// MARKET TRENDS
MasterCraft ' s high-end surf boats are typically purchased by consumers 45 and older.
“ So that’ s our sweet spot, somebody in their 50s who wants to get a boat and host their families. That’ s where we’ re seeing a lot of sales right now,” he said.
Palma agreed on behalf of MasterCraft, noting that high-end towboats are most often purchased by buyers 45 and older.“ A lot of grandparents are even buying these boats for the lake house,” he said.
Silver Spray Sports, which exclusively carries Nautique, also sees customers in their 80s purchasing new towboats to enjoy with family. And according to Burnash, most buyers in their late 20s grew up around watersports; few are first-time buyers when they purchase a Nautique.
She noted that many customers gained during Covid-19 are still heavily involved in the sport and some have made upgraded purchases.“ I think some of the other boating segments have seen a higher turnover,” she said.“ People got into fishing boats or pontoons for a short duration of time and they’ re getting back out now, and that was kind of the Covid flux. We’ re not seeing that within our segment. But once again, we are dealing with the most expensive line of watersports boats.”
The innovation
Wakesurfing’ s growing popularity has gone hand in hand with advancements in boat technology. What was once a complicated process, requiring careful weight distribution and manual adjustments, is now streamlined through software and hardware integrations.
Forming the perfect wave has become increasingly easy over the years with the help of software integrations.
“ We have the performance so dialed now in terms of wave making and how that happens. I think a lot of our innovation, focus and our resources will be on really making the in-boat experience special,” Palma said.“[ Customers are ] looking for the differentiators on the water in terms of how easy it is to drive and what other amenities you have to make the on-water experience that much more premium.”
www. boatingindustry. com june 2025
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