Hi Paul,

The prices for materials vary quite a bit. Locally, Okoume is about 4 times the cost of luaun.

Three 4x8 foot sheets of plywood are required to build the typical S&G kayak.

Luaun would cost $51.58 [Canadian], Okoume would cost $224.25. The $172.67 difference pretty well pays for the resin and cloth.

I have seen a wide variety in the grain pattern on both luaun and Okoume panels so the "beauty" has to be judged on a "per panel" basis.

For the small inconvenience of having to fill the occasional void the 4 time difference in cost is hard to justify. On the strength issue, using up the "cut offs" of cloth and a bit more resin is still more economical that building with Okoume and adds very little to the construction time.

Okoume is a superior material, no doubt. If you only plan on building one or two boats, Okoume is locally & readily available, and the cost is not a concern them it is the material of choice.

I build an average of 4 kayaks a year [I enjoy building as much as paddling]. I have to watch my costs - luaun meets my requirements. My cost per kayak is under $300 [Canadian] each - less than $150 in "real money" [US dollars ;-)]

Different strokes... enjoy your boats!

Hank