Yea, people tend to speak pretty poorly about the Big Box type kayaks (Pelican, Lifetime, etc), but the reviews that I've read about the Tamarack are pretty awesome. There's a guy that owns a kayak shop in California (Headwaters Kayak) that does a Youtube video series on various kayaks (see here for the Top 5 Under $500: Part 1 and Part 2). He doesn't even sell kayaks this low quality, and yet he understood the Tamarack following. He said if it was his money, he'd buy the Tamarack and go custom all the way.
Here's the video of the guy that did the original Tamarack mods: Mobbin Outdoors
Like I said, I haven't ruled out any kayaks yet and keep weighing the pros/cons of the sit inside vs sit on top. I've done some sea kayaking before in Alaska, and what I remember, being a taller guy, I had a lot of trouble getting my legs into the sea kayak. I know they make roomier kayaks than what I used, but it's just one of those things that sticks with you.
