My wife and I bought kayaks for each other in 2009. I got the Looksha, she got a Manitou, we were both rookies at paddling. Everyone made fun of my rudder but it really helped on Lake Erie. I'm not small, 6' 240lbs and I am quite comfortable in the cockpit, I often bring our dachshund out with us and still am comfortable. I'm sure we don't use our boats as intended, the only things that have ever been in storage was a packed lunch. I've only flipped once on an ill advised spring put in on a local river, it was more user error than the boat being unstable. We mostly paddle on inland lakes and sporadically paddle the river to Lake Erie. We have nothing to compare it too but are both happy 11 years later.
