Boatshows!!
BOATSHOWS! At Hyperactive Watersports we love Boatshows! The major Alberta events are The Calgary Boat and Sportsmens’s Show (Calgary’s only boatshow), February 3–6 and the Edmonton Boat and Sportsmen’s Show, March 17–20. We know this seems early as spring is NOT right around the corner, the new year underway, a Boatshow does a great job of giving everyone’s spirits a lift in the middle of winter. If you do your research, planning, and buying now, you will be ready to enjoy the water just as soon as the ice melts and the sun comes out.
You have probaly already noticed that there are automobile dealerships of all brands in all cities, but there are very few boat dealerships. For every one boat that is sold, there are thousands of cars and trucks purchased, so boat dealerships tend to be smaller, fewer in number, and further apart than automotive dealerships. In addition the selection waiting for you to “drive it home today” is much smaller in the boating market. These are all great reasons to attend your local boatshow. It is the time when most dealerships and marine related businesses are brought together under one roof for you to see and compare their product offerings. It is a great time to start the process of researching and buying a boat. If you are in the market for a pre-owned boat, this is the time of year when the premium used boats come available. The boat owner that is moving onto a bigger, more expensive toy and wants to find a home for his (or her) previous pride-and-joy is whom you may be looking for and the dealer selling the new boat either wants to put you two together or sell you that used boat now instead of keeping it till spring. If you are new to boating, a boatshow is the place to talk and learn about boats. Boat dealers are there to assist you in purchasing a boat (okay, okay – Sell you a boat) but talking to them one after another will give you a sense of what it takes to become a happy boat owner. Also, there are plenty of other boat owners wandering the aisles of the boatshow and they are very often really happy to share their opinions and experiences with a less experienced boater.
Auto dealers sell cars and trucks year round but boat dealers in places with shorter summers typically have only one sales cycle dominated by spring when most buyers want to take delivery of their new craft. At a winter boatshow, the potential boat buyer has more options than the one that waits till the week before summer vacation to make a purchase. First and most importantly, this is a big purchase of a item that if done right, will not need to be replaced for many many years. We know of families that have had the same boat for literally decades. So take a look at what you want and “need” in a new boat and there is still time for the best boat builders to build you a boat to your specifications and have it delivered to the dealer for you by spring. Pick the options that are important to you and the colours that you really want your boat to be. That boat will be destined for your driveway from the moment the first layer of gelcoat is sprayed till it is unwrapped by the dealer. At Hyperactive we have boats on display at our boatshows dressed up with all of the bells-and-whistles, not because we think every boater needs them, but to let the person that is placing a “factory custom order” the chance to decide which options are most important to them. Adding a few features or having a custom colour added can make a great boat, your perfect boat. Additionally, deleting the huge chrome wheels, mutliple sets of tower speakers, or other options you do not require, can allow you to stay within your boat buying budget. Both boat dealers and manufacturers value these factory custom orders as they know that as soon as the boat is built, shipped, and delivered, that it will leave their inventories. For this reason there are usually valuable incentives offered at boatshows to reward those buyers that plan ahead for spring delivery.
So we have established that boatshows are fun and full of information with the opportunity to find or factory order the boat of your dreams. That’s the good stuff. The not so good stuff is that at the boatshow most displays look good as there are certain standards that the show organizers require participants to meet. If you buy your boat from that knowledgeable, friendly dealer at the boatshow, did you just make a purchase from a someone that has the resources to make sure your purchase will perform as promised for you come spring and for many summers to follow? Ask lots of questions! Are they local? How long have they been in business? How long have they represented the brand you are considering? Do they have a sufficient service staff to meet the needs of their customers? Are they open all year (yes that matters).
Now here is the statement that we know will not make us very popular with boat dealers or show organizers:
DON‘T BUY A BOAT AT A BOATSHOW. Until you have visited the dealership.
If you visit the actual dealership and it is not at least half as well presented as the boatshow display, you may want to re-think your potential purchase. Talk may be cheap, but boatshow display space is not, so dealers want to get sales done at the show to pay for the space. That is fine, but you the buyer need to make sure that you are comfortable with making a significant purchase on a promise that the dealer will follow though as promised on what usually takes a couple of months to complete properly as a spring on-the-water delivery is quite often part of the purchase. Seeing what a dealer displays at a boatshow might be different that what they show in their actual place of business. Make sure you are comfortable before you sign the purchase contract. 
The boatshow is a great resource to gather information but unlike the auto business, there are fewer places to obtain after sale service for boats so your relationship with your selling dealer is important and knowing that they will be there to serve you in years to come is important. Visit the dealership before you buy. And remember those boatshow incentives “only available at the show”? They will be there after the show closes from any boat company or dealer willing to earn your business! Get stoked on boating at the boatshow. See everything you can and don’t fall for the high-pressure sales techniques. If you think you have decided to purchase a particular brand or model, still take the time to look around for your own piece of mind. if you have not yet decided, don’t get overwhelmed and/or pressured. Remember, buying the boat should be fun, just as owning it will be. 
