Throughout the year, Boating Industry sat down with leaders to learn about industry trends, how dealers are navigating softer demand and what challenges and opportunities they see ahead.

Despite persistent headwinds, every conversation revealed a sense of optimism and a vision for future growth. Dealers are doubling down on marketing and in-person events. OEMs and suppliers are integrating technology and expanding features consumers value the most. Across the industry, operations are becoming more efficient.

These conversations revealed the trends and insights filling the industry’ s sails.

Outboards

Outboards continue to gain ground across both saltwater and freshwater markets, increasingly replacing inboards and sterndrives, even on 40- to 60-foot models.

Early in the year, OEMs said consumers demand more horsepower, expanded digital controls and long-term reliability.

Honda and Yamaha are gradually pushing high-power engines and connected onboard systems down their lineups to meet these expectations.“ Digital integration is one of the biggest opportunities for growth in the industry,” said Ryan Martin, product planning director of Honda Marine.

While interest in electric power is growing, current battery limitations keep electric propulsion best suited for small outboards, so manufacturers are also exploring hydrogen and sustainable fuels.

“ There’ s no one solution for power plants in our industry because of what a boat does,” said Ben Speciale, president of Yamaha Marine.“ One is sustainable fuels that could be dropped in to reduce the carbon footprint. The other – we’ re doing a lot of work around the hydrogen outboard concept. Electric is part of the solution, [ and ] it will probably be on the lower horsepower side.”

Despite challenging emissions regulations and speed and fishing restrictions, OEMs emphasized the value of the longer boating season, easier maintenance and overall improved experience outboards provide. They’ re even reshaping segments like fishing boats.

Fishing boats

Saltwater center consoles over 25 feet have seen growth since Covid-19, driven in part by the availability of higher-horsepower outboards and the ever-growing expectations around performance. Aluminum boats, especially Deep V models and Jon boats, have also benefited from newcomers who entered the sport during the pandemic and have made upgrades.

Lightspeed DMS shared new and used fishing boat sales data gathered between March 2024 and February 2025. Gen X made the most purchases during that period, followed by Baby Boomers, who spent the most on average per sale.

Both Boston Whaler and Lund are designing boats with seamless tech integration, from phone connectivity to remote vessel monitoring. Joystick piloting, integrated digital dashboards, forward-facing sonar and larger multifunction displays are also making boating and fishing easier.

“ The introduction of key technologies has opened up boating for a totally different audience,” said Lenn Scholz, president of Boston Whaler.“ We have customers that are buying a 42- foot Outrage and it’ s the first boat they’ ve ever owned.”

Versatility is also a driver, with hybrid fishing and familyfriendly designs gaining popularity. Sustainability also influences product development, seen in Whaler’ s lithium-ion generator replacement and Lund’ s fuel-efficient aluminum hulls.

The demand for sustainable products, multipurpose layouts and integrated technology reflect larger trends across all segments.

10 november / december 2025 www. boatingindustry. com