Nate: Don't worry about brands and quality for your first kayak. Sounds odd, but the features that make the nice ones seem nice are based on preference. Until you have sufficient experience in a kayak, you don't really have preferences, so just get on the water. Rotomolded plastic is tough to screw up, so go get the cheapest yak you can find and enjoy it.
Holler when you get one, we'll have to get out and have a CR rowing day. I've got a 16' scanoe rigged for sculling, I'll race you from a dig.
What about surf canoing?
http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/5816/boatra6.jpg