<snip> Just to pop in on this quote... "Over the past decade participation at all levels of kayaking is up, sales are up over ten years ago, there are more kayak stores than ten years ago" While the gross numbers of participants in kayaking has been trending up, it is driven primarily by availability of cheap stable (easy for beginners) sit-on-top rotomold boats being used for rentals and the growth of kayak fishing. The last Outdoor Industry study (2007 to 2008, available online) does show a blip UP for Kayaking (Sea/Touring), the irony is that of all outdoor sports they categorized, it's the smallest. In overall sports, Kayaking (Sea/Touring) is just above Squash and Rugby. There are more retail outlets for boats, but statistics include CostCo, Cabelas, Pep Boys and West Marine. While West Marine is in the boating industry at least, it's unlikely that CostCo will have in-depth sales staff to advise which end is the bow while you select a new $299 10 footer. "...the Puget Sound there are fewer kayak stores. What was the participation level at the West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium this year? Participation in ALL deep-learning sports is down across the board over the last 10 years. If it takes lessons, certifications or large amounts of time to be proficient, participation is trending down generally as people have less free time. The attendance was down at WCSKS, but no surprise to any of us there - and yet the attendees that came out were very involved in the sport which was great. There are fewer specialized kayak stores, and that trend will continue most likely. The internet has cut into accessory sales, and big-boxes have taken on the entry level boats. What's left are focused stores or schools (serving as virtual stores) with specialized boats for a small dedicated paddling core that probably reads paddlewise... Cheers, John Seda Kayaks *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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