Have you looked into the Seaward Kayaks line of boat. They are handcrafted in North America. No foreign factory composites here. Just really nicely crafted safe boats. Try "Kayak Connection" in Santa Cruz.
The trick is to try on as many boats as you can to get the fit right. A good metaphor is get a boat that fits you like a shoe. You want the perfect fit. Not too big or too small, just right.