Discover Boating Canada announced the findings from new research commissioned to learn more about boating participation across Canada.
A telephone survey of 2,000 Canadian adults found that an estimated 10.2 million Canadians (38 percent of the population) went boating in 2010. This figure represents a significant increase from the 2006 Economic Impact Study, which suggested that 6 million Canadians were participating in boating.
The survey also found that 5.1 million Canadians (19 percent of the population) currently own a boat.
"Often participation leads to boat purchases, so it's important for the industry to take the time to benchmark how many Canadians are enjoying the boating lifestyle," Discover Boating president Carl Blackwell said in a statement. "By better understanding today's Canadian consumer we can create an industry campaign that better resonates with the public."
A separate online survey of 6,200 Canadian adults who had previously requested and received the industry's free Discover Boating "Get Started in Boating" DVD found that 28 percent purchased a boat in the last two years.
Twenty-five percent of those surveyed purchased a boat after receiving the DVD, and of that group 54 percent rated the DVD's impact on their purchase as a six or higher out of 10.
"Obviously there are many factors that go into a making a boat purchase," Blackwell said. "Our DVD has proven to be an influencer and a good indicator of future boat purchases."
