Daniel-San wrote:

I've looked at a few different ones, including a Brundig and an Oregon
Scientific model, but neither seemed all that great.

I agree with this assessment. They really don't work very well.

The ideal candidate will be small, lightweight (I do a lot of backpacking,
as well), at least water-resistant, have SAME capability, an alarm clock,
and while not as important as the other qualifications, not cost two arms
and one leg.

Good luck. You're not likely to find anything that fill your wish list.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

For kayaking, nothing beats a marine VHF. It provides better weather channel
reception, but more importantly, it puts assistance from the Coast Guard and
other boaters a mere push of a button away. You can get a basic model for as
little as $80. Good submersible models start at ~$150. This may be more than
you want to spend, but if you do a lot of paddling on CG patrolled waters, you
should have a VHF anyway, plus you get the weather capability you want.

--
Regards

Brian