Clear coat carbon fiber or carbon/aramid weave is the worst for showing scratches. Clear coat white scratches on a black hull are neon glaring.
But, in reality, they are functionally no worse than other scratches. Our red gel coat Monarch has 10,000 scratches, and some repaired chips and dings, nearly every one put there by me, half of them from just two particularly tough trips. I’d rather own the Monarch scratched than unscratched. Bought “used” it was nearly pristine. Not for long.
I often wish I had a modern lightweight carbon kevlar beauty. I doubt I ever will, but if new it will have a white bottom to help hide the scratches. And I’d still turn to one our Royalex beaters for shallow water creek bashing.
Provided I could carry it the required distances.
Put more scratches and dings in that Blue Steel (Prospector?). Trade the kayak for a beater Royalex solo for day tripping shallows and take the pooch.