Boating Industry Insider Podcast

For years, pontoons were one of the recreational boating industry’s brightest success stories - drawing new buyers, expanding well beyond their traditional family-cruising roots and delivering strong growth for manufacturers and dealers alike. But lately, that momentum has slowed. So what happened, and more importantly, what happens next? In this episode of Boating Industry Insider, David Gee sits down with Polaris Marine Pre...

What does it take to become the best marine retailer in North America? In this episode of Boating Industry Insider, David Gee speaks with FJ Frazier, chief operating officer of Gage Marine, the reigning Boating Industry Top 100 Dealer of the Year. We explore the culture, training, employee benefits and operational discipline behind the company’s success, along with the value of participating in the Top 100 program. FJ also ex...

Let’s discuss opportunities for women in the recreational boating industry, the importance of mentors and champions, and how today’s leaders can help grow and support the next generation of marine industry talent. David Gee’s guest on this edition of Boating Industry Insider is Christine Carlson McKone, Vice President of Marketing for Volvo Penta. She has built a career that has taken her from marketing communicat...

In the marine market right now, the top-performing dealers aren't just doing a little better - they're doing a lot better. The gap between the best stores and everyone else is widening, and it's not about budget or market size. It comes down to a handful of operational habits that high performers execute consistently - and how smartly they spend their digital marketing dollars. The dealers winning right now aren't doing anything ex...

Artificial intelligence is already changing the way customers research, compare and buy. So why are so many recreational boating dealers still reluctant to use it? In this episode of Boating Industry Insider, David Gee talks to Anthem Marine founder and CEO Mark Overbye to unpack the boating industry’s hesitation around AI, the mistaken belief that it automatically makes communication feel fake, and the very real risk of fall...

Let’s be honest, if you’re a recreational boat dealer, the rise of boat clubs like Freedom can feel less like opportunity and more like competition. In this edition of Boating Industry Insider, host David Gee sits down with Cecil Cohn, President of Freedom Boat Club, to dig into what’s really happening beneath the surface - explosive growth, strong member retention, a surge in female participation, and one stat th...

Here’s a special episode recorded live at the Boating Industry Elevate Summit. Boating Industry Insider host David Gee sits down with Boating Industry’s Mover and Shaker of the Year and Sea Ray President Keith Yunger for an honest, unscripted conversation about leadership, momentum, dealer relationships, and what it really takes to move a legacy brand forward in a changing market. We talk about navigating uncertainty, b...

In this episode of Boating Industry Insider we’re taking a clear-eyed look at the finance side of the recreational boating business, from floor plans and interest rates to dealer cash flow and consumer demand. Joining host David Gee is Russell Baqir, Senior Vice President of Business Development at Northpoint Commercial Finance, someone who helps dealers and OEMs navigate every economic cycle. The conversation took place at I...

Sunny Florida. In January. Beautiful conference resort hotel. Disney Springs and theme parks. And the chance to connect, collaborate, cultivate and celebrate in an exclusive, intimate community. Attending the Boating Industry Elevate summit conference January 18-20 in Orlando will not only get your business off to a great start in 2026, but you can help to propel the entire recreational boating industry forward. Need some more reas...

On this episode of Boating Industry Insider, we sit down with Jeremy Bale, senior brand manager at KICKER Marine Audio – a guy who knows about sound on the water. We dig into what boat buyers expect today, how audio has become a core part of the on-water experience and what KICKER is doing to grow while keeping dealers (and their customers) grinning. If you love boats, audio, tech or just a good behind-the-scenes conversation...

Fresh from IBEX, we’re bringing you an episode of Boating Industry Insider featuring Áine Denari, president of Navico Group, and chief technology officer at Brunswick Corporation. As Simrad unveils an autonomous docking innovation, Áine explains how it advances Brunswick’s ACES strategy—Autonomy, Connectivity, Electrification, and Shared access. We also take a broader look at today’s recreational boating cli...

Charting the Future of Marine Innovation with new IBEX Show Director Mary Velline. In this episode of Boating Industry Insider, David Gee focuses on one of the most important events in our industry - IBEX - the International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition & Conference, held October 7-9 in Tampa, Florida. IBEX is the leading marine technology trade show, bringing together boat builders, suppliers, designers, and innovators to sh...

Let's talk horsepower. Outboard horsepower that is, and Mercury Marine's brand new V10 425hp motor to be more specific. Joining the conversation with Boating Industry Insider host David Gee is John Buelow, the President of Mercury Marine. The two were recently together In Tampa for the press introduction of the new outboard. They not only discuss specifics of this latest product, and where it fits in the lineup, but also the compan...

What happens when tariffs bite, consumer confidence wavers, and boat sales stall? In this episode of Boating Industry Insider, David Gee talks with Anthem Marine CEO and serial boat building entrepreneur Mark Overbye to unpack and discuss the choppy waters currently rocking the recreational boating market. From rising inventory to tougher conversations on the sales floor, we tackle the pressing challenges dealers and manufacturers ...

How much do you think about your marine insurance? A little? A lot? For many marine businesses it represents your second largest cost, right behind payroll. In this edition of Boating Industry Insider, you'll hear a discussion about all aspects of insurance for your business from how often you should audit your coverage, to adverse weather, workers' comp and even how tariffs can impact your business. Host David Gee is joined by Jef...

Radian IoT and Northpoint Commercial Finance have begun a pilot program using Radian’s GPS telematics tracking technology to test the delivery of real-time insights into OEM inventory-level management, production trends and delivery timelines. To hear more, Boating Industry Insider host David Gee is joined by Northpoint Vice President of Marine Operations Gary Childress and Radian IoT President Scott Crutchfield. The pair say...

Inflation. Interest rates. Consumer confidence. Boat shows. Advocacy for the recreational boating industry, in Washington, and at the grassroots level. Growing the next generation of boaters. The outlook for the 2025 selling season. Those topics - and more - are all on the agenda as Boating Industry Insider host David Gee is joined by Ellen Bradley, SVP, marketing and communications and chief brand officer, National Marine Manufact...

From kayaks to cruise ships. Roger Moore, aka 007, the dealer principal of Nautical Ventures, the recently-crowned Boating Industry Top 100 Dealer of the Year award winner, says you can buy just about anything that floats from them. And they even sell a few things that can go under the water, instead of on top of it. However, they constantly emphasize to staff that what they really sell is fun. In this interesting, insightful conve...

100,000 attendees, 1,000 boats and a billion dollars in economic impact. That is the Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show and Boating Industry Insider host David Gee interviews some of the biggest names there. Join him along with Brenna Preisser, EVP, President, Brunswick Boat Group, Aine Denari, President, Navico Group and Brunswick Chief Technology Officer, Ryan Martin, Marine Category Lead, Honda Marine, and sales stat...