Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/459961
40 | Boating Industry | February 2015 www.BoatingIndustry.com /// Market Trends /// a fish in the cockpit," said Wallace. One amenity seems to stand out among the rest as a top priority for consumers: better, more comfortable seating. "Fifteen years ago, if you were on a center console fishing boat, you were basically sitting on a bucket. There wasn't a lot of seating," said Harris. Carolina Skiff has created horseshoe seating in the bow of their boats that can fit a table if desired. If the seat cushions are removed and the hatches opened, it becomes a full-fledged fish box in a horseshoe style, says Robert Sass, na- tional sales and marketing director of Carolina Skiff, LLC. These hybrid-style products that are focused on both fishing and family-friendly com- fort are a huge emphasis going forward. Sass says there are fewer buyers out there today than back in the glory days and the mar- ket share is getting thinner, which makes it more difficult to approach the fishing boat consumer. "Ten years ago, it was normal for a guy to have two boats: a fishing boat that he used and … a family boat," Sass said. "Now people need a boat to do it all. They need one boat that is multifunctional … [it] can take them out and go fishing and it can take the family out to go cruising." Truslow agrees and would add that the fishing boat consumer today is a very busy individual. "People seem to have less time to fish," said Truslow. "I do worry about some of these lon- ger-term trends where people are spending less time in the outdoors." The consumer is also very budget-minded. They pursue very particular boats on a rigid bud- get, and this causes manufacturers to fight for their position in the marketplace, says Sass. "They're doing a lot of research. They're re- ally trying to see what's going on. They set a budget and that's what they go for," said Sass. "Fishing and boating is not leisure – it is lifestyle for people. They're just doing it on smaller bud- gets, so you have to account for that." "With the cost associated with boating it is much better to 'cast the net' to a broader mar- ketplace. To be one dimensional in my opinion is a mistake," said Wallace. Putting as much information as possible in the consumers' hands, letting the product sell it- self and evolving with the needs of the consumer is the best way to stay competitive in this new marketplace, says Sass. Boats with personality Historically, white vinyl was the material and color of choice in fishing boat interiors, but Scout Boats has noticed customers are looking for customizations in color and other amenities that they are offered in their automobiles and yachts. Before the recession, most fishing boats didn't have air-conditioned center consoles, glass enclosures, side doors and painted engines. The types of amenities were unimportant – now consumers expect them. "The consumers that are buying [offshore fishing boats] today are used to having a lot of the features," said Wallace. "[New consumers] expect more than what the older buyers used to want or need." In the case of customized painted engines, customers pay in excess of $3,500 to paint one engine, which means a quad boat can cost up to $14,000. While it may seem like a huge expense for nothing more than aesthetics, Wallace says it's a feature customers are willing to pay for. He says Scout Boats has more requests for special features than ever before and as of the end of 2014, Scout Boats sales were up 28 percent over its best year in 2007. Wallace attributes most of this success to their focus on customization. "Our customers wants more than a boat," said Wallace. "Manufacturers and dealers need to continue to give the customers what they want and what they expect, and give them an experi- ence that will keep them going on the water." Reauthorizing the Magnuson-Stevens Act The fishing boat segment has a lot to keep abreast with in terms of government legislation and the successful reauthorization of the Magnu- son-Stevens Act should be a top priority. Once there are reports that an MSA reauthorization bill has either been introduced or one is immi- Additional seating has become a top priority for most OEMs.