[Jim Sammons LJKF]

I have spent a lot of time in all the OK boats so here are my thoughts on your questions.

Handles surf well, as most OK's do.
Stable yes
Tracking, well it tracks like an 11 foot kayak. If you are used to longer kayaks and use a longer paddle it tracks horrible. If you use a shorter paddle and are used to short boats it tracks pretty well.
Long distance paddling, well I personally don't want to paddle it very far, by jumping up to the 13 you will get much better performance.
It is one thing to paddle an 11 foot kayak out on a nice calm day, let the wind and current pick up and you will really wish you were in a longer boat.
Your height and weight will also have a big influence on the performance of this kayak. I found with my weight and the weight of my gear I was too heavy for this boat.