It depends on what you want to spend, how equipped you are to make your own parts and how much time you have.
Many people enjoy the process of making as many parts as possible.
You will save about half the price of a kit by making your own parts. Many of the materials can be purchased locally as they are needed such as mold materials, screws, glue, cane for seats, wood for decks, paddles etc. Theses sources are not the least expensive but Ted is happy with the quality which is important to him. There are several other sources listed in our books and if you find a product you are happy with and that suits your budget use it. If you look around you might find specialty lumber companies selling lengths of western red cedar up to 22 ft.