Yes, self-rescue on a paddleboard is much more simple. Self-rescues and buddy rescues with a sit-inside kayak definitely have a lot of technique and practice required. Also probably requires more upper-body strength since the boat deck is higher. Between that and the technique, it can be challenging.
There are also sit-on-top kayaks which are somewhat easier to get back on and are self-bailing, but in they’re more popular in places where it is warmer and less rainy. They have their pros and cons, for sure…
BTW, among all the kayakers I talk to, the jargon is pretty specific: to “roll” is to roll UP, while going over is “flipping,” whether voluntary or involuntary. We would say “They both flipped in that rapid, but she rolled and he swam.” Or in a pool session, you might say “Go ahead and flip, and if you miss your roll, I’ll give you a bow rescue so you don’t need to wet-exit.” So, if you want to sound like a pro, that’s the way to go.
Being able to roll is pretty much a requirement for whitewater or surf kayaking, but not for sea kayaking. Even in the heyday of sea kayaking in the 1990s, most people who did only sea kayaking did not know how to roll, or could do it in the pool but not very reliably in real conditions. You just don’t go over often enough to stay in practice. I don’t go whitewater kayaking very frequently, and I sold my surf kayaks because I suck and gave that up, so it’s likely that I’m too out of practice to be even somewhat reliable at rolling.
Ugh, yeah, those under-twelve-foot kayaks are known as “recreational kayaks” or rec kayaks, and they’re pretty terrible. They have the virtue only of being cheap, and I guess pretty easy to steer. The big problem is that they have virtually no buoyancy in the ends. Without quite a lot of volume protected from water in both ends of the boat (whether by bulkheads, foam, or airbags) self rescue is impossible and buddy rescue is VERY difficult, and maybe impossible in conditions that would otherwise be do-able in a bigger and better boat. So, going more than easy swimming distance from an accessible beach in one of those is potentially a one-way ticket! And in the cold water we have in the PNW, easy swimming distance is best measured in dozens of yards unless you have a wetsuit on. Best for very small bodies of water with no current.
Fully capable sea kayaks are usually 14 to 18 feet long, although I have one, a Mariner Coaster, that is only 13.5 feet yet could easily carry a 200 pound athletic guy, but it’s an unusual design and not very common. It seems like most of the manufacturers I was familiar with a couple of decades ago have gone out of business. A lot of what’s left skews a bit to the shorter end of that size range than was common before, which may be sensible if you are only planning day trips or maybe one night of camping, rather than a full-on expedition.
Unfortunately, sea kayaking (with a good boat) is kinda expensive. Buying all new gear, it can easily be $3000 to $5000, although maybe a bit less than that range if you stick to the low end. OTOH, there are lots of people aging out of the sport, so if you know what to look for and drive a slightly hard bargain, with a little patience it’s probably possible to get almost everything you need as a used package from a motivated seller for $1000.
