Hey folks… I know often times people probably stumble through here, ask for advice or opinions, then disappear. I’ve experienced that on other forums for various things and then later wonder how it turned out. So I thought I’d at least come back (well, I’m still lurking) and just give you an update, as I really appreciated the advice I received. Turns out, some of you were very right, and some maybe not. 
So, perhaps against the better advice, and after EXTENSIVE time spent researching, I ended up just jumping in with both feet! I had saved some cash, and came into a little cash unexpectedly, so I decided to make a ‘lifestyle’ purchase. Unfortunately, there are not really any decent vendors in my vicinity, so I had to go mostly online. Here’s the breakdown on what I selected:
Boats: I bought a Wilderness Systems Tsunami 140 (from Kayakcity.com) for my wife, and for myself I bought a Wilderness Systems Tsunami 145 (from LLBean). I got a great price on the 140… not so much on the 145. But man there was a MAJOR difference in the service, warranty, etc. Kayakcity was great to work with up until the point of receiving the boat. It had a few gouges in it. Followed all their warranty processes, but kept the boat (didn’t affect floatability). Very well documented. Now, 2 months later, I’m still waiting on them to resolve with the shipping company. I would not recommend them. However, LLBean was great and boat arrived in great condition. I know a lot of folks recommend buying used, but no decent options ever appeared. I also like knowing where my stuff has been and how it has been treated. The 140 is a 2016, I believe, while the 145 was a 2017 model. Both are ‘Mango’ colored, which I liked for visibility purposes on the water. Both are rudder-less.
Paddles: for my wife, an Aquabound Sting Ray Hybrid Posi-lok paddle (230cm), and for myself an Aquabound Sting Ray Carbon Posi-Lok paddle (also 230cm). Got these from campmor and got 20% off both plus free shipping & no tax, so got a solid deal. These are both really nice paddles - very lightweight.
PFDs: selected a Kokohat “Bahia Tour” for myself, and a Stohlquist “Women’s Flo” for my wife. Both of these fit well and are comfortable.
Other stuff: picked up a couple of Seals Sprayskirts neoprene cockpit covers, which work really well for travelling and storage. It enables us to store our PFDs in the cockpits &, keep spiders out, rain while travelling, etc. Also got a couple of paddle leashes, a towing tether, pump and sponge, whistles, etc.
Storage: To store my boats, I built a hoist in my garage ceiling! This took some really extensive planning and implementation. I use a worm-gear winch and heavy-duty drill to raise and lower. It hangs perfectly just above my door. The poly rope stretches a lot more than I thought, despite the total weight of boats/paddles/pfds/hoist/etc. not being more than probably 175lbs. To counter this, I mounted some eye-bolts and chain and carabiners to support the weight, when raised. I used pool noodles slid over PVC pipe to support the kayaks. This will hopefully prevent any denting during periods of long storage.
Hauling: For our van (2015 Honda Odyssey), I bought 2 sets of Malone Sea Wings. These worked perfectly with the factory rack, and handled well while travelling. However, they are a bit of a pain for a quick jaunt to the lake or river. I would be more apt to use them for longer trips, vacation, etc. My wife was able to help me, but my daughter was not going to be of much help. So I bought an extension for my truck and did some more ‘engineering’ with pvc pipe and pool noodles. There is one across the back (you can see in pictures), one across the tailgate area, and one further back in the bed. This was a MUCH better solution for quick trips!
Pics and more details to follow…
