My wife and I fit your weight class. 10 years ago we were novice paddlers when I built 2 sea kayaks. Pygmy Arctic Tern 14, and 17. We definitely had to get used to the feel of the kayaks at first, but we LOVE our boats. Your comfort and confidence level will increase as you use the kayaks more often. We can have our kayaks from home to on Lake Michigan in about 30 minutes. Most of our summer vacations the last 10 years have been kayaking the Great Lakes. The only time we have capsized was deliberate. Like riding a good bicycle, a novice needs time on the bike to get comfortable. The more you do it the better you get. No shortcuts. Build them, then paddle the heck out of them.