True boat lovers reject the popular saying that the two happiest days of a boater's life are the day they buy the boat and the day they sell it. For them, happiness is putting the boat in the water and sailing off, never-ending expenses included.
That devotion drove a boom in boat sales during the Covid pandemic, as many Americans turned to the water to escape. After seeing a spike in sales during the crisis, when most other industries struggled, the recreational boating market is now feeling the impact of consumers' discretionary spending cuts.
In fact, most boat owners make less than $100,000 a year, often purchasing smaller and more affordable vessels. This makes the industry "particularly sensitive to shifts in consumer confidence and credit availability," according to IBIS World's Boat Sales & Repair in the U.S. report.
According to Deloitte's State of the US Consumer July 2026 report, discretionary spending intentions grew for a third straight month in June; however, they remain below the 2021 baseline.
The full-year 2025 data from NMMA reveal that new boat retail unit sales dropped 8.8% year over year to 215,237 units, down from 236,070 units in 2024.

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