MEGAN-HAPPY TO HELP-HERE’S OUR RESPONSE
First, you understand this is a non-scientific poll, not really a survey, and not anything close to a series of random interviews, either, right? It's a highly biased, self-selecting response audience, a tightly-constrained universe. However, it may be exactly what you need.
OK -here's our story:
First, we got into this as a couple. Most of the paddling we do is as a couple.
We'd been canoeing a few times over the years (we're mid-50s and 60 YOs), and I grew up with canoes in the Scouts, so paddling, per se, was nothing truly new to either of us.
As for kayaking: we spent a long, getaway weekend in the Florida Keys about 10-12 years ago, and the place we stayed had these beginner kayakers (called recreational kayaks, AKA 'rec boats' that were essentially short, plastic-shell-covered polystyrene (think bicycle helmet construction) kayaks in both singles and a double. We tried them and had a ball, and over the next few months decided we'd get one.
1) Our first kayak was a used, Ocean Kayak Malibu II tandem SOT (a plastic Sit On Top -12' L X 34" W, ~ 65#)
2) Why this boat? We thought a tandem would be more bang for the buck, it was a "couples" boat that could also be paddled solo, and we'd only need to load one boat when traveling from home to the put-in. We gotr a pretty good deal on a used one that came with a set of paddles.
3) We currently own 6 boats; the original OK M-2 was stolen, and it was the best thing that could've happened to us, paddling-wise. It was replaced by
a) & b) 2 single plastic used Ocean Kayak Scupper SOTs bought about 5-6 months apart, both used (each was longer, narrower, faster, 20 & 25lbs less weight respectively, lots more fun to paddle -no need to synchronize paddles!);
c) Then a new South African Knysna Isthmus 'racing SOT' (half-price, fiberglass, 17'L X 21" W, 50#, ruddered, even longer, much narrower, and incredibly faster than our prior SOTs (and many other types of kayaks as well), lots of fun, but VERY tippy and not an everyday boat);
d) Then an OK Scrambler XT SOT (plastic, ~11' L X ~30" W, ~50#) picked it up at a yard sale walking back from the marina, 3 blocks from our house, for $40 -and I should've held out for $30, LOL!), which I gave to my son last year as a fishing kayak;
e) Then a used Perception Eclipse SINK (plastic, ruddered SINK (Sit INside Kayak) -17'2" X 21-3/8", ~70#, ruddered -longer, faster, more seaworthy, bought as a package with a paddle, pump, float, dry bag, roof rack, for a good price), the ad for which I saw at the marina we walked back from when we got the Scrambler, above;
f) Then a used Hurricane Tracer SINK (16'6 L X 22-3/4" W, 55# -longer, narrower, faster than the Scupper SOT which she'd been using) which I got for Sally as a surprise Christmas present 4 years ago;
g) Finally (for now at least, LOL!) a new Valley Aquanaut "Brit-style" SINK (skegged, fiberglass, 17'7" X 21-1/2" W, ~55# -longer, faster, great-looking, and more fun to paddle than the Eclipse) which I got this year as my retirement gift.
4) I don't think any paddler REALLY gets to get out as often as they'd really like to... We don't get out as much as we'd like to, for 2 reasons.
First, down here, mid-summers can be brutally hot & humid, even on the water, so we limit our paddling between May/June and September/October.
Second, I've been having both sciatica-like, and straight back, problems which limits my activities, and which constrains me to doing things rather deliberately, and which also limits my time "sitting on the floor with my legs straight out in front of me" -more or less 'the kayaking position'. However, I've been thru about a month of thrice-weekly PT, and things seem to be improving, albeit a LOT slower than I'd like, of course, so perhaps we'll be able to get out on the water -even if only for a little while -this coming weekend... cross my fingers!
5) Don't know if we have a sole favorite "type" of water -it's almost all good all the time down here! We really love going down to the Keys and paddling the incredible azure, aquamarine, teal, green, and blue waters between and among our near tropical islands. But we also like paddling the oceanfront along the coast, in the Ten Thousand Islands off the SW Florida coast, through parts of the Everglades, and even along parts of the Intracoastal, and in our residential canals and waterways, and off the beaches.
6) Dream boats... Gotta love Jack's answer! But seriously, did you notice a pattern in our boat-buying odyssey? Yup -we're generally looking for slimmer, faster boats that are more fun to paddle. Many paddlers follow this route.
Now, for specifics.
For Sally, it's probably a Current Designs Caribou, probably in Kevlar/carbon fiber for lightness. For me...? Well, for right now, my Aquanaut's a fine, fine boat. If/when I feel like it's getting old -and who knows when that will be? I'd love to be able to expertly and comfortably pilot our tippy, twitchy, don't turn your back on it or you're wet Isthmus, and I'd like to attain that same sort of proficiency on an advanced ski, but that ain't gonna happen, so we'll leave it at the Aquanaut for the time being.
Hope this helped you in your research, and better yet, helps you get a good grade, and best of all, helps you understand we paddlers better and why we all like to
PADDLE ON!
-Frank in Miami