money is a big thing, and at least around here. Also, people care more about fishing than going fast...or at least looking like they fish. Plus, having a boat that can take 10 people out to the sandbar to party is more important.

I'm 27 and finally have what I consider a decent boat, a 30ft scarab with twin 502's. The operating cost and maintenance is double what my last boat was. We've always had a boat in the family, but I was the only one who cared about going fast. When I moved to college at the beach, I bought a cheap john boat and used that while saving for something. Then I bought beat up formula 255 that I thought I could fix....I couldn't so I sold it, then bought a cheap formula 233. Every time I took it out something broke. so I ended up spending most of my time on the water on my jon boat. Sold the formula then saved for another year and bought a 20ft donzi minx that needed almost nothing. Finally got a fast boat that didn't need work and I loved it. Only problem is that 20ft isn't big enough to go fast when you've got all the people in their big boats hardly on plane. I was either jumping the boat every 30 seconds (which most passengers got tired of) or having to drop my speed every time i encountered somebody's big wake. sold it and spent this past summer on a jet ski until I had the money to buy a bigger boat that needed some work.

The biggest issue is money. I'm self employed and don't have much of a credit history so getting a loan wasn't going to happen. I couldn't even get a loan for my truck. Most people I know would love to have a fast boat, but they're almost all too expensive to pay cash for, and to get a loan for a boat when you're in your 20's probably isn't easy unless you're loaded or have a good job. Which is another hard thing to get...a job after spending all that money on college. When I was growing up it was implied that if you go to college and get good grades you graduate and get a job. Too bad that's not how it works in the real world anymore.
I've pretty much spent every extra dollar I have on getting a boat. If i have a major problem with it It will probably take me a while to fix it. I've got 20k in my truck, 15 in the boat, as well as some other expensive items I use for work; yet my bank account isn't even 10% of what I have tied up in my vehicles. But I'm not making payments on anything other than rent and utilities, which are pretty cheap. Sure, it's not financially smart for me to have what I do right now, but I love it, and you can't put a price on happiness right?

Blame the Government. They own this crap economy, if they would get out of the way people would have jobs or better jobs and have the disposable income to have a few toys. Young people now days are lucky to be able to move out of their parents homes.
Stupid Democrats, starting at the top.

Yeah I guess that's true...... IT is where the $$ is.

Here is an example that has nothing to do with money.
Have a 13 and 14 year old and we live 500 feet from the neighborhood boat ramp. Both the wife and I grew up in water communities and wanted the same lifestyle for our kids.
I restore boats as a hobby and ended up with this Donzi 18 this past January.



Started working on it this spring (garage is not big enough for ....anything). Told both of them if they pass their boater safety course (mandatory in Maryland and I think it would take an hour to do) they could have it. A f_ing Donzi 18 classic at 14 years old! I think they spent a total of 15 minutes helping me restore the boat over the summer and one of them actually looked up the boaters test online and never even finished reading the instructions.
Cant drive a car for another 2 years minimum but the freedom of your own boat to go anywhere you want in a f_ing Donzi classic is not enough incentive to put the phone or game controller down. I would have given my left nut for the boat in my 20's. At 14 there is nothing I wouldn't have done to get that boat. Looks like I will be selling it this coming spring.

HOLY ****! When I was 9 I was mowing lawns, feeding cows, recycling aluminum, plowing fields, and just about anything else I could possibly get paid to do in order to get my hands on my own boat. A Donzi classic is a F'in yacht at that age.

Tonight at dinner give em a loving backhand to the top of their heads put a little extra something on it though!

That's a serious beav crusher for a 15 y/o!!!!!
Or are boats not cool now? U pull bittys with smartphones, or neat apps???

Amen brother! I've been working on engines & powered equipment nearly all of my life, but my son has no interest in it. He loves boating (while I'm paying for it) but doesn't want to get his hands dirty, as in would rather pay somebody else to do the dirty work, but really doesn't have the $$$ for it.

I use my dads Sea Ray from time to time, I also found it for him in 06 and he could still sell it for more than what he paid, I've done almost all of the maintenance to it (he helped me pull the engine for a coupler two weeks before we ran it on a poker run), family friend helped us with bellows, 0 storage cost, I've also used my own parts to fix it on busy weekends when things have come up. I wish I could find a mooch like me for my boat!! Last friend I took out drank all my rum, didn't pitch in for gas, didn't wipe it down afterward, invited two other people, and forgot to say thanks.

I might be a little bitter, that was in 2009!! Lol.

In short: To enjoy boating you have to be an excellent mechanic or have money, and it helps to be both.

I gave my 79 American, 19 ski runabout to my stepsons if they would take it home and take care of it. Two years later I'm still storing it and they got indignant when I complained about leaving it tied to the dock for weeks on end.Wtf?