Moe, I forgot to mention, the first time I visited with Andy (sales) at Scappoose Bay Kayak Center, I walked in and told him I'd paddled an Inflatable kayak, but knew nothing of hard shell boats. He was great, not once did I feel he was condescending or acted like he knew it all. He spent quite a lot of time with me. When I demoed he was sure to hold the boat steady and I felt quite secure getting aboard.
If you aren't familiar with hard shell kayaks, tell him that up front and be prepared to be schooled; he's very knowledgeable. His business card says Kayaking guide/Instructor; guess he must be pretty kayak savvy.
One important point. I thought I wanted a wide stable kayak and ended up with one that was 34" wide; it was a pig on the water. Stable yes, maneuverable and fast no; I sold it. If you can give the Ocean kayaks a try, they are a bit narrower, ocean capable; like out of Pacific City, Depot Bay, Tillamook, etc. and they are much quicker than the pig I used to have. They may at first feel tipsy compared to a super wide boat, but just an hour or two and you'll find your sea legs and get confident.
Tell Andy what you are looking for and he'll put you into the right boats to demo. Say yes when he offers a Hobie, just so you know what the upgrade is when you outgrow the paddle boat; you could opt for one as a first boat, but most folks end up with one as a second boat. You can always loan out the paddle boat to a non-kayak friend so he can go fishing with you. Hobie Revolution 13 fast and nimble, Hobie Outback is wide, slower and called the SUV then there are the ProAnglers 12 &14. Big, wide, more of a boat than a kayak; expensive and possibly worth every penny if that's what you are looking for.
Hope you get to go