airbag(s)
yes, I’m considering it… downside is I work in psychiatry hospital, so I might not be able to leave if I come to work like that… biking in a PFD 
Bottom line is - stitches and bike repairs - and I’m still riding 
Give another shot at kayaking, start slowly, keep it within your comfort zone and… learn to roll! You’ll enjoy it, I’m sure.
There is a saying “Learn to roll so you don’t have to swim, learn to brace so you don’t have to roll, learn to balance so you don’t have to brace”
know what you mean
After some serious encounters with white water with my outdoor club in my 20’s (including a 7 hour trip down a class 5 river in a two man raft) and even after a course on whitewater including rolling and a class 4 trip, I decided I did not care for whitewater and abandoned kayaking.
But when I turned 52 i got into flatwater touring , will be 64 this year and love it. I too gave up my motorcycle and am hesitant to ride a bicycle anywhere but a Rails to Trails, due to the high objective dangers. But I feel flatwater touring is one of the safest and most enjoyable and accessible sports for us “geezers”. Easy on the joints for one thing, and something we can do with companions of all ages. In fact, there was an informal survey on this site a few years ago that revealed the highest percentage of forum participants was mid 50’s to nearly 70.
So come on in, the water is fine!
Go for it .
You had a very bad introduction to the sport.
Kayaking is as safe as you want it to be.
Stick to flatwater for a while and learn to have fun and build confidence.
Then push your limits with excellent instructors. Expecting folks to paddle in 52 F water in swim wear was a very bad idea, find instructors who are recommended by people here that live in your area.
Lots of folks here in there sixties take up sea kayaking with no big issues.
Adding to what others have said
– Last Updated: May-09-14 5:25 PM EST –
All those dire warnings about all the bad things that can happen are written by "experts" about situations they might be likely to encounter. In fact, a lot of "experts" can't help superimposing their own contextual experience over that of beginners who are asking for advice, even when said beginner clearly states that the place he wants to paddle is NOT open water, NOT far from shore, etc., etc.
Not many people can roll a canoe, but canoers aren't repeatedly warned that they are risking death if they don't learn to roll. So if you paddle the kinds of places that average folks in canoes can safely go, it makes sense that you should be safe when in a kayak, even without self-rescue skills, right? In most rivers that don't have big whitewater, dragging the boat to shore after a capsize is the normal thing to do, and that takes no special skill. In fact, you can probably paddle your whole life on such rivers and never capsize in the first place (just be aware that it can happen, and be prepared for it). On that note, you should definitely become familiar with some of the typical hazards that are present even on easy rivers (especially strainers, but also how to "read" the water, etc.), but on easy rivers this isn't rocket science.
Start on easier waters than a Class-II river that's too cold for swimming without immersion gear. That class you took wasn't very well planned at all. Even with a day or two of practice, you can't be expected to do everything right at every step of the way during the first time you paddle Class-II whitewater. SOMEBODY in the class was bound to flip that day, and it just so happened that it was you.