Kayaks that meets these specs

explanation for Waterbird
Here on the east coast of Florida, fresh water flows from inland swamps to narrow, winding rivers heading towards the coast. These habitats are characterized by cypress trees (and their knees) and dense vegetation, which requires a lot of maneuvering. When those fresh water rivers turn brackish at the coast, we get mazes of mangroves with tight passageways and dead-ends to explore, so being able to turn on a dime is helpful. After the mangroves comes the full on salt water coast, with near-shore corals and tropical fish to check out. Even though ideally you feel the river and the coast require two different kayaks, the habitats themselves are continuous. So if I want to start inland and paddle from inland to coast all in one trip (which amazingly is just a day trip here in FL), I need a boat that can do both.



As for the beam, I like my current boat alright (Pyranha Fusion) but it just feels waaaay too wide at 25". I’ve padded the hell out of it with minicell and whatnot, but I’m definitely not as connected as I want to be. I’m “sitting in the boat” not “wearing the boat” like I should be. So if I’m going to upgrade, I want a beam under 23". I’m perfectly comfy in my friend’s Romany with 21.5" beam, but I realize that going that narrow but staying short probably wont happen. I’d prefer to stay at 15ft or less in length for the river portion of my usual paddle route. I agree that 15ft might be pushing it for the really tight switchbacks on the river, but I’ve pulled it off in a 15ft canoe so it should be alright.

small fusion?
Are you already in the small version of the fusion? Seems like a boat that short and capable would be a blast in the narrow windings.

QCC.com
should have something to ft your needs. I have had my QCC 700XL for 5 years and it is still the perfect kayak for me.