Number of canoes and kayaks in USA

Anyone seen a recent study (last 3 years) regarding how many paddlers exist in the continental USA ?



I only know of this one

http://www.outdoorindustry.org/research/participation.php?action=detail&research_id=79


I have twelve of them.

My husband says I have the rest…Just
Kidding. I think its seventeen…

You’ve almost got enough.
I’ve got the rest.

at least we are just recycling
and not breeding…

No industry insiders lurking about ?
Was hoping some paddling insiders had a clue about

what portion of society jumps in a canoe or kayak regularly.

Ohhhh! If breeding was an option : )

If The Non-Continental USA
Were included, the numbers would triple? Even throw in half the SUPs I saw today would quadruple those numbers?

I’d like to see an updated study too
In my area I sense a big drop since that study in open water sea kayaking (not sure about rec paddling in protected waters). SUP paddling and I think surf ski paddling seems up. It would be interesting to see a study to see if my perception is correct and how it varies by region.

C’mon now Hawaii is an Outlyer point
An island with warm weather merely skews the data

  • can’t include it in good conscious, sorry

UN-registered paddling
States like Michigan have LOTS of canoes and kayaks

but there has never been registration numbers on them.

I’m sure its not each and every one of the 10 million

residents with Michigan, but it may easily be near 30%.



For those in the industry selling kayaks and canoes

there must be some “growth/decline” studies being done

A few years back a study was made
http://wavewalk.com/blog/2008/01/15/canoe-and-kayak-market-trends-in-recent-years/



The 2006 US market for canoes was a little over

100,000 units sold, at an average price of nearly $550 per unit.

The market for kayaks was over 350,000 units sold

at an average price lower than $500.



The total 2006 market for canoes and kayaks was $233,000,000.



The overwhelming majority of U.S.A. paddlers

are willing to sacrifice speed for stability.



Paddlers “stay” at that entry level and simply don’t progress

to the traditional, narrow designs of kayaks/canoes

Staying At Entry Level Means
No further interest? Anyway, check out the number of publications devoted to canoe and kayak as compared to SUP as your gauge.

Thebob.com has 80% of solo canoes.

$140 million for Michigan alone
The NMMA claims 2% of a $7 BILLION dollar market

strictly for the state of Michigan = $140 million



http://www.nmma.org/assets/cabinets/Cabinet508/Michigan_Boating_Economics%20State.pdf



That might wake up politicians and others to what the

Canoe and Kayak market represents to the economy.