Stellar! Amazing boats that handle like a dream. Our 15 foot touring Stellar weighs 34 pounds. I find Stellars reasonable in price because you get so much kayak for your money, but it’s not cheap.
A West Side Boat Shop Delta comes in at 28lbs. but is a little more than your budget, but I could get you close without a rudder and bulkheads. You’ll probably be looking for a Kevlar or Carbon/Kevlar used kayak of some sort for that price. Maybe a used Epic 18x or an old Kayakpro. That is a really challenging weight requirement for your budget in anything new.
Thanks to everyone for the great advice. Pre-ordered a 12s Delta coming in at 38 lbs. Everyone was correct…hard to get under 35 within my budget. This kayak comes in under 2000 all in. Just have to do a bit more upper body strengthening to get it on my roof rack! 
As much as I like my Old Town Camden, it seems to get a little heavier every year! Here’s a thought (if you don’t mind coloring outside the lines):
How about a solo canoe like a 12’ Northstar ADK? Like a kayak, you sit low inside and can use your double bladed kayak paddle. Significant weight is saved without the deck, and unless you do overnights or whitewater or enjoy being out in rainstorms, do you really need hatches? A couple of negatives - I’ve heard that tracking straight in the wind can be more challenging without a deck, and it’s probably not the best choice for doing rolls.
Northstar’s most durable lay-up is called White Gold, which only comes in red and green (go figure); weight is about 30 lbs and list price is $1795. Other lay-ups are lighter, but more fragile and costly. Good luck in your search!
Hurricane Kayaks are made in the US of ABS plastic which is the same material that Eddyline and Delta uses. Each manufacturer has their own proprietary formula. The material can take a certain amount of abuse but anything beyond Class 2 white water I would not recommend. I used to sell kayaks and the Hurricane brand was the lightest. The boats use a little thinner material than Eddyline and the Hurricane boats are made in North Carolina I believe. Kayaks from Swift Canoe and Kayaks are expensive like $2-3,000, but they are the lightest kayaks made. Swift is a Canadian Company in Ontario, and their boats are composites with new materials that are light weight and strong. An excellent Company, I have owned some of their kayaks and own their canoes. Watch some of their YouTube videos.
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That’s great to hear. There are also lots of techniques and different racks to help with loading onto your vehicle. Personally, I ended up getting a “Malone Seawing” rack with the “Stinger” attachment to assist with loading if I don’t have a second person to help me load, but there are lots of people that just use a bath mat or towel to load into saddle or wing type racks.
Put one end up resting on the vehicle, while the other end is still on the ground. Then go and pick up the far end and slide the kayak up. This way you’re never lifting the full weight of the kayak, but it’s still MUCH easier with a lighter boat like a Delta.
I genuinely hope you really enjoy your new 12s when it comes in!
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My recommendation is for Stellar kayaks also. I had the same weight issues you mentioned with my rotomold kayaks. First bought a Stellar tandem at 52 lbs. for my wife and me. Liked it so much I bought a 14 touring kayak at 35 lbs. Seemed expensive at the time, but after paddling worth every penny. Both of my boats are in the recreational Stellar category. I found this a good balance of stability and performance. They have others that are more performance oriented also. Best wishes for your search.
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Look into solo canoes: Swift, Bell, etc.
That sounds like a good choice for a newer paddler. I totally get the weight thing. A couple of years ago I decided no more kayaks over 50 lbs. My plastic kayak is right at 50, (NDK Romany Sportive), and my other 4 come in at 42-43 lbs, but they’re all 17-18’ long. For loading there are different options depending on your vehicle and rack system. With money left in your budget you could look into the Thule Hulavater. It pulls down to the side of the car to load and gives you a hydraulic assist when lifting that is supposed to reduce your effort by 40%. It’s kinda pricey on top of already having to buy a rack system, but it’s very popular with many of my female paddle buddies. If you have saddle type carriers on your rack you can get a roller assist that you stick on your back window with suction cups. You feed the bow if your kayak onto the roller, then lift the back and roll it up. I use J-hooks. With those, when I had heavy kayaks, I would bring me kayak to the side of the car at about a 30-45° angle and feed the bow up into the front J-hook then lift the back and swing it up and onto the back hook.
That’s how I load my 65 pound WS Tsunami 165 onto my minivan. I lift the back end first though because of the rudder.
I have a Perception Manatee that I carry on my shoulder. I’m 5’6" and 112lbs. It’s 9.5 feet long and around 40 lbs. I’ve been kayaking alone once a week for almost a year now. It does me very well lol.
I have read some of the comments above but no one is asking some questions.
How willing are you to get into building your own kayak. Skin on Frame kayaks are extremely light but need to be home built. This might be an option.
Stellar kayaks at 34 lbs are about the best option that I have seen
But what kind of kayaking do you do and how often do you try(want) to get out? It really depends on your interests and motivation. Definitely possible depending on how much you want to do and what kind of dollars that you would like to spend.
I have an 8’ Sun dolphin, and an 8’ Pelican Vortex. My favorite is the Pelican. I’m about the same size as you, and can lift this kayak easily into my trunk or on my roof. It is also an inexpensive kayak.
I have been using the Pelican for about 6 years and have had no problems with it. It takes a beating.
Are you set on a kayak? Maybe a solo canoe like a Northwind Solo in Starlite? They’re lightweight and need some care but I wouldn’t call them fragile. They use the same materials in other designs for rental boats and we know how they get treated.
Stellar all the way. I have 2. A sit on top and a sit in. Fantastic boats.
One boat was $1000 and one $1100.
I got them used. Craigslist. Sometimes you can get them because many people do not know what they are, but if you see one cheap do not hesitate.
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I have an Old Town tandem, I think 190T Loon, 75 lbs. I have had a cart for a long time - folding and the wheels come off, so I can store it behind the back seat. I got hydrolic (sorry on spelling) racks from Thule that let me get it on the car and off pretty easily. I can lift it to the height to get on the rack, and it is easy from there. Good option if you want to keep the stability of your Old Town. Racks are about $600, cart is less than $50. This is another option to buying a new, expensive and maybe harder to get into kayak.
Check out Eddyline…the 12’ Skylark is 41 pounds.
I think recent posters are missing that the OP already ordered a 38 pound Delta 12S. I don’t think they need any more recommendations from us for now.
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I have a Boreal Designs Kasko weighing in at 56 pounds. Rather than change my kayak, I invested in a Thule Hullavator 898 Pro. Great product and the most I have to lift is the 16 pounds, the lift does most of the work. All strap etc. is done at waist level. Something to consider.
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The Delta 12.10 is one of the best choices you could have made, if the length suits you. It will serve you well in a variety of waters, everything from twisting marshes and rivers to lakes to ocean harbors and bays. Very stable and safe.
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