2026 Paddlesports Report: Executive Summary

Paddling is one of the most accessible ways to get outdoors, drawing more than 34 million Americans to lakes, rivers, bays, and coastlines in 2025 for a few hours on the water.

The 2026 Paddlesports Report tells the story of an outdoor recreation category that is far bigger than it was five years ago and increasingly defined by how casually people take part. Participation grew again in 2025, adding 446,000 paddlers on top of the 10 million gained since 2019, but the pace has eased from the pandemic-era surge, and the gains are not landing in every discipline. Stand-up paddling and rafting are pulling ahead while sea/touring kayaking loses ground, and roughly 85% of all paddlers now get out fewer than eight times a year. Understanding that large, lightly committed audience, and the retail changes arriving alongside it, is the opportunity for brands and retailers today.

Inside the report, you'll find the key paddlesports trends across seven years of participation data, including:

• Growth that continues but has moderated, with rafting up 4.8% in a single year, stand-up paddling leading on a three-year basis at 5.8%, and sea/touring kayaking the lone activity in decline at 92,000 participants lost
• Recreational kayaking's standing as the most popular paddlesport at 15.3 million participants, followed by canoeing at 10.2 million
• A casual majority that accounts for about 85% of all paddlers and most of the category's growth, led by gains in rafting, canoeing, and recreational kayaking
• Retail signals worth watching, including recreational kayak unit sales down 13% in the sporting goods channel in Q2 2026 and newly Coast Guard-approved Level 50 flotation devices poised to disrupt a $71 million safety gear market
• A participant base anchored by 25- to 34-year-olds in every discipline, with women in the majority in stand-up paddling and recreational kayaking, and 80% of recreational kayakers white compared with 56% of the U.S. population

The report covers every paddlesport and key audience in detail, including participation by sex, race and ethnicity, age, region, income, and education. Contact membership@outdoorindustry.org to get the full report.