How to buy a kayak
It made me 
"Wanted one, a deal came up, pounced on it, now I spin around on it often, Yay! :)"
How I did it: Saw a deal, and pounced on it. Don't worry too much about the $$, they have good resale, not that you're going to sell it :)
Also, don't be afraid to go used - as long as the plastic/fibreglass is sound, the rest of the gear is easy enough to replace. They're meant to pounding and having fun with, and having a pre-scratched one is actually a good thing!
Lessons & tips: Don't just stick to the ocean, tackle lakes and rivers too!
You can load them up like crazy, just be sure to use compression sacks because they can take lots of weight, but not so much volume.
