The American Canoe Association (ACA) is a national non-profit organization established in 1880 to promote paddlesports like canoeing, kayaking, and rafting. The ACA oversees approximately 50,000 members and 270 affiliated clubs. Paddlesports participation has grown significantly in recent decades and the ACA provides education, certification, and surveys to support paddlers. The ACA advocates for increasing paddlesport access and outreach to attract new and diverse participants.

1. Outlook on Paddlesports
Pamela S. Dillon
Executive Director
www.acanet.org

2. ACA Mission
• Promote canoeing, kayaking, and rafting as
safe and enjoyable lifetime recreation,
while working to protect and preserve the
waterways on which those activities
depend.
www.acanet.org

3. ACA Overview
• Est. 1880, National Non-Profit 501c3
• Approx. 50,000 members
• 270 affiliated clubs/organizations representing
300,000 paddlers
• 4000 certified instructors
• Canoe, Kayak, Raft, Swift Water Rescue
• Estimated 100,000 students taught annually
www.acanet.org

4. Paddlesport Surveys
• Outdoor Industry Association’s Outdoor
Recreation Participation Study
• The Leisure Trends Group
• National Marine Manufacturer’s Assoc.
• Consumer Nation (warranty card data)
• National Survey on Recreation and
Environment
• ACA member/non-member surveys
www.acanet.org

5. Participation Study
Terminology*
• A Participant is someone who paddles
one-four times per year
• An Enthusiast is someone who paddles
five or more times per year
• *OIA Study
www.acanet.org

6. Recreational Boating: Popular
and Growing
• NSRE found 76.5 million recreational
boaters in 2002
• 48 Million used some form of Paddlecraft;
20.6 million went Canoeing; 20.2 million
went Rafting; 7.3 million went Kayaking
• Kayaking is fastest growing segment of
entire boating community at 182.5% over
last seven years
www.acanet.org

7. ACA Survey Results (2003)
• How long have you been paddling?
Years Members Non-Members
<5 19% 49%
6-15 33% 26%
>15 48% 25%
• Half the women (48%) have under 5 years
experience vs. only one quarter (28%) of the
men (members & non-members)
www.acanet.org

8. ACA Survey Results (2003)
• What are the top three reasons you
participate in this sport?
– The most frequently first mentioned reasons by
members and non-members
• Relaxation (22%)
• Adventure (19%)
• Experiencing nature (19%)
• Exercise (13%)
www.acanet.org

9. Top three reasons you
participate?
– Adventure more important to men (21%) than
women (13%)
– Experiencing nature more important to women
(33%) than men (13%)
www.acanet.org

10. We aren’t all in the same Boat
• Flatwater Canoeing • Recreational Kayaking
• Whitewater Canoeing • Sea Kayaking
• Wilderness Tripping • Whitewater Kayaking
• Outrigger Canoeing • Squirt Boating
• Dragon Boating • Surf Kayaking
• Canoe Sailing
• Poling
www.acanet.org

11. Paddlesport in the 70’s
Driven by “Deliverance” and the 1972 Olympics
www.acanet.org

12. Whitewater Canoeing
Recreational Canoeing
Flatwater
Canoeing
www.acanet.org

13. Recreational
Kayaking
Whitewater Kayaking
Sea Kayaking/ Touring
www.acanet.org

14. The Squirt Kayak
Mid 1980’s
www.acanet.org

15. Kayaking Statistics (OIA 2001)
• Participant activity over 10 million
participating at more casual frequencies.
• Steady Enthusiast levels - 2.2 million
• All three kayaking types experienced
dynamic growth in Participant activity in
2001 - whitewater (50%), recreational/sit-
on-top (30.4%), touring/sea (20%)
www.acanet.org

16. Kayak
Outfitting
Improvements
for the 90’s
• Different sizes for
different people
• Bigger cockpits for
faster exits
• Shock-absorbing
bulkhead footbraces
• Better Backbands for
more support
• More Adjustable
www.acanet.org
fittings for better
control

17. Whitewater Manufacturing Goes
Big Time!
www.acanet.org

18. Video Segment
www.acanet.org

19. Participant Trends
• Whitewater kayaking participation in Participants Enthusiasts
2002 showed the largest growth of any
2.0
of the kayaking formats.
1.8
• The percentage of whitewater kayakers
1.6
who participated at the highest levels of
1.4
involvement has remained unchanged
from 2001 - further confirming that the 1.2
activity’s growth has been fueled by 1.0
new Participants who are trying the 0.8
activity for the first time and at more 0.6
casual participation frequencies. 0.4
0.2
0.0
2001 2002
www.acanet.org

20. How to “Grow Boating Enthusiasts”*
2. Need good initial/
introductory experience
often when young
*RBFF Market Research
www.acanet.org

21. How to “Grow Boating Enthusiasts”:
• Need good initial/ introductory experience
often when young
• Need friends/ mentors
to give guidance and
information
www.acanet.org

22. How to “Grow Boating Enthusiasts”:
• Need good initial/ introductory experience
often when young
• Need friends/ mentors to give guidance
and information
• Need access to
equipment, water, and
“guides”
www.acanet.org

23. How to “Grow Boating Enthusiasts”:
• Need good initial/ introductory experience often when
young
• Needs friend/ mentor to give guidance and information
• Need access to equipment, information, and “guides”
• Need ongoing support base
including groups, organizations,
clubs, publications, updates
www.acanet.org

24. Outreach
New Ideas to New Markets
• Address changing boat participation patterns
and trends
– increased numbers of women participants
– Appeal to Gen Xers/ Youth
• Make activity accessible to masses
– Address minority participation
– Address participation by singles, couples,
families, and seniors
• Survey, research, respond to changing trends
www.acanet.org

25. National Outreach Needed
• Paddlesport participation is
increasing
• Activity is attracting new,
young boaters. Promote this!
www.acanet.org

26. • Positive outreach needed to paddlers
from agencies. Let’s work together to
get paddlers involved, to build bridges
to the paddlesport community, and to
keep them ACTIVE in recreational
boating.
www.acanet.org

27. •Questions?
www.acanet.org