Actually two, now that you've told us where you are.
If you can deal with the funky paint job, here's a racing kayak for sale in Toronto PLUS paddle for$490. Light and designed specifically for speed. Would take some getting used to but if you learned to paddle it you would smoke most people in regular kayaks. Not likely to be many customers for it -- offer them $350 and see if they'll deal on it:
Also an old Olympic style whitewater boat that should be pretty fast with the right paddling skill for $300 (I used to have one like it). They tend not to track very well so you would have to get the skills right. And fit could be a problem if you are a big guy.
Conduit 13 Not for open ocean outings, but if speed and cost-effectiveness are your main points, the Conduit 13 is very fast compared to other rec kayaks.
I once paddled my sea kayak with a racing canoeist who borrowed his son's rec boat and used his single-blade canoe paddle. Even though he was pushing a huge bow wave, I had to work to keep pace with him.
Getting your stroke down is the first step.
After that, decide what conditions you want to paddle in, and shop used. There is a whole world of used sea kayak deals out there, approaching the cost of a new rec boat. If it's speed and conditions you want, you'll be much happier in the long run.
Speed is all relative None of my boats would be considered speedsters, but conditioning, form and a constant pace will beat a fast boat nearly every time. Being in a boat that feels good to be in is worth more than a marginal speed advantage in my opinion.
no faster way to turn off a newbie IMO Then to give them charts and graphs to show them what gear to buy. It’s like showing me a chart and graph to convince me to buy a certain brand underwear.
Wow I thank everybody for the scientific answers, as well as the more philosophic ones. This forum is awesome. My search is much more focused now. I will let you know what happens.
You could have a dozen boats that are just like those belonging to the friends you paddle with and 10-1 each person would have the ability to paddle at a slightly different speed. This would be due to each persons uniqueness, such as height, weight, torso/arm/leg length, paddling style (stroke length and whether high or low), and anything else that makes one propel their boat forward.
The Perception Sport Conduit 13 is about the fastest recreational/hybrid boat for around $500 and is rudder capable. It is nearly identical to the $900 Perception Carolina and a cousin to the WS Tsunami. Other than a slightly less comfortable seat (that can be completely removed) and the absence of deck rigging, I believe it is the best value for beginner to intermediate kayakers.