Higher fuel costs aren’t keeping boaters off the water, survey finds

Sea Tow Services International, based in the USA, has published the results of its 2026 member survey, which set out to understand how rising fuel prices and other costs are affecting recreational boating. The survey drew more than 5,500 responses at a time when boaters are paying more for fuel at both roadside pumps and marina fuel docks. Sea Tow says the data gives an accurate snapshot of members’ habits.

More than half of respondents (52%) report boating about the same or more than last year, while others are boating less, taking shorter trips or staying closer to home.

Fuel is the biggest pressure, with 84% naming it as the boating expense that has risen most, followed by maintenance (36%), marina and slip fees (22%) and insurance (18%).

It also remains a significant outlay for a typical day afloat. More than half (52%) reported spending $50 to $100 on fuel per trip, while 30% spent $100 to $250 and 18% spent more than $250.

Despite higher costs, 46% said they are using their boats the same way they always have, while 32% are boating less and 17% are staying closer to home. Among those who have changed their habits because of rising fuel costs, 53% are boating less often, 42% are taking shorter trips, 38% are staying closer to home and 29% are running at lower speeds.

Looking ahead to the 2027 season, 37% named fuel prices as their biggest concern, while 30% expect their boating habits to stay about the same. A further 14% said finding time to boat is a concern, and 10% cited maintenance costs.

Sea Tow says its service activity supports the results. Service volume is within 3% of the number of requests in 2025, and the type of help boaters ask for is consistent with previous years, led by towing (53%), ungroundings (13%), fuel delivery (7%) and jump-starts (6.5%).

Sea Tow says membership gives boaters predictable annual access to on-water assistance without out-of-pocket expenses. A Gold Card membership costs $249 a year and a Lake Card membership $169 a year. Benefits include unlimited towing in the member’s home area with no distance or dollar limits, jump-starts, fuel delivery and scheduled dock-to-dock tows.

Earlier this year, Sea Tow released a redesigned mobile app, which the company says offers a faster, more accurate way to request assistance, plus navigation and real-time wind, tide and weather information. It is available on iOS and Android.