U.S. sales of boats, personal watercraft making waves

DAYTON, Ohio — People bought more boats and Jet Skis in the U.S. last year than the previous 13 years, and this has water safety personnel warning people about water dangers as the holiday weekend approaches.

Andrew Schlegel, manager at Great Miami Outfitters in Centerville, Ohio, said boat sales have been up at his store for the past few years. This past year, boats sold out faster, the same way that bicycles and campers have.

“The boat sales have been fantastic,” Schlegel said. “And we pretty much are preselling out of everything. This is the second year, and I would assume that it’s going to go into the third year as well.”

In Ohio, about 7,195 more boating licenses were issued in 2020 when compared with 2019. In 2020, a total of 593,685 licenses were issued, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

In the U.S., 2020 was a record sales year for boats, and that continues this year, with a 15 percent increase in February when compared with the 2020 average, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association, a trade organization around boating that’s based in Chicago.

John-Michael Donahue, vice president of the NMMA, noted that many people began buying boats when the COVID-19 pandemic started.

“The recreational boating industry is seeing an uptick in firsttime boat buyers, attracting a wider net of Americans looking for an outlet to spend quality time with loved ones, helping to spur the industry’s growth,” he said.

Consumers spent an estimated $595 million on new powerboats, engines, trailers and marine aftermarket accessories in 2020, according to the NMMA. That’s up 20.2 percent when compared with 2019.

But with all the new boaters comes a need for safety. Schlegel said his company is putting a big emphasis on water safety when a customer makes a purchase.

According to statistics, drowning was the top reported cause of death in 4 of 5 recreational boating deaths in 2020 and that 84 percent of those who drowned were not wearing life jackets, according to the ODNR.

If you’re out on the water, you should be wearing a life jacket. When selecting one, check that it is Coast Guard approved, appropriate for the water activity and fits properly, the ODNR said.

The department also recommends taking a boating course, which can be found on its website, and not drinking while operating a boat.