The Outdoor Foundation regularly conducts research about US participation in outdoor recreation. They recently published the 2019 Special Report on Paddlesports & Safety.
Here are some of the highlights of the report:
In 2018, just shy of 23 million Americans, or 7.6 percent of the U.S. population, took to rivers, streams, lakes and oceans to participate in at least one paddling activity.
Recreational kayak continues to grow in popularity, while canoeing is facing a slight decline. Stand Up Paddling, while a much smaller percentage paddlesports overall, continues to see modest growth.

Recreational kayaking appeals nearly equally to both males and females. And while White/Caucasians continue to form the bulk of paddlers, participation by Hispanics has increased three percent since 2015, That represents 773,000 new participants in six years.


Not surprisingly, the reasons for wanting to paddle differ by age. Older adults (those 55+) cite "exercise" as their top motivation, whereas twenty-somethings tend to do it for "excitement and adventure."
To download a copy of the Outdoor Foundation's full report, go here.