Canoes (particularly aluminum ones) tend to have beams of 33 to 36 inches, with 36 being common, and 33 being considered "slim". Go figure. A 24 inch wide kayak will be considerably slimmer than any open canoe I've seen.

Think of it this way, you sit or kneel in a canoe. You wear a kayak. A lot of the fuss in selecting a kayak has to do with how well it fits your butt. Your weight will influence how low the boat sits in the water. If you are heavier than average you can improve things with a boat that is wider, or longer. You can improve things If the boat is a bit wider than your body you can add foam padding to fill in the gaps if you want a tight fit. If your interests are racing or traveling very long distances with less effort, then a narrower boat will offer less resistance. If you are planning to carry gear for a trip, then a wider boat will have more carrying capacity. An item of concern has been foot space. People with big feet have raised significant issues about low decks.

Hope this helps.

PGJ