Wave Maker Craft highlights flooring updates as used boats dominate U.S. sales

With pre-owned boats accounting for 79.7% of U.S. unit sales in 2025, Wave Maker Craft is framing flooring updates as a practical way for Lake of the Ozarks owners to improve boats they already plan to keep. The company says focused projects can address comfort, traction, cleanup, and wear without requiring a full overhaul.

Why it matters: - Pre-owned boats represented 79.7% of total U.S. boat unit sales in 2025, showing that most buyers are staying in the used-boat market. - For owners who plan to keep the boat they already have, flooring updates can improve the spaces used most often without changing the whole vessel. - Common wear points like carpet, foam, vinyl, and deck surfaces can affect comfort and day-to-day use even when the boat still fits the owner’s needs.

What happened: - Wave Maker Craft is now serving Lake of the Ozarks boat owners with custom boat-flooring projects. - The company is discussing flooring updates as a practical option for owners who want to keep enjoying boats already in their slip, on a lift, or on a trailer. - The conversation comes as the National Marine Manufacturers Association reported 867,059 pre-owned boats sold in the U.S. in 2025, with a market value of $10.8 billion. - New boats made up the remaining 20.3% of total U.S. boat unit sales in 2025.

The details: - Wave Maker Craft works with Flexiteek and Infinity Luxury Woven Vinyl. - The company helps owners define project areas and discuss design and material choices. - The company also plans installations around how each boat is used. - Project decisions often start with specific spaces such as the cockpit, swim platform, boarding area, or other high-traffic deck areas. - Owners may weigh wet traffic, direct sun, coolers, pets, food and drinks, traction, comfort underfoot, cleanup, access to the boat, and project timing. - Paul Skinner, owner of Wave Maker Craft, said many owners want to keep the boat they have and make sure it still works well for how they use it. - Skinner said a flooring project is about the surfaces people see and use every time they step aboard, not a claim that every boat needs a complete overhaul. - Skinner said owners are also considering how a surface will feel underfoot, how it will perform in everyday use, how it fits the boat, and whether the project makes sense for family time at the Lake. - Boat owners can learn more or start a project conversation at wavemakercraft.com.

Between the lines: - The pitch is less about replacement and more about targeted upgrades. - That approach fits a market where used boats dominate and owners may prefer to refresh the most visible and most-used areas instead of buying new. - The emphasis on material choice, surface feel, and daily use suggests flooring is being positioned as a functional improvement, not just a cosmetic one.

What's next: - Wave Maker Craft is likely to keep focusing on customized flooring projects for local owners who want to extend the life of boats they already own. - Owners considering an update will likely begin with a project-area discussion before choosing materials and installation timing. - The company’s site is the starting point for more information and project conversations.