Recreational boating has become quite hugely popular all throughout the United States. As a matter of fact, recently collected data even shows that up to 87 million people in this one country alone are participating in recreational boating on a regular basis, a number that is only likely to continue growing in the years that are to come. And, of course, this means that the boating industry is very much thriving, with powerboat sales alone growing by as much as 7% over the year of 2016, now a couple of years in the past.
But why exactly is this the case? Why has recreational boating become so widespread throughout so many regions of this country? There are a number of reasons why. For one thing, people simply live incredibly close to navigable bodies of water the vast majority of the time. In fact, it has even been estimated that a full 95% of the population is no more than one hour away by car from at least one navigable body of water, if not even more than that.
In addition to this, boating has now become more affordable than ever before as well. As any boat dealer will likely be able to tell you, more and more middle class people are taking up boating in some shape or form. After all, more than 70% of all those who partake in boating actually do not make more than $100,000 a year, putting them firmly in the category of middle class. As any boat dealer is likely already well aware of, there are many affordable boats out there, just waiting to be bought.
Consider the pontoon boat, a type of boat that many a boat dealer will have readily on hand. The pontoon boat for sale by your local boat dealer is likely to be ideal for a number of different reasons. For one thing, pontoon boats are great for beginners, as they are not particularly fast. Even with only just one person in the boat, a pontoon boat tends to top out, in terms of speed, at around 31 mph. And when a pontoon boat is at max capacity, it will typically only be able to reach speeds of around 22 miles per hour, which is certainly quite slow in comparison to some of the other boats on the market.
Even buying a brand new pontoon boat from a boat dealer in your area likely won’t break the bank, but buying a used boat for sale (ideally from a reputable boat dealer as well) is also a great option for many who are looking to partake in recreational boating. Used boats for sale come in many different varieties, including that of the used pontoon for sale. Of course, the used pontoon for sale is far from the only used boat out there and represents just one variety of used boat that has become quite popular indeed, especially over the course of recent years.
And used boats for sale can be found all throughout the country as well. Used boats for sale in Michigan are quite common, for instance, as any boat dealer working there or nearby will likely be more than able to attest to. After all, Michigan boasts a great many navigable bodies of water, something that is likely to be quite a draw to both the local residents as well as to any tourists who might also frequent the area. In many a Michigan town, even more than one boat dealer will more than likely be able to be found, allowing you to thoroughly weigh your options when it comes to the purchase of a boat.
If you’re looking to take up boating, be it on a speedboat or a pontoon boat, you are certainly not alone. After all, any boat dealer will be well aware of the fact that recreational boating is on the rise all throughout many different corners of this country – and in all the spaces in between as well, of course. In the year that are ahead of us, recreational boating in the United States is a leisure activity that is only likely to rise in prominence and in its overall accessibility to more and more.