Like Bill said, you can't really compare carbon fiber and wood, as in most cases one would never be substituted for the other.

In home-built kayaks and canoes, the wood is used as a core to separate the inside and outside composite layers, adding rigidity to comparatively thin composite layups. A composite boat without a core needs much thicker layup to give the same rigidity and strength, weather we are talking glass, carbon, kevlar, etc.

The wood core serves another purpose during construction, defining the shape of the hull without the need for a full mold. While it may be theoretically possible to build a foam-core boat exactly like a wood strip or stitch and glue, from what I gather the foam typically used for core material does not behave like wood (which is why something much closer to a full mold is typically used).

A better comparison might be carbon fiber vs. fiberglass, both with a wood core. Or perhaps carbon fiber with wood core vs. carbon fiber with other core materials. In all cases, the wood core is the least expensive way to go, and I'm not sure there's going to be all that much difference in weight of a non-vacuum-bagged carbon layup and the typical fiberglass layup unless for some reason the cloth weights vary drastically (but then we're back to an "apples and oranges" comparison).

While it is not all that commonly seen in kayaks and canoes, you could build one completely from wood using lapstrake or cold molded veneer. Ruston's Sairy Gamp is a good example of what is possible when pushing the limits of lapstrake construction, a small canoe that weighs just 10.5 lbs (achieved by using very, very thin cedar planks). I have no idea how durable such a boat would be, but the Sairy Gamp was actually used. No doubt it would be possible to build a carbon fiber canoe of the same size and weight - maybe even lighter - but its going to be equally delicate as an all-wood boat of the same weight.

For the home builder, wood and fiberglass is the clear winner in terms of cost, ease of working, and availability. Vacuum-bagging an entire hull puts carbon fiber at an even greater disadvantage. Forget about pre-preg material and autoclaving...

Then there is the beauty factor. Boat owners, I think, have a much stronger emotional attachment to wooden boats (especially if they built their boat(s)), so they get treated and maintained much better than production composites.

: This got started with a motor head friend. What would be the
: benefit of using carbon fiber instead of wood. Since wood has
: enough strength I am going to rule out strength as a plus for
: cf. If someone had to begin anew, no tools, would they rather go
: carbon fiber or wood? Overall beauty I will give to wood. I
: assume a wood kayak will last many years if taken care of. Is cf
: going to be lighter? Price?

: Kim