Thanks for the replies, everyone, great info and very much appreciated.
@chexmix - which inflatable 2 seater from Amazon is it? And, does it track through the water fairly well without great struggle? Has a slight keel of some sort to keep it straight both while paddling or gliding?
@Steve - I like the looks of your 14' Jackson
a lot, and have looked at them, and others similar, before. Gorgeous and sleek and must move through water like a skate on ice. If I had the space somewhere to store a rigid-hulled kayak when not using it, and in a place I could get to often, I'd go hardshell in a heartbeat.
I often end up on the road for months, though, and don't always get back to one of the places I keep stuff before going to the next place. I do as much urban exploring as I do back country, too, so am often parked in cities and small towns. I don't hang a lot of overly noticeable stuff from my van or trailer that may attract attention so am leaning now towards an inflatable I can stow away when not using, but which will be close at hand when I do want to use it.
Your mention of the inflatable paddling like an inner tube, and the importance of how the entry of the kayak goes through water, has me thinking. I want to be sure the inflatable I end up with has some sort of slight keel or at least good guiding bow and is overall easy to use. If it's not, I won't use it as much, which just defeats the purpose of having and hauling it in the first place. Many of the inflatables I've looked at seem to be geared more for whitewater, not lake or slow-moving stream, so a keel or guiding bow is not as important, I'm assuming.
I'd like a kayak I can slip along the shore with to sneak up on wildlife both just to observe and for photography. I've studied birds, reptiles, and amphibians since I was a kid, so love getting up close as I can to wildlife. I also want a good kayak to fish out of and to get to the other shore for overnights, etc, bush craft style. And one that will glide straight after several strokes of a paddle for better photography. I remember being in a canoe meant for whitewater, but that I was in on a lake. That thing kept twisting around in the slightest breeze like a horse that wanted me off its back.
I looked at the Oru folding kayaks before I left last Aug on my mongo gear-gathering trip. I almost bought one. I think it was the cost then, and reviews that ended up discouraging me from being as impulsive as I sometimes am in purchases. The older I get--I think I'm 82 or something now, my birth certificate got lost in the hurricane
--the less impulsive and more considerate I've become. I ponder and plan things a bit more now than I did before.
I'm definitely interested in seeing an Oru first person if you get one.
@Northernlady - Wow, those Solstice kayaks are really inexpensive. Haven't looked into them much yet, but will check out what users and reviewers say about them. Have you had any problems with needing to patch more often because the material is more prone to puncture? Has it been durable when you drag it in and out of the water? I want one I can put gear into and that has a tough enough skin and bottom I don't have to constantly worry about it, and that can take the occasional dog as well, toenails and all.
To others reading and wondering about kayaks, I just ran across the interesting
Best Inflatable Kayak Reviews - 2018 Guide.
Haven't read through it all yet, so can't vouch for how impartial or not it is, but it looks good so far.
.