Is this a good beginner kayak?

It's not bad for starters.I do the same type of kayaking you do, but I wouldn't get this kayak. My brother has one. It's pretty nice, and stable, but you could easily get a better one. This one just costs a little more. If you are looking for one that's small and cheap, you should get an old town otter xt they cost $200 at Dunham's sports and they are a lot nicer for a little more money. Try to get it on Sunday or Monday because they are cheaper. a href="http://dunhamssports.inserts2online.com/customer_Frame.jsp" rel="nofollow"http://dunhamssports.inserts2online.com/…/a