I've not been to their demo, but would certainly think it would be good.Check out jl waters on the bloomington square. They know their stuff and used to do a weekly demo at lake lemon I think.
I would go a different route than throwing a bunch of at the 'yak you think you might like. There are a lot of opportunities to buy at a much better price used. Better yet, borrow one or three 'till you figure if paddling is for you or not, and how you want to do it.
Other considerations;
Don't forget the ancillary costs. These can get spendy pretty quick if you think you need state-of-the-art high-end equipment.
Couple a hundred bucks in a paddle is not even near top of the line these days. PFD's, priced all over the place. Dry bags, water shoes, etc, etc.
How you gonna haul this thing around? Sometimes, even the simple is not. Banging up vehicles and boats is very common. You might be surprised how many casual 'yakers use dedicated trailers to not beat the crap out of expensive SUV's and boats.
Weight is another consideration, especially if you are not gonna have help every time. (NEVER accept help from bystanders at the lake! Good intentions cannot cover hundreds of $ damage.) Even the best of boats will only have so many drags across the concrete in them.
Another often forgotten thing, is the occasionally sketchy crowd you might run into at the boat launch area. Do you have a means of adequate self-defense in and around your paddling? Are you comfortably good at concealment, if that's needed?
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