Actually, I expected Kelowna would be No. 1 on this list, but it instead comes in at No. 4.
It's the 2024 list of 'the top 10 most popular locations in Canada for boating.'
While Kelowna is certainly a boating mecca, it ranked behind No. 1 Toronto, No. 2 Vancouver and No. 3 Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue.
You've certainly heard of Toronto on sea-like Lake Ontario and Vancouver on the Pacific Ocean. But, how did Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue get on the list?
Most of us have never even heard of it.
But, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue is at the western tip of Montreal (which we definitely know) and it makes sense that it would be a boating hotspot because it's on the massive St. Lawrence River.
The list was compiled by GetMyBoat (https://www.getmyboat.com/), which bills itself as the Airbnb of boats and the world's largest boat rental marketplace.
The rankings on the list are based on boat rental data from GetMyBoat, such as demand for and number of rentals and other information about local boating culture.
The report also pointed out that with 8.6 million registered boats in Canada, this country is second only to the US for the number of vessels.
It also recognizes boating is a beloved recreational activity in Canada spanning various types, budget and locations.
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For instance, you can cruise, pontoon, sail, sightsee, swim, snorkel, waterski, wakeboard, wakesurf, parasail, fish, whale watch and houseboat.
Now that we've gone through the methodology, it's not surprising Toronto, Vancouver and that suburb of Montreal are Nos. 1, 2, 3.
All three are massive metropolitan areas with huge populations to draw from to enjoy boating on major bodies of water.
But, Kelowna in No. 4 is still a coup.
Our population is 250,000, which is big, but not huge compared to Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal.
Kelowna also certainly also gets a lot of tourists who love to get out on water.
And while 135-kilometre-long Okanagan Lake is spectacular and pristine and perfect for boating and water play, it is definitely not as big as Lake Ontario, the Pacific Ocean or the St. Lawrence River.
GetMyBoat's list expanded on Kelowna's No. 4 ranking with details such as the most popular style of boat to rent is a wakeboat, which tends to have an hourly rental rate of $91 and an average trip price of $493.
GetMyBoat's blurb about Kelowna goes like this: "Kelowna is a prime boating location on Okanagan Lake's eastern shore due to its warm lake waters and surrounding Okanagan Valley. This area is beloved for its vineyards and wineries and stunning landscapes that surround the retion. Okanagan Lake is particularly popular with water sports enthusiasts, reinforced by the fact the most popular style of boat to rent here are wakeboats and bowriders, the ideal vessels for wakeboarding, waterskiing, tubing and other fun activities. There are many waterfront restaurants on the lake, making Kelowna a prime location for a dock-and-dine experience, too."
Meantime, the most popular boat rental type in Toronto, Vancouver and Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue are yachts with average hourly rates of $259, $295 and $159, respectively.
See the full list on the map below.
Thumbnail photos by GetMyBoat and Oliver Sjostrom on Unsplash
