasing bass...and head to the local dams as well...possibly take it further north chasing cod and yellowbelly as well

[@nathansmith6059]

Great review of the Compass! I like the Camo colour and would really enjoy using this on the flats in Gippsland, and also taking it up the rivers to chase some Perch in summer time. Cheers!

[@mightykayakgeek4299]

My dream Kayak. Love the Camo as it has the better pedal drive system. Would use it on Lake Macquarie as well as some ocean fishing in NSW. I would definitely get HWS to put in the rectangular hatch and move the circle hatch to the top.

[@Kidndjwkx]

Hey Byron I snapped my rod today so I am looking for a replacement. The rod was a daiwa infeet 6101. Any ideas for what I should buy? Budget of around 300 take or give a bit. Probably an all rounder because I fish both plastics and hardbodies. Cheers

[@harrisonsfishing9763]

Another great video/ review byron! Id have to go with camo and i would use it around my local, the pine river in Moreton bay even up into the dam as well as tin can bay and 1770 areas

[@Basstandsforbasic]

Woah man getting my hands on a blue one would be a game changer for me! Between trying to be a home owner and having kids I don't think I'll ever be able to buy one myself. My local would be fishing the mighty pine River and Moreton bay!

[@pasichnyk]

I like the camo color, or the papaya as a close second. I’d use it to take friends/family out fishing for salmon on the Puget Sound around Seattle, WA, USA.

[@ByronTeaHill]

Good choice!

[@nikola1971]

Amazing video! I have been looking at a fishing kayak for the last 12 months but it’s been out of my budget. I was previously looking at the Pro Angler, but this video has really opened my mind to other options. Camo would be my colour of choice. I’ve recently moved down to Lake Conjola and It is amazing fishing on the lake, but I need a kayak to access the really great spots. I want to start entering competitions, but only once I’ve mastered Lake Conjola and surrounding waters.

[@andrewcox7179]

I have a old town predator pdl and a hobie compass. I choose to take the compass every time because of its low weight. If i were to buy a new yak, I would buy a compass 100%

[@UmbertoBuonanno]

Great content ! For me the hobie compass it is the best fishing kayak ever made, light, stable and spacious. Surely the most beautiful color is grass green and I would use it for trolling at sea. Keep it up !

[@mickcapilli]

Great little clip Byron! The Compass looks like a great unit, i love that it'd be possible to get this up on the roof racks by myself. I've got a $400 kayak,so this would be an awesome upgrade to fish both the shallows and the racks at Forster with... Would definitely need the Camo colour when chasing bass up the creeks though!

[@ByronTeaHill]

That would be cool in and around the sticks and creeks edges

[@Mullerman]

I'd love the seagrass green. I would really enjoy the kayak as I've been saving up for a tinny so I can finally fish spots I can't get to since I am primarily land-based, and I think the compass would be perfect for the job. I would mainly use it for fishing, targeting general bread and butter species in Lake Macquarie. Cant wait to see who wins!!

[@ByronTeaHill]

Good choice!

[@nwfishos]

Awesome video as always byron ! The colour I would have to pick would be the camo because it suits all situations. I would use it to fish in my local river and also at my shack at ansons bay because I don’t have access to a boat there. I would also use it to fish in the lakes with my dad while he fishes on his paddle board !

[@SpregioCheeks]

I just got this kayak for $1065 at REI. It was returned for a drive malfunction, so REI sent the drive back to Hobie, and then were delivered the standard drive with kickup fins rather than the 180 drive. So they deducted the 875 from the kayak, but also open box, however, it was marked with a 40% off sticker as it was sitting there for a week, so, just got the standard drive, which I think i'm gonna upgrade with turbo fins.. But yea.. I'm pretty excited, but worried about my build... I'm a bit of a bigger guy, but great mobility. Pushing that 275 mark, if not over. So im looking at putting some foam to go under the seat area, as I realized it's pretty hollow under where it locks, and sure enough saw that ppl were getting cracked hulls where the seat clamps are. So hopefully some foam blocks under, maybe somehow drilled in, will help me get out on the water now, rather than 3 months when I drop 20-40lbs lol.

[@robmather1009]

I like the camoa Hobie compass I think it looks quit shuttle and nice. I live hobart Tasmania and love fishing for Australian salmon and flathead but it can be a bit difficult because I don’t have a boat and I’m only young but a kayak would be perfect for the bay I fish in.

[@bencarter7328]

I love the classic papaya for visibility. Would love a compass for my son to fish with me at Jervis Bay/ Huskisson to chase flatties together

[@ByronTeaHill]

Sounds great!

[@kenoconnor3513]

Love to use one of these in the sea grass green colour in Botany Bay. I’m always taking my mates out fishing in my old Jackson and would love to join the hobie club.

[@TobysHardEnduro]

I would use the hobie compass around lake tyres chasing black bream and my favourite colour is the camo colour.

[@ByronTeaHill]

Great!

[@ewanhall285]

The Compass is my dream kayak - so much lighter than my heavy Outfitter. I like the Seagrass yellow colour. I’d use it mainly around Sydney, including inshore at Long Reef.

[@ByronTeaHill]

Right on

[@wingitmissionfishingoutdoo6647]

Shoutout to your missus mate, I'm not allowed to leave a reel on the dining room table let alone line em up on the living room cabinet. If that's your man cave even better. Great review buddy, cheers

[@a3307able]

Another great informative video Byron. Well done. Camo is my favourite and would love to use it up on the Clarence river in the fresh chasing some of those big bass !

[@dennismageropoulos652]

Nice work mate, has to be camo!! I would keep this down Sussex Inlet, that way we will always have the Yak down there for the family to play with.

[@patrickkua6046]

Great honest review as usual Byron. Seagrass green looks great and would be great chasing schools of salmon around Mornington.

[@westhamcam2769]

Love the impromptu hotel set, working with what you have! I think the Camo is my favourite model, would love to rig up the compass or fishing the Swan River for estuary species and also trout/redfin in our south-west rivers and lakes. Would love to win, my old outback has cracked near the mirage drive and am struggling to keep it watertight.

[@davidphamily6536]

The camo is the best colour imo, every kayak is never the same exact pattern with this colour. I can envision this little weapon on top of my minivan & with me anywhere, anytime. It being soo light & nimble that I can take it to any bodies of water & having a blast exploring.

[@narikki]

Love the camo compass but the papaya orange would be amazing. id be using it in the hawksbury but would love to try offshore fishing such as out botany etc!

[@b_man75]

Great review, the Compass is an underrated gem. Camo is preferred color for me. I would mainly use it chasing cod and yellowbelly in the rivers and dams around Yass with the occasional estuary trip to the South Coast.

[@ByronTeaHill]

definitely an underrated kayak

[@stevesutton2981]

Great job mate. Very good break down on it. Definitely have to lean towards camo, and be great for areas in moreton bay.

[@ByronTeaHill]

Totally agree

[@vjarmon3536]

The camo color I think looks the best on the compass. The kayak would be used in some ponds near my house and also inshore.

[@iiSimpleName]

You're an absolute champion, as well as the HWS team. I really love the Seagrass green colour. I would be using it chasing bream in the hopkins river in warrnambool or in Lake purrumbete chasing trout and salmon. Cheers mate, keep up the good work.

[@brendonprice6550]

Awesome video again 🤙.. my favourite colour would be camo but I would love to see one in the dune .. I’d fish locally in corio bay .. will you get a hobie in the states?

[@ByronTeaHill]

Good choice!

[@Bluewater-fever]

Camo colour just to be low profile when I'm on the flats. I'll be using it nsw mid north coast area where the rivers meet the bays where it can get a little choppy and I'll also drift along the mangrove lines skip casting plastics for bream.

[@ByronTeaHill]

Nice!!!

[@kristianwestley6275]

What a review! I’ve been looking at a few kayaks lately and the compass seems to be the pick. I do really like the green one that you rocked in the video, it would be so good to get around the Hastings and Wilson rivers to chase some good bream and bass in the fresher parts and even put on the camper when we go away.

[@cavernouscoot4831]

Would have to go with the camo colour, so while fishing the calliope river in central Queensland, the fish wouldn't be able to see what's coming. Found your channel a few weeks back, loving the videos, mate.

[@orricmclsanky]

I've got the Camo compass I love that it doesn't show the scuffs. In terms of outright style tho the papaya with the HWS nose cone wrap is slick. If I was all about the photos that is what I would choose to be scooting about lake mac and Dora creek

[@_divitz]

Adventure around Lake Macquarie find some new spots and hope to jag some great fish this summer season !!