Boating Industry

July 2013

Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/147181

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 11 of 43

Jet Boat AGE: 45.9 NEW BOAT BUYER AGE FOR 2011 | | 40 41 | | 42 43 | | | | 44 45 46 47 | | | 48 49 51 Exclusive research from Info-Link shows average buyer age varies widely by brand, segment BY JONATHAN SWEET b y now, it's a well-worn statement: The average boat buyer is aging at a notable rate. It's a frequent topic of discussion at industry events, dealer meetings and sales conferences. Each year, the average age of the new boat buyer is about six months older than it was the year before, said Peter Houseworth, director of client services for Info-Link. 12 | Boating Industry | July 2013 P12x16-BI13JUL-BuyerData.indd 12 Outboard 53 Sterndrive & Inboard AGE: 50.1 PWC AGE: 47 "The people that are buying new boats today continue to be older and get older each year," Houseworth said. But new research from Info-Link, provided exclusively to Boating Industry, shows that even within that general trend, there are significant variations by brand and segment. Jet boats' youth appeal From 1998 to 2011, the average buyer of a new boat has gained about six years in average age (see chart p. 13). That's about three times the rate of increase of the general population, which increased by 1.9 years to 37.2 years old between the 2000 and 2010 census. The Info-Link data is derived from registration information across the United States. When examined by propulsion type, some groups have aged less than others. Most notably, the average buyer of a jet boat only increased 4.6 years to 45.9 over the AGE: Sail AGE: | | 52 53 56.1 | | | | | | | 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 14-year period Info-Link examined. This trend has not been lost on boat builders, as several new companies have jumped into the jet boat market in recent months (see article p. 8). Personal watercraft is the only other propulsion category to have an average buyer younger than 50 years old. However, PWCs had the largest increase in average buyer age, up 7.4 years to 47 years old. This is similar to the aging of buyers of land-based powersports – the average motorcycle buyer has aged from 40 to 49 years old since 2001, according to J.D. Power & Associates. The average outboard buyer was 53 years old in 2011, a 6.8-year increase from 1998. Inboard (up 6.4 years) and sterndrive buyers (up 6 years) aged slightly less to 50.1 years old in 2011. Sailboat buyers continue to be the oldest group at 56.1 years of age in 2011, although that age is only up 5.3 years from 1998 and has actually declined since 2009's high of 57.7. www.BoatingIndustry.com 6/5/13 9:52 AM

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Boating Industry - July 2013