: I guess the bottom line is that I don't know many people who bought or built
: narrow boats and wished they hadn't, but almost everyone I paddle with
: started out with a wide boat and ended up buying or building something
: narrower after paddling for a relatively short time.

Yup. In a little over a year, I went through boats of 15.5'x23.5", 16.5'x22.25", 16'x22" to my current 17.5'x20". The latter feels very stable. So the SOF I am working on will be 16.5'x18".

If you feel you're somewhat coordinated/athletic based on past physical endeavors, I would strongly say go for a narrower boat. You'll enjoy the challenge and progress faster.

sing