>>2834445>>2834433Touring kayaks, as opposed to recreational kayaks, have dry bulk head storage (hatches) at the front and back. This lets you store more gear easily and if you flip, keep the boat more buoyant as only the cockpit fills with water, this makes entry and bailing easier. A touring style kayak would be a must for longer trips and a much better choice than recreational if you wanted to go out in open water like Lake Superior or in salt water. Keep in mind, with "dry storage" you still need to use dry bags as they are never perfectly dry.
Touring = faster more distance, larger water.
Recreation = more stable but slower, best for medium to small size lakes and calm rivers.
So, that is probably the type of kayak I would get if I were in your situation but don't discount 10' boats. The Old Town Angler XT10 is really good for an open cockpit recreational kayak, the liquid logic also makes a variety of sit on top kayaks and kayaks with removable chairs that are pretty nice for what they are:
https://liquidlogickayaks.com/pages/recreational-kayaksFor now, go look at facebook marketplace and see if you find something you like.
Also go research the difference in materials which include three main categories, Polyethalene, thermomolded and composite. Polyetheline is tougher but heavier. Thermomolded can have sharper better shapes but is more fragile. composite can also be more fragile but the main drawback is how expensive it is.
Then look at the difference between high angle and low angle paddling, along with the difference between euro paddle and greenland paddle. For exercise, I would recommend a narrower boat and using a high angle paddle. For fishing, I'd recommend a wide stable boat and maybe a pedal drive.
Hull design is another interesting topic, you get into primary and secondary stability, tracking characteristics, skegs, v-shape bows, chimes and how much arch is in the keel. It's all on youtube. Everything is a trade off.
