Buying a Sea Kayak

Rudder or skeg.  Fiberglass or plastic.  Recreational, day touring, touring, speed, capacity, length, initial stability, secondary stability, balance, chine ... aaaaaahh!   Who knew kayaks were so complicated?

I tend to over analyze every significant purchase and buying my first sea kayak was no different.  After countless hours of googling the best advice I can offer is to talk to other people who kayak in the area where you intend on paddling.

Shout-out to Brad and Lance at Ramakko's Outdoor Adventure Store in Sudbury, ON.  The service was excellent and I was able to "test-drive" a few kayaks prior to buying.  At the end of the day I picked up a last year's model Wilderness Systems Tempest 170 at a discounted price and paid no tax.  Very happy with the boat so far ... and I must say it looks pretty sharp on top of my car.