Boating, From My Perspective
Boating Industry Faces Challenges — You Can Help!
Years ago it was not uncommon to hear this said within the boating community, “Once a boater, always a boater.” That statement doesn’t necessarily hold true anymore. In today’s challenging economic environment and with many other ways individuals and families can spend their hard-earned dollars, boating is facing challenges. But challenges create opportunities.
The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) in mid-December held a “Recreational Boating Stakeholders Growth Summit” where industry leaders came together to look at recreational boating trends. The purpose of the summit was to develop strategies to enhance boating’s growth. I commend the NMMA for bringing stakeholders together to strategize how to grow boating. As I reviewed summit materials, what I read confirmed what many of us knew from experience. The boating industry must adjust to societal changes. Obviously, when the economy slows down, fuel prices rise, and stock market investments lose value, individuals feel less positive about their future, their finances, or job security; they spend less.
After I reviewed reports from the summit, I drew the conclusion that not only can the boating industry help expand boating activity, those of us who love spending quality time on the water can be part of the solution; we can help reverse current trends and expand boating participation.
Why should you, as a boater, care about growing the number of individuals who are using our lakes and rivers for recreation? It’s all about numbers. Frankly, some folks in our society would like to limit and ban boating and fishing. The more people who understand the value of spending time on the water, the more they are willing to voice their opinions. Increasing the number of boaters adds more voices expressing the importance of boating to elected officials helping to preserve boating as a healthy and beneficial recreational choice.
Key findings contained in the NMMA’s report (Source: Info-Link Technologies Inc.) on boating industry trends are:
- The primary boater demographic is shrinking as a percentage of the population
- Powerboat owner’s average age is increasing
- Age of boats are increasing
- New boat sales are at a historic low
- Boats in use have started to decline after a 15 year up-cycle
- Boating participation, however, is up and growing
- In 2010, Whites owned 90% of all powerboats; however, the White population in the United States is shrinking. From 2000 to 2010, the white population went from 69.1% to 63.7 % of the population. The Hispanic population has increased as has the Asian population, from12.5% to 16.3% and from 3.6% to 4.4%, respectively. The Black population and “Other” category of the population has seen little change. (Data from the Hobby Center, Rice University). Why not include a diverse (ethnicity) group of friends and expose those who have not yet experienced boating on board your boat? Introducing boating, sailing or fishing to someone who has yet to experience spending time on the water is fulfilling. Share the fun.
- Participating in boating when a person is young influences his or her recreational choices when he or she is an adult. It’s a proven fact! About 37% of current boaters boated as a child and their parents owned a boat compared to 9.3% of non-boaters. Take the opportunity to allow your children to bring their friends along for the next boating trip.
- Boat owners are aging. Today there are less boat owners in their thirties and more in their fifties and sixties. In addition to inviting younger co-workers and friends on board, take them as your guest to a boat show so they can personally see a variety of boats and prices. The average boat can cost less than many cars and SUVs, but they may not know it.
- Boats owned in America are aging. You can solve this problem yourself. There isn’t a better time to buy a boat - low interest rates, competition between brands and dealers, and dealers want to move inventory creating great buying opportunities.
