Recreational Boating Facts

The 11,546,512 recreational vessels registered by the states in 2023 represent a 1.9% decrease from last year when 11,770,383 recreational vessels were registered.

The fatality rate was 4.9 deaths per 100,000 registered recreational vessels. This rate represents a 9.3% decrease from the 2022 fatality rate of 5.4 deaths per 100,000 registered recreational vessels.

In 2023, the Coast Guard counted:

• 43,844 incidents that involved 564 deaths
• 2,126 injuries
• $63 million dollars of damage to property as a result of recreational boating accidents.

According to recent U.S. Coast Guard statistics, where cause of death was known 87 percent of drowning victims in recreational boating accidents were not wearing a life jacket in 2023.

Where instruction was known, 75% of deaths occurred on boats where the operator did not receive boating safety instruction.

Where instruction was known, only 15% of deaths occurred on vessels where the operator had received nationally-approved boating safety instruction.

Drowning is the reported cause of death in 75% of all boating fatalities.

4 out of every 5 boaters who drowned were using vessels less than 21 feet in length.

The top five primary contributing factors in accidents are operator inattention, improper lookout, operator inexperience, excessive speed, and machinery failure.

Alcohol use is the leading known contributing factor in fatal boating accidents. Where the primary cause was known, alcohol was listed as the leading factor in 17% of deaths.

There were 145 accidents in which at least one person was struck by a propeller. Collectively, these accidents resulted in 23 deaths and 133 injuries.

Where data was known, the most common vessel types involved in reported accidents were open motorboats (45%), personal watercraft (19%), and cabin motorboats (13%).

1. Florida (56 deaths; 368 injuries)
2. California (33 deaths; 164 injuries)
3. Texas (33 deaths; 132 injuries)
4. Wisconsin (28 deaths; 49 injuries)
5. South Carolina (24 deaths; 65 injuries)
6. Washington (23 deaths; 14 injuries)
7. Tennessee (22 deaths; 68 injuries)
8. Alaska (21 deaths; 13 injuries)
9. Michigan (21 deaths; 26 injuries)
10. North Carolina (20 deaths; 80 injuries)

1. Florida (619 accidents; 54 deaths)
2. California (339 accidents; 30 deaths)
3. Texas (189 accidents; 33 deaths)
4. South Carolina (156 accidents; 23 deaths)
5. North Carolina (155 accidents; 19 deaths)
6. New York (143 accidents; 20 deaths)
7. New Jersey (131 accidents; 7 deaths)
8. Missouri (122 accidents; 6 deaths)
9. Tennessee (117 accidents; 21 deaths)
10. Wisconsin (116 accidents; 24 deaths)