Also keep in mind that when you do demo some “real” sea kayaks they may feel much less stable than the rec boat you are currently paddling.
But this is not a bad thing and as long as you keep your hips loose and don’t tense up this feeling of instability will disappear after a little time in the boats.
You’ll be surprised at how much faster and better tracking a longer and narrower boat is, and when it’s time for you to learn edging and bracing skills, and to paddle in some rougher water, you’ll see how the apparent lack of stability actually becomes an advantage.
Just a quick note in passing … In the hands of a strong and competent kayaker, the short, wide kayak is significantly less stable than the longer, narrower sea kayak … other things being equal.
There’s an excellent paddling club east of you in Kingston, the Cataraqui Canoe and Kayak Club. There are some expert kayakers in the group as well as folks who just do casual outings for pleasure. I’ve paddled with them on the Rideau Canal between the Ste. Lawrence and Ottawa. They have a lot of outings and non-members are welcome. They have club equipment that people can borrow and some members have “loaner” boats. I’ve found that people on group paddles are usually pretty generous about letting others test their own boats so joining them for an outing or two might allow you to get the feel of a number of kayaks.
There is also an excellent outfitter who stocks many more brands of kayak than most shops and offers test paddles and instruction: Frontenac Outfitters (on the edge of the Provincial Park of the same name.) Could definitely be worth the drive. They also sell the rentals that they have used for the year at a discount (for tax deductions and marketing reasons, many outfitters sell their rental fleets out each year.):
Really, don’t even think about getting a boat until after you have taken that rescue class. It is the fastest way to get a sense of what you need. The Riptide you mentioned is wide, and has no static perimeter lines. This latest boat is closer in features but you may well find that you can soon pick up an end of season deal for a used boat with better known capabilities.
And and I said above, you can get a very robust first long boat by going used, save some of your funds for a good, lightweight paddle.
It ends sooner the further north you are. I forget where you are, but for ex in midcoast Maine the flow of tourists usually slows to an unprofitable crawl immediately after Columbus Day so excess inventory should start being advertised soon after Labor Day. My recall is that a friend scored a good deal on a used Avocet some years ago at an outfitter’s in Cape Cod on the same weekend, hint that they might feel they have a slightly longer time of being able to sell their boats than if they were in midcoast Maine.
It appears from the above you have an outfitter or so within reach, ask them if they have end of season sale plans. Check web sites too, usually boats go up on the web ahead of the announced sale date. And be willing to drive some, make it an overnight even and an excuse to visit some place you haven’t been.My husband and I did that for our first fiberglass sea kayaks and it really paid off in the results. Even buying new, it took some traveling to find what we most wanted because we had gotten enough seat time in plastic sea kayaks to have narrowed down how we wanted the boats to feel.
The Winner kayak you linked to “looks” okay in terms of its specs but I have misgivings about any serious kayak company that sells its boats complete with a "Paddle (1pc black aluminum shaft with offset ABS blades) ". You’ll want a much better paddle (carbon fiber or at least fiberglass) than that. I would be very concerned about the overall quality and longevity of these boats.
Winner is a large Chinese manufacturer but not exactly well known or highly recommended by the serious paddling community. I’d be looking instead at American, Canadian or UK builders.
And, you should really be taking Celia’s advice. Take some classes at local outfitters first then look for an end-of-season sale on a used boat from a well-respected maker.
That Perception is not bad, looks to be in good shape. Perception makes nice boats that hold up well. Price is a little high for an older boat but not bad if the hull is not oil-canned. It would be easier to assess if they had included a shot of the model name. I bought a very similar but somewhat older 14’ Perception (Monterey model with a skeg rather than a rudder) for my sister in law last year for $400 including a good Werner paddle and a basic PFD.
Looking at used boats to get a bargain means looking every day.i looked for a Libra XT for two years and found one then the seller changed there mind. Almost gave up then looked again next day and found one. Bargains go fast.
The Perception has the stuff but it looks like huge cockpit and a high deck to me. You are an average sized or smaller paddle. If l am seeing that boat correctly from the pics, you would hate having to handle it like edging. But without those dimensions hard to tell.
By the way, l am not sure that smooth paddling indicates the current owner has ever tried getting this boat into any lumpy water.
That Perception looks much more like what you should buy! At 650 CAD (522USD) it’s not a bad price. It’s an older boat at 12 years and while it looks to be in good shape, I’d check it very carefully.
If the specs are the same as the current Carolina 14, then it will be 14’ x 24.5" wide, with a 39.5" x 21.5" cockpit and a 14.5" deck height. Just as a reference I picked, pretty much at random as there are many boats like this, a Current Designs Squall GTS. Its dimensions are 15’11" x 22" wide, with a 34" x 16.5" cockpit and a 13" depth. The seat back on the boat on kijiji looks way too high but that’s almost certainly adjustable.
So, as Celia says, this boat is probably a little big for you. But…even though you’re not ready to buy yet, right?, you’re getting a much better idea of what to look for.
Also, hold off on choosing between a boat with a skeg and a boat with a rudder until you’ve tried both. Read up on the advantages and disadvantages of each system. Hint: a rudder is really not meant for steering a kayak.