Door skins are probably the cheapest alternative. Keeping in mind you sorta get what you pay for, I have seen a kayak done with door skins that looked really, really nice.

The downside is probably durability. If the wood gets soaked it may come apart. If you keep it sealed, it shouldn't be a problem. There are people out there who've had good success w/ doorskins. I'll probably use them on my first kayak when I do build one.

> Door skins -- from 3 mm to 1/8 inch plywood are available in some areas.