Have you considered a North Shore Aspect
LV. It is a neweer boat to the US market, but performs really well for a 14’3" boat. Great boat and a good price at $1450.
Gavin
rainsinc@gmail.com
local club?
Have you checked into whether there’s a local paddling club that you could hook up with? I would guess that Houston would most likely have something along those lines. That would probably be your best resource for trying out different boats.
That being said, and all other things being equal, I’d recommend the Delphin over the Tsunami in a hearbeat. Yes, the Delphin is technically designed for rough water play, but it’s still a great boat for beginners. The company I teach with used them in its school fleet last year and they worked out great even for people with zero prior paddling experience.
As for the going straight thing – yes, it’s almost certainly lack of experience. We’ve all been there. Learning and practicing good paddling technique will iron it out.