Hobie Compass Loader - rudder protector

Hey FYI

While I wish Hobie had given more forethought to a few minor things, I'm really liking my 2019 Compass. By far my biggest concern has been loading and unloading the Compass. Yes, its lighter in weight, but definitely more awkward to handle than my Revo 13. Its difficult to tilt it up or drop it down without the ground contacting the undermounted rudder. Hobie is addressing this and has come out with a Compass specific rudder protector. I thought Hobie would charge an arm and leg for it, but, surprisingly its only $30  Definitely a must if you want to protect your $2,000+ investment.
I didn't see the part listed on the Hobie site. I believe the part # is 81711000

How are you liking the compass? I’m thinking about getting one

Good except for as I described. Pretty fast with turbo fins. Stable. More work area than Revo. Moved circle hatch forward and added rectangular hatch sideways in center, side handles , interior side pockets. Caught some good fish on it.

Nice! Seems like it would make a good overall kayak. I’ll be testing one soon

I just recently purchased a Compass.  I wound up dropping it when I was loading by myself the first time.  T dinged the rudder a bit.  I started loading by lifting the back first which is awkward.  I have purchased the rudder protector but haven't tried it out yet.

Thanks for this.  I bought a used Compass as my first proper kayak this fall and I love it. My rudder is beat to hell though, so I’ll check this out. Looks like you added some handles, I might do that too. The mesh pockets are super handy if you haven’t added them already. I’m not wild about the round hatch as it seems hard to close and seal, but makes a handy cutting board. I am thinking about adding the square hatch but may not bother with moving the round hatch forward. Crabbing has been a breeze with Danielson boxes if you unclip the rear bungie and stow them at a slight angle they stay put without straps. The kayak is stable enough that it doesn’t get tippy reaching for the stowed traps or pulling them in.  The much maligned paddle bungie doesn’t really bother me, and I’ve have a paddle and two rods strapped in with it for sporty landings. Trolling has been easy even with my OG standard drive. Love to get advice on whether I should upgrade to turbo, seems like marketing to me, but I’m a noob.  I’d appreciate any more ideas for customizing. I don’t like bling - light, fast, efficient/less-is-more seems to be the way to go in my brief kayak fishing career.

The 2019 Outback comes with the loader. 

So far I'm loving mine: speed, virtual hands free propulsion.  What's going to take to get used to is how high you sit.  Coming from a Tarpon 120 this is the biggest difference.

...Love to get advice on whether I should upgrade to turbo, ...

I don't have a Compass, but have a couple other Hobies, and I'd say, yes, you definitely want to upgrade to the turbo fins. You'll be surprised how much difference it makes.

I wish they made one of these for the Revo!!