-- Last Updated: Feb-01-13 12:43 PM EST --
It is interesting that body armor is Kevlar and/or Spectra behind ceramic plates while all top end boats and planes are carbon. But, the cross sections of both are always thicker than acceptable in modern canoes and kayaks.
Best current thin laminate theory has carbon outer layers to resist deformation and provide a stiff hull but Kevlar inner layers to provide tensile strength to support the carbon outer when it deforms close to breaking point.
The two hull options listed are hardly lightweight compared to current state of the art infused hulls with integral, synthetic, rails. Several builders offer 15.5-16'+ hulls well under 30 lbs in Carbon/Kevlar hybrid laminates.