Contact:
 
Dave White, New York Sea Grant, Recreation and Tourism Specialist, P: 315-312- 3042, E: dgw9@cornell.edu


Syracuse, NY, February 11, 2022 — Because of the continuing COVID-19 regulations, the annual Central New York Boat show is not happening this year. 

But New York Sea Grant Coastal Recreation and Tourism Specialist Dave White is on Street Talk to offer some alternatives to get ready for another busy boating season.   

This information was shared during a 12+ minute long segment that aired on several 93Q programs, including Street Talk and Ted and Amy in the Morning. 93Q broadcasts on WNTQ-FM in the greater Syracuse region. 


You can listen to White's full conversation on 93Q, which starts at 12 mins 04 seconds in on the clip below ...

If you don't see the player above, it's because you're using a non-Flash device (eg, iPhone or iPad). You can download the mp3 file by clicking here (mp3). It may take a few minutes to download, so please be patient.

Full Transcript: 

Speaker1: [00:12:04] Well, because of the continuing COVID regulations, the annual Central New York boat show is not happening this year. But New York's Sea Grant, Coastal Recreation and Tourism specialist Dave White offers some alternatives to get ready for another busy boating season.

Speaker4: [00:12:18] It is, you know, and as you well know, I work with a lot of our partners in the Marine Trades and Safety, you know, across upstate New York  and yeah, they've announced that the February show that we all love because we all get to [00:12:30] see each other as part of the boating family. And, you know, they they fill two huge buildings at the state fair. And, you know, with the supply chain and other issues, they don't have enough inventory to fill the buildings. They they all have inventory at their showrooms and they'd love you to come and visit, but they just don't have enough to put in, you know, that kind of show. So they've decided one more year to postpone it and, you know, not have the February show.

Speaker2: [00:12:56] Well, and it's just unfortunate because I know throughout the couple of years [00:13:00] during the pandemic that we talked, boating has just become more and more popular because of, you know, doing more things with your family and out in nature and outside.

Speaker4: [00:13:11] It really has. And, you know, as you know, one of the folks that works within the Boating Information Center at the show with our good friends and the Coast Guard Auxiliary and the power squadron and our invasive species friends, you know, it's a loss to us as well, because all of those boaters that have joined, we really, you know, enjoy chatting with them, [00:13:30] talking about being a good, clean boater, being about a safe boater. So it's not just, oh, I won't get a chance to go to the show and walk around, you know, and kick the propeller if you want, you know, kick the tire on the trailer. But it's really an opportunity for boaters to come together, mid-winter, see the new product that's out there, see all the new accessories that are out there. You know, what's the latest thing on the market to pull behind your boat? So it's not just a loss of opportunity to buy a boat because that's still there, but it's that real networking opportunity because as you and I have [00:14:00] talked many times, you know, boating is a family. And, you know, I love when I'm on the water, whether I'm on a paddle board, a kayak, powerboat, you know, whatever it might be, you always are waving to people. You know, it's just it's a it's a family out on the water. And that's what we miss in February. And, you know, it's unfortunate not only that, you know, the Syracuse show, but the Albany, the Rochester, the Buffalo, you know, all of the upstate New York shows that, you know, are normally held in February and March, have been canceled this year. So it's a family loss as well as a business loss for all of our friends in the industry. [00:14:30]

Speaker2: [00:14:31] Well, but every time when we talk about especially this time of year, you know, if you are considering getting a boat, I always like to discuss with you what conversation you should have with not only you, but your spouse, your family before you make that purchase.

Speaker4: [00:14:47] Yeah, absolutely. And I think that's one thing, you know, working with all of our industry partners we do want to share with folks is, you know, the the showrooms are full. They do have product, you know, in almost all of our dealer friends and our, you know, marina [00:15:00] dealer friends have product that they want to show to you. And so as you and I have talked about, you know, create your own boat show, you know, you know, depending on where you live. And I know one of the Finger Lakes or along the shore of Lake Ontario, around Oneida Lake or the Canal, there's a lot of dealers. So you can actually take the family and make your own day. And to your point is the first thing the family has to do is sit down and say, what do we want to do on our boat? And once you have that list of these are the things we want to do that will help you begin to think about [00:15:30] the size, the type of boat you want to have, the type of engine you want to have, the type of gear you're going to need. So it's basically doing a family inventory of, you know, when you're buying that first boat or, you know, or going up, you know, what do you want to be doing that's either different or the family is really going to enjoy when they're out there?

Speaker2: [00:15:48] I also think, too, I mean, the boat show, but also visiting the different dealers, there's always new products, whether it be, you know, a lifejacket like flotation devices or just things [00:16:00] you can keep on your boat for safety, fire extinguishers, things like that, that may just bring those to top of mind.

Speaker4: [00:16:07] It will. And, you know, again, they all have them. And, you know, for all those folks that got gift cards or cash, even better for Christmas, you know, what a great opportunity to, you know, go around, you know, some of these upcoming weekends and visit that not only the dealers but some of our accessory stores and you know, and take some of maybe that Christmas money you got and say, hey, you know, what is the latest in trust me, when you walk in, they're going to say, [00:16:30] hey, great to have you here. You know, what can I help you with? And, you know, they'll show you what's the newest product they have in. You know, you and I talk about a lot about safety stuff. You know, one of the really cool things that's out there is the electronic flair that replaces your handheld, you know, pyrotechnic flares that you have to have on board. You know, there's an electronic flare out there that you buy once, you know, and it replaces those pyrotechnic flares and, you know, sort of, you know, take some of that, you know, fun, cash or or [00:17:00] card that you got for Christmas and go into one of the stores. They can show you which one's got to make sure they’re U.S. Coast Guard approved because there are a couple out there that aren't. And there's also some flares that people use for their, you know, around the lake flare night that are not for use on boats. And they're going to be able to tell you that information, make sure you're getting the right product. So, yeah, it's just a fun time. And, you know, this is a time of year that, you know, it's fun to go out and do that. You know, we're I don't know if we're halfway through winter now or where we are with the snow and weather we're having. [00:17:30] But, you know, it's a time to get out there and do that.

Speaker2: [00:17:33] And it seems you mentioned the supply chain. It seems as though if you want to order a boat, now would be the time because it may take a little bit longer than sometimes in other past years it has.

Speaker4: [00:17:45] You know, it will. And, you know, folks have to remember, when you're buying a boat, it's, you know, a boat, a trailer and an engine. And, you know, so it's like buying a car. I mean, you're getting all of those component pieces. So, you know, the things you hear about, [00:18:00] you know, issues with, you know, get your car order now or, you know, you know, if you're going into a dealer and you're not really sure what you want, they may be able to show you what they have on the floor that's available right now that they've gotten and in an inventory. So yeah, if you're thinking, you know, I want to go and there's a certain color, there's a certain style I want, you know, that's going to be a product that you're going to have to really get get in advance of, you know, but if it's something on the showroom floor, you know, you can put the deposit down. Now, they will hold it for you. And, you know, come middle of April, they'll deliver it to you, deliver it to [00:18:30] the marina for you. So all of those opportunities are out there, but yet it's something you really need to be thinking about now, especially if you do want to order a specialty product.

Speaker2: [00:18:40] Let's talk about boating safety courses, too, because I know again this time of year, if you want to prepare for this spring and summer, now would be the time to maybe take a boating safety course.

Speaker4: [00:18:51] It really is. And, you know, I'm a fan of in-person and I'm also a fan of the family doing it together because it's a great opportunity for the new family [00:19:00] that's coming to boating to take that class. I'm a real fan of our friends at the Sheriff Coast Guard Auxiliary Power Squadron or the volunteer instructors for the state. You know, spend that 8 hours with them, you know, because they'll show you all the products, they'll show you the lifejackets, they'll show you the newest things that are out there, you know, because they keep up on all of those safety issues. And again, it's just an opportunity to become a member of the boating family, get all that great information. You can take them online. And again, you know, that's a great option for those that can't get to an [00:19:30] in-person course. But the in-person courses are just a real great way to go. It's easy to go on to the New York State Park website and you can just Google, you know, New York State Boating Safety and it'll take you right to the list of all of the classes that are available. And they're all starting to teach them now. You know, a lot of folks say, oh, I'll wait until May, but all of our good partners that I just mentioned, they're out on the water in May helping helping us all be safe and secure. So you really don't find a lot of classes come, [00:20:00] you know, mid-April on because, you know, all of our friends in the auxiliary and the squadron and obviously the sheriff, they're out on the water helping us all have a good, fun, safe day. So now is a really great time to get those courses, whether it's online or, you know, in-person. It's just to me, the way to go.

Speaker2: [00:20:15] Remind us all about Brianna's law to please Dave.

Speaker4: [00:20:19] Brianna's law is a law that was, you know, introduced a few years ago. And what it's going to do is it's going to ratchet up over the course of five years, everybody needing to take [00:20:30] a safety class. So, you know, by you know, you know, I can't think of the age right now that's coming up on us because I just keep telling people you're all going to need it. So let's get that class sooner rather than later. And the other thing I always like to mention, folks, is, you know, boats have to be insured in most insurance companies. If you've taken a boat safety class, give you a discount. So, you know, there's also a financial, you know, opportunity to save some money over the course of, you know, the life of your boat on your insurance by having taken a boat safety class. And [00:21:00] everybody is going to have need to have taken one, which I think is just great, especially with all the new people we have coming into the family of boating. And there's even a lot of marinas out there that, you know, you know, you can either hire them or as part of their service, they'll even go out on your boat with you to show you how the controls work once you've taken that course.

Speaker4: [00:21:20] So you're really well acquainted with the boat. You're really well acquainted with the body of water you're on. So, you know, and you know, my goal boating is fun. We want [00:21:30] it to be clean, we want it to be safe, but we want it to be fun for the family and doing all that prep work, making sure you've got the right safety gear, you know, you've taken the courses, then you're just going to be out there on the water having a fun day with all of your family and friends. You know, it is totally COVID safe no matter where we are with COVID because you're on the boat with your family, you're out there getting that fresh air. You know, you're swimming your skiing, I’ve just dated myself, you know, tubing, boarding, wake [00:22:00] surfing, you know, all the fun things we do now. And so it's just it's just wonderful and it's a great time of year to be thinking about it.

Speaker2: [00:22:07] And one more thing before I let you go. I'm seeing that the Boating Industries Association and the New York Sea Grant are producing some educational Facebook series. Can you just give us a little update on that?

Speaker4: [00:22:19] I you know, I'm excited about it. You know, we're coming up on having completed a year of it. It's called Boat New York. And it is it's a it's a two minute or less video series we do [00:22:30] once a month. Drew Wickham and I from the Central New York Boat Show. He and I are the face of safety Dave at the boat show, many folks had seen that. So we're doing these vignettes at all of the different marine dealers across upstate New York hitting all the different bodies of water and just talking about what's new out there and what's the new boat out there? What's the new opportunity for boaters? What can you be thinking about? We're having a great time. We're getting great reaction from boaters because it's just, you know, what's the latest today? You know, what do I need to know about that? You know, engine cutoff switch, you know, what's the [00:23:00] latest safety product? What's the latest boating product that's coming out from, you know, our dealers throughout the state? So we're having a lot of fun with it. I encourage folks to go on. It's put up on Facebook. If you're on the boat show mailing list from years past, you get that every month. So you don't just pop it open. It's less than 2 minutes. We have a lot of fun and it's a great opportunity to, like you say, kind of key in some of those questions. And then things you can follow up with, either myself, the folks at the Boating Industry Association or in all of our great clean and safe boating partners. [00:23:30]

Speaker2: [00:23:30] David, anything that I'm not asking you about that you want to talk about.

Speaker4: [00:23:34] I will. I'm going to give you a teaser because I'm working on a couple of meetings, actually, this week and next. But we're looking at having potentially a major boating lifestyle event in May in central New York that might include some boats in the water, some safety, some maritime history from a museum, maybe our friends from the proposed Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary. So a little bit of a teaser. [00:24:00] We're trying to find a way to backfill all that great fun we have at the boat show and all that information we provide. So stay tuned. It would be boat during boating safety week in May, and we're hoping to have maybe within a week or two an announcement that we're going to be able to pull it off.

Speaker1: [00:24:15] See more at nyseagrant.org. 


More Info: New York Sea Grant

New York Sea Grant (NYSG), a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York (SUNY), is one of 34 university-based programs under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program.

Since 1971, NYSG has represented a statewide network of integrated research, education and extension services promoting coastal community economic vitality, environmental sustainability and citizen awareness and understanding about the State’s marine and Great Lakes resources.

Through NYSG’s efforts, the combined talents of university scientists and extension specialists help develop and transfer science-based information to many coastal user groups—businesses and industries, federal, state and local government decision-makers and agency managers, educators, the media and the interested public.

The program maintains Great Lakes offices at Cornell University, SUNY Buffalo, SUNY Oswego and the Wayne County Cooperative Extension office in Newark. In the State's marine waters, NYSG has offices at Stony Brook University in Long Island, Brooklyn College and Cornell Cooperative Extension in NYC and Kingston in the Hudson Valley.

For updates on Sea Grant activities: www.nyseagrant.org has RSS, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube links. NYSG offers a free e-list sign up via www.nyseagrant.org/nycoastlines for its flagship publication, NY Coastlines/Currents, which is published quarterly.