In an annual survey, conducted with 12,790 adult respondents in 2018, the most popular watersport activites in the United Kingdom (UK) were established. According to the survey, roughly 10 million people in the UK spent some leisure time at the beach in 2018. The number of beach goers has significantly increased in recent years, by more than 30 percent in four years. The next most popular activities are coastal walking and outdoor swimming.
Recreational boating
Around 690 thousand households in the UK own a boat, of which roughly half are either a canoe or a kayak and about a fifth are sailboats, followed by motor boats and windsurfers. Boating participation in the UK kept stable with slight fluctuation with approximately 7.3 percent of people in the UK going boating in 2018. The majority of boating in the UK takes place in the South East and West, followed by Scotland and the North West.
Swimming
Swimming participation has slightly decreased in England to roughly 4.5 million people who go swimming at least twice a month. However, overall in the UK, outdoor swimming participation has gradually increased from 4.2 million people in 2015 to 6.1 million people in 2018, who went swimming outdoors at least once during the year.
Leading outdoor watersport activities in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2018, by number of participants
(in 1,000)
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RYA, & British Marine . (April 9, 2019). Leading outdoor watersport activities in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2018, by number of participants (in 1,000) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved August 24, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/606772/outdoor-water-sports-activity-by-participation-united-kingdom/
RYA, und British Marine . "Leading outdoor watersport activities in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2018, by number of participants (in 1,000)." Chart. April 9, 2019. Statista. Accessed August 24, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/606772/outdoor-water-sports-activity-by-participation-united-kingdom/
RYA, British Marine . (2019). Leading outdoor watersport activities in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2018, by number of participants (in 1,000). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: August 24, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/606772/outdoor-water-sports-activity-by-participation-united-kingdom/
RYA, and British Marine . "Leading Outdoor Watersport Activities in The United Kingdom (Uk) in 2018, by Number of Participants (in 1,000)." Statista, Statista Inc., 9 Apr 2019, https://www.statista.com/statistics/606772/outdoor-water-sports-activity-by-participation-united-kingdom/
RYA & British Marine , Leading outdoor watersport activities in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2018, by number of participants (in 1,000) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/606772/outdoor-water-sports-activity-by-participation-united-kingdom/ (last visited August 24, 2024)
Leading outdoor watersport activities in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2018, by number of participants (in 1,000) [Graph], RYA, & British Marine , April 9, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/606772/outdoor-water-sports-activity-by-participation-united-kingdom/