There are several outfitters in Florida that carry SINKs and SOTs that you can try.
I live in SC and only paddle SOT and have paddled several places in Tennessee with them. I paddle with people who mostly sit inside.
I agree with Overstreet. Now is the perfect time for paddling in Florida.
I need to get a SOT.
Shiraz, check out the Epic V7 surf ski. A fast, stable SOT at a decent price.
My boat was always wet and this winter I strategically placed a couple of scupper plugs and now I’m dry. I guess the downside is if I take on water I will have to pull the plugs but until then I’m dry and happy. Perception Pescador Pro 12 foot
I have Scupper plugs in my center console bay boat. I put them in when BIG waves or rain is expected.
Sit on Top kayaks are very popular with people who live in warm climates or temperate climates and paddle out through breaking waves. I don’t use my sit on tops much any more, but when I was learning they were great boats to rapidly self rescue, tipping the boat over almost all of the water drains from the scupper holes. When paddling out in waves that are breaking much higher than the sides of the kayak the wave washes over and almost all of the water in the boat washes out. SOTs are not dry rides in heavy waves and surf, you need to wear a wetsuit or drysuit in cold water conditions. Surfing SOTs you sit low in the water and your butt will be wet all the time. Fishing SOTs sit higher and unless you have problems your butt will stay dry, unless a breaking wave goes over the bow or sides. Best thing to do is to go try some boats in the waters you will be paddling.
ww sots (do-it-now,fusion, torrent) have particularly large drain holes. Normal fishing and rec SOTs drain way to slow for ww. My duckies have drain holes as well. I’ve never really considered plugging them, I guess the splash factor would have to be zero for me to plug. I think there is a lot to like about sots, especially for beginners or occasional users like rental users. There is a comparable ease to self rescue (no roll needed) but I do encourage folks to practice climbing back on. With the higher center of gravity, the wet exit seems to take care of itself.
@string said:
Shiraz, check out the Epic V7 surf ski. A fast, stable SOT at a decent price.
String, most of the time I’m paddling in these narrow creeks so a boat about 4’ shorter is what I need.
SOT that length tend to be wide slugs . The Eddyline Carribean might work for you.
My sot fishing kayak is a 12 ft kayak. When I’m in it fishing water shoots in. No particular problem…except when fishing a Cajun Thunder popping cork rig. You see to move to another spot I put the rig in. The shrimp swims around…and usually down a Scupper. So there 18" down the pipe the shrimp is dangling caught by the cork at the Scupper. They don’t come up the Scupper as easy as down . Fortunately never caught anything at that time. THAT would be a reason for the plugs.
If big waves crash into your boat and fill your cockpit with water it is no fun. The holes (or venturis in surfskis) allow that water to drain without the need to get out and invert your boat or bail it out. Those who paddle on flat water with little risk of water filling the cockpit from the top sometimes plug or tape the holes to stay dry. Two totally different sets of conditions.
@Overstreet said:
…except when fishing a Cajun Thunder popping cork rig. … shrimp swims around…and usually down a Scupper. … down the pipe … the shrimp dangling … caught by the cork …
I am thoroughly confused. I think I need a video.
I only use the Cajun Thunders in a SinK for that very reason…
Luvs are good in either boat… 
I thought you get the Cajun Thunders after red beans and rice.
@string said:
SOT that length tend to be wide slugs . The Eddyline Carribean might work for you.
These people here don’t paddle to fast. I still have the pack canoe and 14’ kevlar yak available. i’m thinking the SOT might be easier to enter and exit the boat.
There is no question that SOT are easier to get in and out of. I have had SINKs and a pack canoe. I can get in fairly easily but the only way I can get out is with help or roll enough to fall out. Bad back and leg .
WS, Hobie, and Native make good, albeit heavy SOT.
Before I purchased my first kayak I tried several different ones including a SOT. I found that it was a wet ride as that was before scupper hole plugs. The scuppers on a ship allows water washed onto the deck to drain overboard and likewise in a kayak. All SOT kayaks have low sides as compared to a sit-in-side kayak. That allows easy reentry. I believe that SOT were originally designed for skin and scuba diving in the ocean, so the paddler was always going to be wet. They were adopted by fishermen as they are more stable than SIS kayaks and thus safer in waves. So depending on how and where you tend to use a SOT kayak, it may make sense to add plugs to stay dry by preventing water from bouncing up from below like wave action. It should be easy to temporarily removing the plugs to drain any water that gets in over the the sides or on your feet or paddle.
I like being able to plug my scrubber holes at times. Especially when the water and air is cold. I also like the option of using plugs in the bay. I never use plugs when I’m fishing BTB.
We do a fair amount of swamp paddling in the warm months and I stay mostly dry in my Tarpon.
Swamps have a lot of wiggly critters and I’ve watched a couple come up in the scuppers. Things like minnows and tadpoles. No snakes yet but I’ve had one that looked like a rattlesnake look like he wanted to come aboard from the side.
I back paddled and he went the other way.
Then there was the time a dock spider , saucer sized, fell in the canoe. I think snakes are cool; not so with large spiders around my bare feet.
Yellow sponge golf balls available everywhere are perfect as cockpit scupper plugs (~$10 a dozen). I use them all the time paddling/fishing in flat water on my Tarpon 100 SOT.