This article originally appeared in our 2017 January issue. If you are interested in seeing more stories like this, click HERE to subscribe.
Over-the-hill motivational speakers are a dime a dozen. It seems like anyone and everyone who has ever enjoyed any amount of success in business, sports or whatever, can find a sweet gig collecting a paycheck by telling us to keep our chin up.
All they have to do is come up with something catchy like, “Focus on the doughnut, not the hole,” and we’re drawn into their hour-long presentation like a woman to a half-off shoe sale. From that point they could tell us anything and we’d buy into it hook, line and sinker.
Lucky for those of us in the boating industry—particularly the pontoon side of things—we’ve powered through and the economy downturn is in our rearview mirror where it belongs. We can pass on those motivational messages that come off like Matt Foley, Chris Farley’s motivational speaker character from Saturday Night Live.
It’s no secret the pontoon market has been the fastest-growing U.S. boating segment over the past 12 months. According to the NMMA, the pontoon segment grew eight percent in 2015 and is on pace to match the same growth in 2016.
There are other resources too that indicate pontoon sales are still on the rise. In 2009, SSI data show there were 24,241 new pontoon boat registrations in the U.S. Since then, those numbers have steadily increased each and every year. The 2016 numbers haven’t been reported yet, but in 2015 new pontoon registrations had nearly doubled from six years earlier with a total of 44,364 in the U.S.
Many speculate on why pontoons are still trending up. One theory is the versatility. In what other boating segment will you find a $20K boat on display at a boat show next to a $150K one? Simply put, a wide range of different incomes can still enjoy getting out on the water and the formula is in place where families can get into pontooning at a reasonable cost and then upgrade to more bells and whistles as their passion grows.
Another possible explanation is the improved quality and high-end amenities. On average pontoons do cost more today than they did a decade ago, but they’re also built a lot better and include a lot more features. These boats are built to last and are proving to be a great long-term investment.
Power and performance is another possible theory for the continued boom in the pontoon industry. With advancements in pontoon hull technology as well as the engine manufacturers continuing to build lighter and more powerful outboards, consumers no longer need to own two boats to satisfy all their needs.
In the past many pontoon owners who craved comfort and space also owned a “performance” boat so they could pull skiers or wake boarders. The ‘toon was for cruising and entertaining and the other boat was just for water sports. With the emphasis being placed on well-performing pontoon boats, that’s no longer necessary. You really can have the best of both worlds in one pontoon boat.
These are just three possible explanations and depending on who you talk to you’re sure to come up with even more reasons why the growth of new pontoon registrations continues to climb. But in any case, now is a great time to find out for yourself why new pontoons sales are continuing to grow.
