I did all the homework and purchased two kayaks to dive from a couple years ago. They are fun and easy to dive off. Suprisingly the easy part is getting back on top, thanks to fins. The hard part is pulling them back up the hill to my car and putting them on the roof rack. Here is So.Cal. we have a lot of kelp. I quickly found out that anchors suck around kelp because they snag every time. So I found a simple kelp clip and my kayak was alwasy there waiting for me. As for the brand my homework led me to either the Ocean Kayak Prowler 13 or the Scupper Pro. You want to have a nice big well to stow your gear. If your kayak ever flips an airtight well is what you want to keep your gear from leaving. I used a foam swim noodle to prevent gear from sliding from the front well to the back of the kayak. And it’s important that the back has a space that fits your tank with a BCD on it with good tie downs. Always inflate your bcd after strapped in in case you flip. I eventually purchased two Prowler 13’s and they were perfect. The only bummer was that I had hoped my wife would go with me. Unfortunately her back hurt every time she sat for more than 10 minutes. So I started hauling both kayaks for me and a buddy. A LOT of work for me. So I sold them and bought a small boat. The verdict is still out if that was a good switch.