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ARE BOAT OWNERS HAPPIER, HEALTHIER THAN NON-BOAT OWNERS?
RECENT SURVEY SAYS “YES”
By Marc Malkin

Are boaters happier and healthier than non-boaters? A recent national survey commissioned by the National Marine Manufacturers Assocation (NMMA) indicates that this is indeed the case. The survey conducted by Los Angeles-based Impulse Research Corporation, polled nearly 1,100 Americans online – 542 boat owners and 536 non-boat owners (sampling error of +/- three percent at a 95 percent confidence level). Boat owners reported significantly higher levels of satisfaction in many key areas of life, including:

• overall well-being
• marriage/romance
• friendship
• spirituality
• health
• work
• leisure
• sleep
• and finances

Those surveyed that owned boats were more likely to rate these areas of their lives as “excellent” or “very good” than were their non-boating counterparts.

When asked to assess the overall quality of their lives, 67 percent of boat owners rated theirs as “excellent” or “very good” compared to 56 percent of those who don’t own boats.

Aspect of Life Quality of Life Difference

*Describes how much more likely boaters are to rate areas of their lives “excellent” or "very good” than non-boat owners.

While boat owners reported higher levels of satisfaction than non-boat owners across the board, the differences were more obvious in some categories than others. The most notable differences were noted in the following areas: “Overall Quality of Life” and “Leisure” categories (21 % quality of life difference), the Marriage and Romance” category (24 % quality of life difference), and “Finance” (30 % quality of life difference).

The survey also indicates that boat-owners get out and about more frequently (both on water and land) and are generally a more adventurous, fun-loving lot than non-boat owners. Boat-owners are more likely to own other recreational vehicles (i.e. mountain bikes, motorcycles, motor homes and snowmobiles) than those without boats. This indicates a greater likelihood to spend time in the great outdoors playing with their “toys.” (See percentages below):

The research found that boat owners and non-boat owners agree about the benefits of boating. Benefits cited by both groups most often were: being outdoors; spending time on the water; the ability to unwind; and the tranquility that boating provides. Non-boat owners surveyed also expressed an interest in purchasing a vessel down the line. In fact, nearly 39 percent of non-boat owners polled indicated an interest in owning a boat sometime in the future.

*Note: Additional information on this subject may be obtained at the Discover Boating Web site (www.discoverboating.com) or at the NMMA Web site (www.nmma.org).