Sales of powerboats were down in 2006, the last year for which numbers are available, but sales of kayaks, canoes, ski/wakeboard boats and personal watercraft continue to increase.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEWPORT EXHIBITION GROUP

PROVIDENCE — Sagging sales may encourage dealers to offer some bargains on powerboats when the Providence Boat Show opens in the Rhode Island Convention Center today. Kayak sales, however, continue to be strong, especially in the Ocean State, says Billy Stark of the Kayak Centre of Rhode Island.

Who’s paddling kayaks?

“Basically, it’s everybody,” says Stark, director of instruction at the Kayak Centre. “Parents are buying them for grade-school kids and retirees are buying them. And there are folks in between. It’s a huge demographic.”

Nationally, boat-unit and dollar sales rose more than 5 percent in 2006 — thanks to growth in kayaks, canoes, ski/wakeboard boats, and personal watercraft — but the traditional powerboat segment of the market saw a decrease in unit sales of nearly 5 percent to 291,900 total boats, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA).

Results from last year’s sales will not be available until late spring, but anecdotal reports from New England indicate that traditional powerboat sales continued to tank last season. Nationwide, boat sales may have fallen by more than 10 percent last year, according to Thom Dammrich, president and CEO of the NMMA, speaking on National Public Radio, Monday.

The number of Americans who get into boating continues to increase. In 2006, 73 million people went boating, 1.3 million more than the previous year, according to the NMMA.

“Though new powerboat sales were down slightly, the increase in boating participation bodes well for better sales in the years ahead,” says Dammrich. “We anticipated flat to slightly down powerboat sales as higher interest rates and the malaise in the housing market impacted consumer confidence throughout the year.”

Total new-boat dollar sales edged upward 2 percent to $11.5 billion, reflecting an overall increase in the price of traditional powerboats, which also increased 2 percent to $9.6 billion. NMMA attributes these increases to a rise in production costs for manufacturers, including the escalating price of petroleum-based materials and efforts to develop cleaner, more fuel-efficient engine technology.

Meanwhile, kayak sales are sailing along, according to Stark. “They start with a recreational boat for flat, calm water. It’s a nine-and-a-half to 13-foot boat,” he says. “Then you have folks who are a little more adventurous. They’re looking to grow their skills, get more fitness out of it. They’re looking for an open-water boat, something between 16 and 18 feet.”

There are two basic kayak designs commonly available: one in which the paddler sits inside a cockpit, and the other has the paddler sitting on top.

For new paddlers, the sit-on-top design is easier to master, says Stark. Divers and anglers also prefer the sit-on-top models. So do people who tend to be claustrophobic.

In a paddling specialty shop, Stark says, 9- to 13-foot kayaks range from $450 to $950; 14- to 15-footers range from around $1,100 to $1,200, and full-size ocean kayaks can range from $1,600 to $3,500.

As paddlers sharpen their skills, they tend to upgrade their boats, so there are many bargains in previously-owned kayaks and accessories advertised in the classifieds of the Rhode Island Kayak/Canoe Association ( www.ricka.org). Many kayak-rental centers also sell their boats at blowout prices at the end of the summer.

It’s better to buy a boat from a specialty shop or an experienced paddler than from a big-box chain store, says Stark. “In a specialty shop, what we’re selling is what we’re using. We’re paddlers.

In a big-box store, the guy who’s selling tires one day is going to try to sell you a kayak the next day. They don’t have any expertise at all.”

A kayak is an investment in fun, comfort and safety. It’s important to try before you buy. Most specialty shops offer demo days when prospective buyers can try a variety of boats, and beginners can get a quick lesson from someone like Stark.

For dealers whose stores are on the water — including the Kayak Centre in Wickford, Wildwood Outfitters in Wakefield, and King Cove Outfitters in Stonington — every day is demo day, weather permitting.

For fishermen, specialty shops that also sell tackle offer a variety of accessories, as do strictly-paddling shops, but recreational paddlers need few extras beyond a paddle and life jacket.

Other recommend safety equipment includes a compass for those times when fog blows in unexpectedly. A hand-held Global Positioning System also works, but it’s only as good as its batteries.

A whistle for alerting other boats is valuable, and so is a tow line when you or someone else needs help getting back to shore.

Dry suits are pricey but comforting in cold weather.

A pocket-size VHF marine radio also offers a sense of security — as long as its batteries are charged.

There are many good guidebooks about paddling the waters of Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Long Island Sound. The most thorough guide to Rhode Island’s paddling opportunities is Kayaking Narragansett Bay, A Precise Guide To 58 Launch Sites With Parking In Rhode Island by Ed Mullen. He is the first paddler to kayak the 250 miles of the Bay’s coast.

The book contains a description of each area, what it offers to a paddler, directions, and GPS coordinates. It is available at most paddling specialty shops.

tmeade@projo.com