The ballistic nylon skin is used for bulletproof vests. It's also the most common covering for skinboats, and boatbuilding stores carry it online.
I learned to roll on my own this summer, practicing in a neighbor's pool, in a river, and in saltwater. Lots of wet exits later, I can manage basic sculling and layback rolls. Pretty rough, but I'm getting there.
I made these from online resources and from a book called, "Building the Greenland Kayak". There are no plans, per se. The book presents a sequence of traditional construction methods. Everything is custom fit to your own dimensions and what you want out of a kayak. Very little actual "measuring" is involved. Mostly, every piece is "fitted". It's not unlike reading, "Hunting the Osage Bow", and tillering a bow.
