For generations, recreational boating has offered Americans an increasingly valuable opportunity: to get outside, spend time with family and friends, and enjoy our nation’s waterways. But that experience depends on something our industry cannot take for granted: the ability to get to the water.
As we look at what will drive the next generation of recreational boating, access must be part of the conversation. New research from the National Marine Manufacturers Association provides important insight into the challenges boaters face getting on the water and, more important, how those challenges are influencing participation.
A survey of 2,000 active U.S. boaters found that 80% of boat owners experience congestion at their primary access point, and 83% say congestion limits their ability to go boating at least sometimes. Even more telling, 71% have changed their behavior because of access challenges, whether by boating less often, traveling farther to launch or reducing their overall boating spending.
For an industry focused on growing participation and strengthening the boating experience, those findings deserve our attention.
Access is sometimes viewed primarily as a convenience issue. This research tells us it is much more than that. When a family has to wait hours at a ramp, drive farther to find a place to launch or struggle to find adequate storage, it creates friction around an activity that is supposed to be enjoyable. Over time, those experiences can influence how frequently people boat and how much they invest in the lifestyle.
The opportunity on the other side is significant. An overwhelming 93% of boat owners surveyed said improved access would increase their boating frequency, with more than half saying it would increase significantly. Boaters identified reduced congestion, additional public ramps and marina slips, expanded storage options and better parking among the improvements that would make the greatest difference.
Access also extends beyond the water’s edge. Sixty-six percent of respondents said waterway maintenance is extremely important to their boating experience, while 64% were affected by water levels, dredging or debris during the past year.
That reinforces why healthy, navigable waterways must be treated as essential recreation infrastructure. Maintaining channels, addressing dredging needs and
investing in the infrastructure surrounding our waterways are critical to ensuring boaters can safely and reliably enjoy them.
There is also a direct connection between access and our industry’s ability to welcome new boaters. Nearly half of the non-owners surveyed indicated they are planning to move forward with a boat purchase, with many saying better access could support that decision. More storage availability, closer ramps and beginner-friendly programs were among the factors respondents said could help turn interest into ownership.
That should matter to every segment of our industry. We spend considerable time thinking about how to reach new consumers, make boating more accessible and demonstrate its value relative to countless other ways Americans can spend their time and discretionary income. We also need to ensure the infrastructure is there when they decide to participate.
There is no single solution. Access challenges vary considerably by market and region. Our research found particularly high congestion in the Pacific, Southwest and Great Lakes, while boaters in the Rocky Mountains, Plains and South Atlantic expressed greater concern about waterway maintenance. Solutions must reflect those local realities.
That is why the NMMA launched its Waterways Access Initiative this past summer. It’s a multiyear advocacy campaign focused on protecting and expanding access to America’s public waters, modernizing recreation infrastructure, and ensuring waterways remain navigable and available for recreational use. This work is an important part of supporting the $230 billion recreational boating and fishing economy, and the thousands of businesses and communities that depend on it.
The Waterways Access Initiative will focus on a targeted set of priorities that directly support the NMMA’s core policy goals. A central priority is reauthorizing the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund. The campaign also calls for reauthorizing the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund through the America the Beautiful Act, a strong, bipartisan Water Resources Development Act, modernizing fisheries management, and supporting technology-driven conservation.
The survey gives our industry a clearer picture of what boaters need. Now we will work with Congress, the administration, state leaders, industry partners and the broader boating community to act on it, advancing practical, bipartisan solutions that keep America’s waters open, safe and accessible for generations to come.
Getting involved is easy. You can write to your members of Congress through Boating United.org and urge them to back legislation that improves access.
We need to make getting on the water easier, not harder. Protecting and expanding access is not simply an infrastructure priority. It is an investment in the future of recreational boating.
Frank Hugelmeyer is president and CEO of the National Marine Manufacturers Association.
This article first appeared in the October 2026 issue of Soundings Trade Only.
