For your first sprint kayaks, you should definitely be looking for kayaks that are slightly more sturdy and less likely to tip over. Don't spend too much time looking for this, however, since even sprint kayaks that are less likely to tip over will tip when you are first learning how to use them.

When you first get your sprint kayak out on lake (or wherever you happen to be sprinting) you should start getting used to it as soon as possible. While you'll probably have great skills in a regular recreational or touring kayak, sprint kayaks operate a little differently. You should expect to tip over first time you are in a sprint kayak, so you should work on righting yourself when that happens and keeping yourself upright afterward.

After you've learned how to use your first sprint kayak, you might want to look at a few more sprint kayaks. The reason for this is that after you've learned how to paddle a sprint kayak, you should be able to learn how to use another kayak that is better suited toward highlighting your own skills.

While all of kayak materials are pretty sturdy, you should also note that wooden kayaks (when made properly) are almost as sturdy as other types of kayaks. What this means is that you'll be able to take your wooden kayak almost anywhere you'd like to go.

One thing you should keep in mind, however, is that most of instructions you'll find on how to build wooden kayaks are meant to be recreational or touring kayaks. Even though wooden kayaks are fairly sturdy, you'll probably not want to take one on a whitewater racing course.