C-Tow & Wavve Boating have announced a collaborative partnership targeting safety and accessibility for recreational boaters across Canada. By combining the largest on-water towing fleet in Canada, and Wavve Boating’s award winning navigation app, this partnership aims to improve recreational boater safety and confidence. This comes at a time when 40% of newboaters acquired during the Covid-19 pandemic are expected to sell their boats and leave the marketplace by 2025.

Recently, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA), in fear of an impending exodus of new boaters, worked with other manufacturing and recreational boating leaders to urge the marine industry to immediately focus on improving customer experience as the primary way to retain boaters. This comes in response to record-setting years for the industry during the Covid-19 pandemic. In the years since, industry reports have revealed that many new boaters are reporting a lack of basic operational knowledge, leading to an increase in dissatisfying incidents on the water. In February, Trade Only coined this phenomenon the “New-Boater Bubble”, citing that 42% of first-time owners leave boating within five years, and challenged the industry with the question: “Can we keep them?”

For Canadians, this pandemic surge in new boaters has led to waves of disappointment and chaos along some local waters. A recent story by The Toronto Star goes inside the ‘wild west’ of the Toronto Harbour and highlights how the unpredictable waterways are being impacted by congestion at boat ramps and increased on-water traffic leading to more reported incidents. These incidents are a leading source of disappointment for boaters, many of whom are operating vessels without access to a marine GPS. “An astonishing 37% of first-time boat buyers express a lack of boater knowledge and confidence.” Says Adam Allore, Founder & CEO of Kingston, ON based Wavve Boating. “Lack of access to navigation tools directly correlates to lower satisfaction in the sport and ultimately causes reduced boating frequency.”

To combat these growing issues, two of Canada’s top marine brands are joining forces in an effort to bring more education, empowerment, and confidence to new boaters when they hit the water this summer. By giving our C-Tow members access to Wavve Boating for a full year for free, it allows our new boaters to have access to all the crucial information they need to keep themselves safe on the water. In addition to this and thousands of partner discounts, our members have the ability to participate in a new conservation effort called the Ripple Program. These programs are specifically designed to connect the Canadian boating community to events, conservation initiatives, and local knowledge. “We’re thrilled for the opportunity to provide more value and confidence to our members across Canada” says Jill Noel, Manager of Operations at C-Tow. “By leaning-in to our passionate members, and creating programs that meet the needs of today’s boaters, we believe we can help keep members happier, more informed, and safer out on the water…all of which are critical to retaining new boaters in the industry” says Jill.

Likewise, near the 1000 Islands area in Kingston, ON, Wavve Boating has also joined the cause by helping make marine navigation more accessible through their award winning app. To help reduce barriers to entry and remove the need for expensive navigation equipment, Wavve Boating has stepped up to provide 1-year free access to every C-Tow member across Canada. “As more boaters continue to lean into the convenience and accessibility of mobile technology, the marine industry must continue to meet boaters where they are…” says Adam Allore. “Our
goal is to provide easy access to important digital tools that boater’s need to feel safe and avoid incidents on the water”. As recreational boaters seek more value and confidence on the water this summer, we invite you to join C-Tow, their Ripple Program, and Wavve Boating, in sharing their message of community, conservation, and safety this summer. For more information, you can take the Ripple Pledge or reach the team directly at community@c-tow.ca.