kayaks

Which is the best kayak for YOUTH-ELDERS

Are these the only boats you are considering?

Only can choose five, and what would you have choosen

I know one Cuda owner that may say something here about the Cuda and the ocean. It is ok if the swells are small, but as soon as it gets a little chop it gets a little dicey with the higher center of gravity. I don't even notice the swells in my boat and said person is ready to go in. This is a VERY experienced ocean kayaker too.

Only can choose five, and what would you have choosen

???

Don't have a kayak yet so trying to get as much info as possible so I can make the right decision

What kayak do you have.

Let me start by saying that I am Wilderness Systems Pro Staff. That is what I have paddled for years. My boat of choice for everywhere I paddle is the Tarpon 160.  For the ocean I would get a boat 13-16 feet. The longer the better for making way when the weather turns on you. The Cuda I mentioned got flipped by the actually owners friend. He ended up putting it on top of a Tarpon 160 to get the water out. People will tell you a Tarpon is tippy, but if you can put a water filled Cuda on top a Tarpon 160, how tippy can it be? I also own a Ride 135 that I use as a loaner and also use to bass fish when I want to stand and sight fish. Bottom line is you need to paddle several boats before you pull the trigger on any one boat. Come to Berryessa this Saturday to test drive several of the leading brands out there.
http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=53698.0

It all comes down to your budget.   

Your comments are too general.  You should test paddle / pedal different models then create a shortlist.  Then you can determine what meets your needs.

There are lots of good kayak makers, most of which will have a kayak that will fit your needs.
We might be able to offer a little more help if you gave us a bit more info.

Where do you plan to do the majority of your paddling?
What is the experience level of the paddler/paddlers?
Do you plan to take this kayak in the ocean?
Do you plan to take this kayak in the rivers (anything beyond class II?)
Do you need to car top this kayak by yourself?
Do you have any physical limitations. (bad back, knee/shoulder/elbow)?

Check out local kayak shops or REI and see if they at offer demo days where you could try them out on the water. I don't think the Concord REI offers paddle demos, but others in the bay area do (the Santa Rosa store offers them at Spring Lake). They're great opportunities to test out a bunch of different kayaks side-by-side and get your questions answered by helpful, professional staff(like RacinRob). I wish that I had done so when I purchased my first kayak - instead I stupidly just read reviews online and jumped at a deal on Craigslist because I thought it would work for me. While I really enjoyed the speed and handling of that boat(older Wilderness Systems Tarpon 140), it wasn't really accommodating for a kayaker of my height and weight (lets just say I'm a taller, heavier paddled and leave it at that). That kayak eventually became my girlfriend's kayak and it suits her perfectly, and I purchased a Ocean Kayak Prowler Big Game which gives me the space and stability I was looking for.

Aside from figuring out a budget which yester smartly pointed out, its really important to go into the buying process with a REALISTIC idea about what you're going to be doing in your kayak and where you'll most often be paddling. As ATD said, what is your experience level ? Will you be most often on lakes ? Rivers ? Bay ? Delta ? Ocean ? I assume that since you're posting on NCKA, that you're interested in fishing from your kayak ? I stress the word REALISTIC though. There are alot of beginning paddlers out there who get dismayed with the sport because they bought the wrong boat for what they spend the majority of their time doing. They want to eventually be able to go out on the bay or ocean so they buy a bigger boat but it may take them two years of paddling on lakes and rivers to gain the skill and confidence to eventually venture out into the ocean. They end up struggling with a  heavier boat(loading/unloading, paddling, steering, etc.) and lose interest quickly because its such an ordeal. The right boat for the right setting will make all the difference so it helps to take sole of this into consideration when starting to look for a boat.

I'm going to the demo day at berryesa

I would be going to Bodega Bay and ocean cove, my price range is 0-1700$. I'm looking more at hobie for the mirage drive but it's a lot of $$$$. Any ideas for a beginner.

I would be going to Bodega Bay and ocean cove, my price range is 0-1700$. I'm looking more at hobie for the mirage drive but it's a lot of $$$$. Any ideas for a beginner.

Demo at Berryessa. Buy new if you have the cash; Buy used from NCKA classifieds or CL if you have more time than cash.  If you want a smokin deal, then your best bet is the NCKA classifieds, but you will need to check very frequently as the good deals go fast.