No one seems to have mentioned this (or if they did, I missed it), but it seems to me that wooden kayaks may be more easily repaired, both because they are wood and because they are owner-built. A friend's brother launched his newly constructed S&G kayak in Alaska last summer or the summer before and, while camping on a remote beach, promptly had a bear take a bite out of the kayak. Not sure what he did to temporarily shore things up (duct tape?), but he later repaired it without a hitch. And consider that, long term for all of us, when those fiberglass boats are getting dinged up and dingy looking, we are sanding ours, applying fresh varnish, and getting new oohs and aahs. Wood has long term restorability that plastic and fiberglass seem to lack. What's the oldest fiberglass boat afloat? And how does it compare to a well-maintained old wood boat? Anyone honestly think any of those fiberglass kayaks will become family heirlooms? Anyone honestly doubt that some of ours will? Just a thought ...