Social distancing at it’s finest: that’s what people have discovered about boats during the pandemic. Boat sales are currently at an all-time high, while inventory is low.

“It’s actually something to do. Get out there. We were going to the beach and going to the pool but that all gets old after a while,” said Hunter Godfrey.

Godfrey and his fiance just bought a boat from Sundance Marine.

“It’s cause corona. Usually, we’re out drinking, we’re out at the club, we’re going to the bar but you can’t do any of that,” said Godfrey.

According to the National Marine Manufacturers Association, 70% of boat dealers have seen increased sales during the pandemic.

“When the pandemic first broke, we were a little concerned, like any industry, that sales would slow down as everyone was trying to focus on their health and stay safe. After about a two week period, we saw sales increase,” said Kate Wenzel, a sales consultant at Sundance Marine.

Wenzel is one of the few people who’s stayed busy at work during the pandemic selling boats at Sundance Marine. While boat sales have been up, boats themselves are a little harder to come by.

“We were running low on inventory, some of the manufacturing factories had to shut down for a while due to the pandemic,” said Wenzel.

Besides more people buying boats right now, Wenzel has specifically noticed younger people shopping.

“People were looking for an escape. Everybody was tired of being cooped up inside and what better way to escape the stress of everyday life than the water,” said Wenzel.

21-year-old Godfrey couldn’t agree more.

“We never got one before because I was working all the time and we’d always just go to the bar, to do something, go bowling or something, but none of that is really open right now,” said Godfrey.

Used boats are also in high demand. According to the National Marine Manufacturers Association, sales of used boats also jumped 74% this year.