: And finally, the choices are a
: S&G kit or a hybrid kit with a S&G hull and a strip deck. Would that be
: too much for a first time builder to bite off?

That would depend on the particular first-time builder.

My first kayak was a Pygmy Arctic Tern kit that's very much like the Merganser. One nice thing about a full stitch-n-glue kit is that all the pieces are pre-cut and they go together perfectly. You stitch-n-glue the hull and deck separately, and when you set the deck on the hull, it fits perfectly. No fuss no muss.

A hybrid will have the same easy-to-make hull, but for the deck you will get a bundle of strips. You'll have to make your deck one strip at a time and trim the ends of the strips to match the hull. This will require a little more attention to detail than building a stitcher, but still less than a full stripped boat. The deck is easier to strip than the hull, anyway, so you're stripping the easier of the two halves. But many have done strippers for their first boats, so it can be done.

But what it REALLY comes down to is: which do you prefer the look of? If you really like the strip deck (and people will 'oooh' and 'aaah' even more if you build a hybrid), and can afford the extra cost of the hybrid kit, then go for it.

Dean