There's a market for 38"-40" canoes and a market for narrower ones. It depends upon the paddler's intended usage, interests and needs.
I'd make a fundamental distinction between two types of paddlers: (a) those who are interested in paddling per se as a sport, and (b) those who are interested in using a canoe as a stable platform for some activity other than paddling.
The "sport paddlers" are interested in the act of paddling itself -- paddling for the sake of paddling. Sport paddlers include racers, freestyle canoeists, Canadian style paddlers, whitewater paddlers, exercise/fitness paddlers, and anyone who enjoys moving a paddle through the water for no other reason than the physical and mental joy of doing so. These sport paddlers would likely find a wide canoe to be too slow or not sufficiently maneuverable for their performance-oriented purposes. They would prefer narrower canoes, sometimes much narrower.
The "platform paddlers" are primarily interested in a canoe as a vehicular platform with which, in which, and on which to engage in some other sport. The primary other sport is fishing. It could also be photography (perhaps with a tripod), shooting, archery, or just floating. These paddlers may appreciate the greater initial stability provided by the wide body canoes.
Only you can decide which of these categories you fit primarily in. Many of us fit in both categories. So . . . we get . . .
. . . two canoes . . . then
. . . three . . . then . . .
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