Know
St. Pete boat show highlights post-storm purchasing shift
According to multiple vendors, high-end sales at the Gulf Coast’s largest boat show declined in 2025, potentially signaling a post-hurricane purchasing shift.
The 47th annual St. Petersburg Power and Sailboat Show took over the Mahaffey Theater Yacht Basin and Albert Whitted Park Thursday through Sunday (Jan. 16-19). Vendor opinions varied on whether attendance had increased or decreased from 2024, when an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 people attended the show.
The downtown waterfront still teemed with visitors ogling over 400 fishing and pleasure crafts, showcased in and out of the water. However, Jeff Schrier, a broker with OneWater Yacht Group, doesn’t believe as many were buyers, that back-to-back hurricanes in September and October had a lasting impact.
“There’s a lot of people saying, ‘I’m still fixing my house; I lost my house, and I don’t have a dock,’” Schrier said Saturday evening. “I definitely feel it. It was not like a typical show, and I’ve been here six or seven years.”
A 40,000-square-foot tent (white, right) housed hundreds of marine gear, equipment and accessory vendors.
He said most serious buyers attend the event’s first two days. Schrier called Thursday “dead” this year, said most of Friday was “slow” and believes attendance picked up Saturday. He planned for a “washout” Sunday due to storms.
Schrier noted the Dunedin-based OneWater company docked three yachts at the event, and will only bring one to a show in Naples next weekend. He said OneWater typically sells one displayed vessel, “which is still pretty good,” as price points ranged between $1.6 and $3 million.
Schrier also expects to garner dozens of leads from the event. “It’s important to have a yacht broker and see the boats,” he said. “Not having a yacht broker is like going to court without a lawyer. It’s like buying a house without a real estate agent.”
Aaron Jadallah, sales manager for Solution One Maritime, operates at the opposite end of the boat-buying spectrum. His Largo-based company sells inflatable boats and life rafts.
Jadallah called this year’s crowd “pretty decent” and comparable to 2024. He also believes people attend the show “more to learn than to buy.”
Jadallah noted Solution One also sells marine safety equipment, like emergency position indicating radio beacons (EPIRBs). “We try to educate people as much as we can, as opposed to sell as much as we can,” he added.
Two siblings seize an opportunity to climb into a new speedboat.
EPIRBs work in and outside the water and send a radio signal that helps rescue personnel locate people in emergencies. Jadallah said the devices and the company’s inflatable boats could provide invaluable assistance during extreme flooding.
He explained that a rigid inflatable boat (RIB), $3,100 without a motor, could easily fit in someone’s garage or truck. “When you need it, you blow it up and get in,” Jadallah said. “It keeps you out of the water.”
The 2025 boat show was Boateka’s first. The certified pre-owned boat dealer recently opened a in Clearwater location, its first in Tampa Bay.
Robbie Caron, director of marine retail, said the event helped spread brand awareness. It was also lucrative for Boateka, which offered sea trials.
Caron stood next to a line of sold boats that cost about 60% less than new models after two years. He noted many people lost their boats during the hurricanes and wanted to get “the most for their money” after receiving insurance payments.
“You can get a used boat with depreciation already factored in,” Caron said. “You’re saving a lot of money.”
JFA Yacht showcased one of the boat show’s most unique vessels in Albert Whitted Airport’s shadow. Shane Allen, a broker, called the futuristic-looking amphibious aircraft a “jet-ski with wings.”
An Icon A-5 amphibious light airplane.
He said the Icon A-5 weighs just 1,000 pounds, can reach altitudes of 13,000 feet and has a top air speed of 90 knots (103.6 mph). The light-sport airplane lifts off at 40 to 50 knots (57.5 mph) in the water.
The two-seat A-5 attracted curious crowds and features removable window panels and foldable wings. JFA’s listed price for a 2023 model with 108 operating hours was $480,000.
St. Petersburg became home to the first commercial flight in 1914 when Tony Jannus began ferrying passengers to Tampa in his seaplane. “I would say, with us (JFA Yacht) just starting an aviation division, that does factor into us being here,” Allen said.
Informa Markets U.S. Boat Shows, the event’s organizer, donated proceeds from ticket sales to Feeding Tampa Bay. The goal was to help residents still reeling from Helene and Milton.
