after going to havasu this past weekend at the poker run and the races it doesnt look like anyone is paying attention. Ive never seen so many boats there in my life. Heck im going back for memorial! and im also going to work on my tan at my local lakes on the weekends you only live ones just work harder boys if you have to.

Global markets.....it is not that simple. Fuel here is still relatively reasonable comparatively speaking. Here is a perspective of how bad it is for us....
http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/01/news...rice/index.htm

Some will and some will not. If you are a middle income family would spend the money a new boat that costs 40 grand plus? Then spent $300.00 a month on fuel plus storage. Plus you need the truck that can tow the boat that sucks on mpg. I really don't think the gas prices will go down and if they do great. I would like to see this thread a year from now.

Sounds great but the dollar is going down and oil is traded in dollars. Also I lived 1/2 my life in Germany and people tend to make more money for the same job there than the US. So the euro is worth more and you have more take home.

Actually, I think the boat industry can survive the oil prices, and the credit crunch. The biggest threat is the government taxing boating out of existence. The government looks at boats as a luxury, and think it's OK to slap tax after tax on them. Everytime they add a "luxury tax", the boat industry completely dries up. The Federal government had to repeal the last one. You can bet the states will try again.

Michael

Guess it depends on the state. The IRS always looked as my boat as a second home and the state never charged me as much for it as other items on PT.
Those where the good old days.

I think the boating industry will survive, but will hurt for a while. Boaters will not "stop" boating, but may cut back on frequency or distance. Die hard boaters.. ( like I think most of us are on OSO) will go boating no matter what and I will quit eating lunch, before I put the boat away.
That being said.. I don't think gas prices are all to blame. The US economy is based on two things. Spending and export. Joe Public is spending less and less. The baby boomers with some spare $ are spent their money. We got out boats and toys. We are winding down in our expenditures.
The US export market sux. Period. It will be 3-6 years before the "next generation" of spenders have extra cash to spend to kick the economy in gear. THe US gov. needs to stop screwing around in the world, get out of the Middle East and concentrate on the US citisens, instead of some forign BS.
We have enough oil in Alaska, Colorado, and offshore to meet all domestic fuel needs. I don't buy gas from forign owned gas companies like Shell, BP etc. I would love to tell our Gov. to keep their nose with in the US. but they dont listen.
There aer countries that pay 10 cents per gal of gas and there are those who pays $10+ per gal. I wonder what would happen to OPEC if WE ... US patriots would just stop refining their black chit.. Most refineries are owned by US firms. AS far as I am concerned they can keep the oil. Or better yet.. I will sell them food for as much as they charge me me for gas.. Let's see what the gas price would be when they go hungry. But guess what ?/ Our Gov. gives them "free Food", becouse of some low life left wing liberals, special interest groups don't like to see people hungry. How come Iraque and all the other OPEC countires don't feed the world. Why do I (WE) have to ???
I don't like to see people hungry either but I think every one knows what I mean.

Good point.. The best way to compare is how long (in hours.. let's say ) to take to earn 1 gal of gas. or 1 gal of milk.
In Europe.. gas is more.. but it takes les time to make that amount.
There is H2O in Europe... may be I relocate.

Gas is less then 10% of my annual operating cost,it will now be more like 20% of my annual cost,I will still boat as much as always BUT unlike many on this board I am`a blue collar worker,not a big wheel with millions,I'm just very lucky to have 2 jobs,1 that pays very well. Will I like spending 250$ on diesel and another 300 or 400 every weekend,HELL NO. Now I do know many other local boaters who were just barely able to afford to go boating before,they are screwed,a few I talked to are saying they plan on boating very little because they literaly won't be able to pay their household bills if they pay double to fill their boats. They are already spending double just to get to work.I snowmobile too and It's another sport where I used to spend 250$ to 300$ a weekend filling the truck and sleds plus meals at restaurants,hotel rms etc,that has doubled and I saw less then 1/2 as many people out riding this winter as I have in the past but its more of a blue collar sport so the people that couldn't afford it stayed home. With the competing global market for oil I don't think oil is EVER going to go back down and gas is going to probably end up between 5$ to 7$ a gallon and it will stay there,Smitty

That also is How I look at It!