what is sold in different large commercial venues reflects what will sell not necessarily indicate any inherent faults in designs elsewhere. There are strip and s&g recreational designs for your needs out there, keep looking. The confusion about the popularity of particular designs comes when a particular aspect of one design (keyhole kayak coaming) is put onto another design (stable,short wide recreatioanal canoe/kayak) thereby implying that short,stable sea kayaks are becoming more popular, mostly it reflects marketing driving design rather than customers driving design. One ensures the boat is used, the other ensures another boat is purchased.