[Paddlewise] The new guy

Hello paddle people
    I'm new to kayaking and to this list. I was surfing the web looking for 
paddling information and ran across you. I'm enjoying the posts and it's 
looking like a good place to learn about kayaking until the lakes thaw and 
I can do some real paddling. I stepped in at the middle of a discussion 
about cheap plastic vs expensive kevlar boats. I had to chuckle because 
I've heard this argument in other sports that rely on hardware. Be it dirt 
bike enduros, skiing, tennis, skateboarding or a dozen others there is 
always this argument about how much you need to spend on equipment to do it 
right. It's been my experience that the people with the expensive equipment 
are often not the ones with the skills to use it or the enthusiasm to 
appreciate it...they just have the biggest checkbook and the need to look 
good. I bought "cheap" plastic boats...Heritage Seadarts...one for me and 
one so I'd have a better chance to have someone to go with me. I could have 
bought one "good" one...and may someday if I'm enthused and skilled enough 
to use it...but for me the point of doing it is to have fun...not to look 
good. To me two plastics are worth one kevlar any day.
    So now that that's out of the way I have a real question. To achieve 
maximum efficiency and speed should the pointy end be in the front or the back? 

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