A year on from the Reflections on Water survey, your experiences are helping to shape the future of sailing and boating. The insights you shared have underpinned our refreshed Together on Water strategy and are informing our day-to-day work across the RYA.

From the benefits of time afloat to the barriers that can keep people ashore, your responses have helped us understand what matters to our members, our network and the wider sailing community. Here, we look back at the findings and how they are informing our ambitions to help more people take part, more often.

More than 5,500 people took part in the RYA’s largest open study to date, sharing their experiences of sailing and boating, how they access time on the water, and what helps – or hinders – participation and engagement across the UK.

Delivered as part of the RYA’s 2025 Reflections on Water campaign, the survey captured a picture of life afloat and ashore, highlighting what is working well and where there are opportunities for change.

Life satisfaction

The survey found a strong connection between boating and wellbeing, with boaters reporting higher levels of life satisfaction than active adults in the wider population. It also told us that people love being on the water. Respondents often described it as their “happy place” where “life is always better afloat” and “time on the water is never wasted time”.

• The biggest motivations were spending time outdoors/in nature (97%), enjoyment (95%) and freedom/independence (93%).

• Overall satisfaction with sailing/boating was high, averaging 7.98 out of 10, with consistently high ratings across activities.

• More regular participation is linked with higher life satisfaction.

• Individuals who take part in more than one role (e.g. participant & volunteer) reported the highest satisfaction levels.

Barriers to participation

While people were generally motivated, satisfied and engaged, constraints often limited participation. More than half of respondents (58%) said they were less involved than they had hoped to be at the time of the survey results.

The most common barriers were:

• Time pressures and family commitments

• The demands of work or study

• Poor or unsuitable weather

• Health concerns

Affordability and access to blue spaces also emerged as important themes, while for some people, inclusion was an issue.

Community & volunteering

Enjoyment, challenge and social connection were identified as strong drivers for involvement in community and volunteering activity, and a sense of ‘belonging’ emerged as a notable lever for retention and growth.

• A significant minority take part outside clubs or organised settings, and satisfaction is just as high there as it is in organised environments.

• Over three quarters (77%) said they feel they belong in their club or activity, with ‘belonging’ strongly linked to multi-role involvement.

• Volunteering is mostly choice-led and community-driven, but a third of non-volunteers (32%) said they had simply not been asked.

• Women who are engaged in boating volunteer slightly more regularly than men but also report greater time/inclusion pressure.

Opportunities ahead

The findings suggest that wellbeing is one of the biggest engagement opportunities alongside access offering significant potential to help more people take part, more often.

Looking to the future, supporting growth might include making the most of this messaging while reducing practical barriers, supporting clubs and volunteers, and strengthening inclusivity and accessibility.

Together on Water: Continued Progress

In September 2026, the RYA launched our refreshed Together on Water strategy which used insights from the Reflections on Water survey alongside other pieces of research, to help inform our ambitions for the future.

We look forward to supporting our community, networks and all those who take part in activity on the water with the 2026 Connected Conferences focusing on creating a future ready network.

"Thank you again to all those who contributed to this survey - listening to our network and everyone on the water remains vital to our work to remove the barriers that still prevent others from experiencing the joy and benefits of being connected to the water." - Ed Harper, RYA Head of Brand & Insight.

Read more about the RYA's Together on Water strategy.