Fort Walton Beach and Destin rank in the Top 10 for most popular cities for boating
OKALOOSA COUNTY — In a recent report from getmyboat.com, a boat rental marketplace, Fort Walton Beach and Destin ranked among the Top 10 boating cities in Florida, with Destin ranking fourth and Fort Walton Beach one spot behind in fifth.
According to the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), Florida has the most registered boats of any state in the country, with over 8% percent of all registered boats. Florida also leads the country in boat sales, with over $4.3 billion in sales in 2020
The data that formed the rankings were provided by getmyboat.com and used recent boat rental data accumulated on the website showing which city boat owners registered their watercraft.
According to 2023 data from the website, the average hourly rate for a boat rental in Destin was $142 per hour, with a total trip price averaging $651. In Fort Walton Beach, hourly rates and total trip prices were lower, at $110 per hour and $530 per trip.
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The most popular boats to rent in both cities were pontoons, with Crab Island and the Intracoastal Waterway cited as top spots for renters.
The other locations in the Top 10 are Miami, Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Clearwater, Holmes Beach, Cape Coral, St. Petersburg and Sarasota.
This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Destin and Fort Walton Beach place within the Top 5 boating cities
