If you’re in the Bay Area
At least give a place like California Canoe and Kayak a visit. They’re located in Jack London Square in Oakland, have lot’s of new and used boats to demo, and lot’s of knowledge/experience to share. There are also several other good shops in the area worth checking out.
FWIW, a friend went to REI, followed their advice, ended up a WS Tsunami 140 and associated gear, then found herself “outgrowing” this set-up in (literally) just a couple months and replaced just about everything. BTW, I’m not saying the Tsunami is a “bad” boat, it just didn’t fit her ambitions. Nor am I bad-mouthing REI. In the case of CCK, they have a fairly generous exchange/trade-in program should you find yourself in a similar situation and don’t want sell your boat on the used market.
Easy
Get a Huki S1X....fast, stable and easy to paddle. I really, really like mine. It mkes me go fast. I live in your area too and do some paddling on lake Merced myself. I'm fast.
Carter J.
from another beginner
Hey TM, I just began kayaking last August. Took lessons (from a certified instructor) one week after getting my river kayak & another session a few weeks later.
It seems to me like you are in such a hurry to buy your first kayak (almost like you want to get it over with) that you are not really listening to the good basic knowledge offered by others here.
Well, here’s my $.02:
Enjoy the process - don’t rush it! Get into knowledge gathering and get it from lots of different sources (REI, Dick’s, Cabela’s et al would be pretty far down on my list unless I stumbled upon a serious/certified paddler there).
Go to outfitters, not retailers.
Learn the terms, understand the materials & specs. … it’s not just the kayak, it’s also the gear, the clothing, and most of all the skills. You might even want to take lessons FIRST.
Then you’ll be ready to demo in a way that has real value to you & will help you home in on a few top contenders for the kind of kayaking you discover you really want to do.
All that sounds pretty serious but approach it in the right spirit & it’s also fun - welcome to the kayak community 
PUNGO! PUNGO! PUNGO!
PUNGO!
I was trying to convince him
to buy a Trak Kayak so I could come demo it. Tonto, go down to Moss Landing or Monterrey. Monterrey Bay kayaks rents out sit on tops and they have some guided tours too.
Good try
Tarpon 140
The Tarpon 140 is a good all around boat, especially for fishing and preferably to be used in warmer waters (unless you’ve got some insulated or wet gear). It has a modest amount of dry storage space and additional space in what I refer to as “the bed” behind the seat. It’s no speed demon (I probably average 2 to 3 mph on a typical outing depending on wind, current, etc.) but it tracks well and as mentioned above is extremely stable. As a SOT you’re bound to get a little wet and if you are over 200 lbs, the 140 is going to draw a little water through the front scuppers. Plugging them helps but eventually paddle drips will collect in the cockpit floor with nowhere to drain off to. The Tarpon 160i has a higher weight rating and hence less of a problem with water seeping up through the scuppers. The Pamlico’s are decent enough rec boats (I have a tandem to take the kids out) but it has no business on big or open waters except under the best of conditions or maybe with some float bags for insurance.
IKs ?
What about any IK’s? There seem to be many out there that are both tough and useful. From the Innova Sunny to the AIRE Sea Tiger there is just about a size for anyone.