Sounds like you need two boats - longer boat for coastal cruising and camping. Shorter boat for rivers. Nothing wrong with that - right boat for the conditions. You have the long boat, so I’d be looking for something shorter - if it were me. 
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The Perception SeaLion is more of tracky point A-B boat. So, a bit harder to change directions with it. A foot shorter would help, but a more rockered boat will help even more. There are some play oriented RM kayaks in the 15-16’ class, e.g. PH Volan, Leo, Delphin 150, Valley Sirona.
sing
I wish it was that easy.
The long boat lives in Florida and I spend 90%+ of the time in the SW. I live full time in a rig and between mine and my partner’s rigs we only have enough rack room for 1 kayak each and the one I keep for my mom when she visits.
As it is even “upgrading” to another boat becomes challenging as I would need to get rid of mine before I bring home another, or sell mine as soon as I do get another and before we can move camp, or do some creative loading like we see on the “Funny Pics” thread 
. Not great options.
All part of the reason I’m trying to get a really good idea of what boats fit my lifestyle, desired uses, and budget before even making a move on one. Being a vender/crafter/reseller I have an eye on several ongoing searches constantly and finding good deals on items (and kayaks) isn’t unknown . . . but finding a good deal on the wrong kayak for me isn’t that good a deal, so I’m asking the people whom I have some respect for their opinions and suggestions based on the restrictions of my lifestyle and intended usage.
Thank you! I’ll add those to my researching list.
I’ve been keeping my eyes open for a Dagger, the Alchemy I think over the Stratus, but I don’t see many Dagger showing up here unless they’re short ww boats . . . but . . . this Necky Chatham 16 has been sitting in my watch list and the specs and reviews sound like it could be something that might fit what I’m looking for. Skegged, not too long plus some rocker, think I read that it has a lower rear deck . . . People using them in rough water and rock gardens along the coast but still being able to camp out of them.
I know we have some active posters that have mentioned these before and I’ll be searching for those threads when I have more time tonight.
But until then . . . thoughts?
Which area(s) are you looking? I see you mentioned FLA but then SW. Figured that if you want to find an “ocean play boat”, you are going to have look near one of the coasts. Also, be willing to travel to. Here is a pretty good deal for a Delphin 155 north of FLA:
A Stratos 14.5L just popped in my neck of the country for $900.
sing
Lol, yes I’m in both of those places.
I live nomadic but mostly in the SW deserts (I know weird place place for someone interested in coastal paddling). I spent my younger years in Florida and my mom is still there. That’s where I got into paddling, canoe w/ family when young, and then later kayaks. Ended up getting my mom hooked on kayaks when I told her that if I was going to travel to Florida often we would have to be on the rivers a lot, the rest of that area I had my fill of when I was younger.
Went from rentals and guides (to get the shuttle) to her have 6 of them on a nice rack. That’s where my Sealion lives as well as a Carolina 14.5(?) that belongs to my partner and I would like to get rid of that one to replace it w/ something that fits her.
Finally tired of only have a yak out east and rentals being twice the price at the few lake rentals out here I decided to buy.
Since then, like @szihn , I’ve had to build my own long"er" boat community and find everyone decent yaks at good prices.
So short answer long . . . this past summer we’ve been parked up in the SoCal high desert and I’ve had the opportunity to hunt a 200 mile radius along the coast and inland communities.
Once we move eastward into Ariz finding a good 14’-17’ yak becomes really challenging and more of an 8 hour one way trip to get one near the coast.
LowTech, I also have gone around that tried to buy up many good sea kayaks from the Rocky Mountain States (and one from Nevada, and one in Idaho too)
So far I have not bought 3 dozen, but we are quite close to it.
I saw your comment on the Sea Lion kayak. I also have a Sea Lion. Mine is the 16.5 foot “Shadow” and I had a Eclipse too, but sold it to a very good friend who’s a very big man. He fill the 17 foot Eclipse up, but is not too large for it. he’s 6 foot 5 inches tall and is 270 pounds.
Which sub-model is yours?
I know the Sea Lion line is dated, but having paddles quite a number of other kayaks, many newer, and I must say the Sea Lion line was very good and easy to handle. My Shadow has a rudder which I up-graded with SeaLect design foot braces, but it edge turns so well that until the winds get stiff I seldom need to deploy that rudder. I recently got an Eddyline Fathom and thought when I first bought it I’d sell the Perception Sea Lion, but dang…it’s so nice to paddle that I decided to keep it too. It’s also a wonderful kayak for trips because it holds a LOT of gear and still handles very well.
The onl;y complaint I can offer to the Sea Lion Shadow deals with my upgraded foot controllers. The hull is designed very well to shed wind and in so doing the top slopes inward to a point that if the pegs are moved out to the front ends of the tracks the top outside edges of the peddles jam up against the inside of the hull. Not a problem from about the 2/3 point forward and to the back of the adjustment ranger, but for those with long legs the gas-peddle style controllers will not work if they are out towards the front of the rails. And that’s AFTER I installed the Height Adjuster Kit. But friends who’ve borrowed that kayak up to about 5 foot 9 inches tall can use it just fine. One friend that is 6’ tall found he had to run the pegs forward more and they jammed up so the rudder could not be turned. But for my use I find them wonderful. I am short at 5’ 6" with short thick legs and the up-grade for me worked out as well as I could have asked for.
I seem to remember that you also have a Chatham? If so what size and what do you think of it?
Yes a Necky Chatham17.
I was the 2nd kayak I ever bought, and was before I and my wife started to buy and bring kayaks into Wyoming to try to start a group of sea kayaker here. I got it from a man who was an avid hunter and shooter and he and I would correspond about elk and bear hunts, as well as recommendations as to refining some of his rifles. When I got interested in kayaks I was surprised to learn he also was a kayaker and had been for 20+ years. He had 2 identical Chatham17s and his wife is small and wanted something shorter so he bought her a 15.5 foot P&H and sold me her Chatham. At 5 feet and 100 pounds the Chatham17 was too big for her, so I ended up with it.
Overall, I’d have to call it a huge blessing. Since that time I have bought 31 other kayaks and I’d have to say, for me anyway, I have yet to find one that I could say really beats the Chatham17. I got an older P&H fiberglass kayak that was over 18 feet long and it was faster, but not all that much.
The Chatham was well beyond my abilities to use well when I first got it, (I REALY learned how to do reentry’s because of it) but I stuck with it and in a few years I am able to hold an Edge lapping water over the combing enough that the skirt is needed and it turns very well for a long kayak and yet tracks straight, SUPER straight if I drop the skeg. I had it on the water for 3 hours this morning.
In my opinion I think Old Town (who bought Necky) really screwed up by not continuing the production of the Chatham17. It’s 17’ 3" long and narrow at 21.5" wide, so it holds a bit less cargo then some 17’+ long kayaks, but if you pack it right it is still roomy enough to go out for several days.
I have the Sealion Eclipse 17’.4 just a bit newer than the the yellow one you had w/ the extra straps on the hatch covers.
Wow, I just learned something here.
I never knew they make a Sea Lion Eclipse in 17’ 4"
My old one is 17 feet on the nose. It’s 24" wide at the beam exactly too.
Is your 17’ 4" Eclipse also 24 wide?
It’s been a while since I’ve seen it and even longer since I’ve had a tape on it so I called up the catalog.
It’s a `99 and they list it as 7’2" (though I think mine measured at 7’3" or 4") and 22.5" wide.
Well I missed out on that Chatham 16. By the time I had gotten paid for some work and arranged to do the 5 plus hours round trip it sold. In fact sold the morning I was asking about meet up scheduling.
Anyway I really like how that that one read specs and reviews wise. Skegged, big enough for some coastal stuff, maneuverable enough for some I & II class rivers, enough gear space for camping, . . . they also seem to be one of the less findable Neckys w/ the 17 being way more common.
I’ve looked at similar sized yaks in the same price ranged polys, west coast/SW desert available and I’m not finding anything w/ comparable hull shapes . . . Perception Shadow, WS Avatar, etc.
I don’t see much in the way of Daggers that aren’t ww, or P&H, Venture, out here and even the older Alchemy doesn’t seem to compare in hull shape, plus is shorter (not that I see them). I’ve been watching my searches for close to a year now and I’m kinda bummed that I missed out on that one.
Anyone familiar enough w/ the Chatham 16 to suggest similar boats?
I’m not personally familiar with the Chatham 16 (I briefly paddled one once long ago): however I believe that there are many similar sea kayaks, such as the Romany, the Valley Avocet, and the Impex Montauk, with which I am familiar. They are approximately 16 feet long and 22 inches wide and are lower volume for smaller paddlers. I’d seek out any of these and give them a try. If you’re in the northeast and want to try my Montauk send a message.
Just saying… You are in a challenging place to find sea kayaks.
Right now in New England:
Two Romany kayaks for under $1500 finally disappeared from the Vt listing after more than several weeks. (Thank goodness, as I was tempted. The Mariner still looks tempting.)
sing
(kayak hoarder)
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But most of those are out of my price range (poor person here) and some are glass. Don’t think the glass ones would like the living conditions here on the vehicle racks . . . but thanks for rubbing it in my face. 
Thanks but in the opposite corner of the country.
I do like the British style and that seems to be what I keep looking for but Valleys, P&H, Impex (unfortunately all glass as far as I can see), NDK, etc are not what I see in the SW. Here I see loads of Hobies, some WS, Perception, Neckys, a few Sedas . . .
That’s almost a year of watching the area sales almost daily.
If I wanted a Looksha I’d be set. Though I might be tempted by a Tempest 16 or a Zephyr if I ever saw one offered.
The whole time I lived in Kirkland WA (near Seattle) (about 12 years) I ‘stored’ my Romany - fiberglass - on the rack on top of my car (while living in an apartment).
But beware -
The 1st 6 months I lived here (in Jacksonville), I also kept it stored on the rack. It was stolen (though later did get back).
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I think the “disadvantage” of composite is playing in rocks. I can do repairs (sadly from having to do that with my waveskis), but I prefer not to. Time is limited. I’d much rather play. Hence, a RM rockplay boat (and another reason to hoard another kayak!). 
sing
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