I always tell people who ask - you can learn stability, but ya can't learn your kayak to go much faster.
I'm a couple inches taller and a few pounds lighter, but not by much...my first kayak was a Fish & Dive & it was fine for a while...but I outgrew it pretty quickly. It's more than most kayak fishermen would ever need as far as stability. I was never that impressed with the quality of construction, the plastic seemed a little less resilient to wear and 'oil canning' etc. in the heat. It was however a great workout...which is a fancy way of saying it didn't glide all that well. And the way it slapped waves instead of cutting them could really get ya wet on a windy day.
My next kayak was a Hobie Adventure. The first time I got in that I thought I was going to fall out for sure. But it took about 2 days and it felt like the most stable kayak in the world to me...but it was a little wetter than I liked and I eventually switched to the Revo.
For your price point I'd say take a look at used Ocean Kayaks, Malibu, or Wilderness If you can find them. Also maybe try and contact one of the OEX shops and see if they have any of the factory seconds from Malibu or a deal on a used yak. The factory seconds are often cosmetic from what I understand.