The booming watersports and marine industry in the UK will be riding the crest of a wave next year - helped by celebrities like Carol Vorderman taking up paddleboarding.

Organisers of the 2022 All Wales Boat and Leisure Show are expecting a bumper crowd of 6,000 visitors to attend the event which they say can help kick start the recovery following the slump caused by the Covid-19.

The show is moving undercover to Venue Cymru in Llandudno and will take place earlier in the year than usual, on the weekend of February 5 and 6.

Davina Carey-Evans, the managing director of event organisers Sbarc, said: “This will be the biggest celebration of watersports in Wales and is a must-visit event for boat owners and watersport lovers.

“The marine sector is growing faster in Wales than any other part of the UK and watersports generate an annual tourism spend of more than £300 million.

“Much of that is generated by boating enthusiasts and it’s estimated that 25,000 trailer boats of all sizes are pulled along the A55 every year.

“But increasingly we are seeing a huge increase in other watersports, from the success of surfing at Adventure Parc Snowdonia to canoeing, kayaking, windsurfing and now paddleboarding.

“The show will reflect that rich diversity of sports that are enjoyed not just along our coastline and in the seven marinas we have along the North Wales coast but on our rivers, canals and lakes.

“Wherever you are in Wales you’re never far from the water and the show will reflect that and the many ways you can enjoy yourself on that water.

“North Wales is also home to some of the very best outdoor facilities from stunning coastlines to inland lakes and rugged, challenging mountains.

The All Wales Boat and Leisure Show will be in its eighth year, having previously been held outdoors in Conwy, Pwllheli and on Anglesey and is timed to catch watersports enthusiasts before the season gets properly under way.

There will be a host of boating and watersport activity providers at the event and the chance for visitors to get their hands on everything from boats to surfboards with exhibitors including Training Centres, Sales and Repair, Marinas, Chandlery, Leisure Parks, as well as have a go sessions and workshops.

There is expected to be plenty of interest in the growth sports such as windsurfing and particularly stand-up paddleboarding, Wales’s lockdown boom sport of the summer with numbers up by 70 per cent to 180,000 this year, according to a former international yachtsman and watersports expert.

Alistair Dickson, who has won sailing gold medals at World, European and British Championships, is now chief executive of Canoe Wales - and a fan of the breakout sport of 2021.

Paddleboarding has attracted its share of celebrity devotees – ex-Countdown queen Carol Vorderman has been pictured trying it out in a figure-hugging wetsuit on a West Wales holiday this summer - while Torquay lifeguard Brendon Prince set a record for paddleboarding from Land’s End to John O’Groats.

The show will have a section devoted to stand-up paddleboarding and Alistair, from Llandudno, a former Performance Director at the Royal Yachting Association, takes to the waters of the Menai Straits with friends every week.

He said: “Paddleboarding is so accessible – you can fit one in or on the car and you can get started easily because it is relatively simple to master.

“It’s a big growth area – people have been cooped up for 18 months and they are looking to get out and about and we’re also seeing a big increase in numbers canoeing and kayaking.”

Anglesey motorboat specialist Dulas Boats, based at Dinas, near Moelfre, stocked paddleboards for the first time this year and have seen them almost sell out.

Alwyn Rowlands, who started the business with his father almost 50 years ago, said: “They’ve gone very well – they’re a really good way to get onto the water.

“Kayaks used to be the thing and they’re great but they’re heavy. A paddleboard you can carry in a rucksack or a bag and just pump it up and off you go.

“It’s important that you have the right safety gear of course but they’re a great introduction to watersports and they’re relatively cheap. It’s great to see people taking it up.”

Davina Carey-Evans added: “There is something out there for everyone and we are aiming to showcase that at the show which has been moved to a new date, in February, and a new venue, Venue Cymru, in Llandudno.

“We’ve weatherproofed it by holding it indoors at Venue Cymru but the sea is just outside our doors which makes it an ideal home for the show which aims to connect the boating industry and services from across the UK with water sports enthusiasts and anyone who has a passion for the great outdoors.

“It’s family-friendly and will feature a huge range of exhibitors, events and activities where you can have a go too.”

A James Bond-style amphibious craft that uses four-wheel drive to enter and leave the sea will be making its European debut in North Wales.

The £220,000 AMP rib will be among the stars of the All Wales Boat and Leisure Show at the Anglesey Showground from Thursday, May 30, to Saturday, June 1.

It is being brought there by Pwllheli and Southampton-based Ideal Boat who have designed bespoke versions of the high-powered vessel with Ocean Craftmarine who specialise in making rigid inflatables for the military and law enforcement agencies worldwide.

Ideal Boat will also be showcasing some of their other impressive brands like Chaparral, Finnmaster, Husky, Robalo, Spectre and Capelli.

According to managing director Neville Williams, 44, who founded the company in 2012, they have been crowned international dealer of the year by American boat makers Chaparral every year since 2014.

He said: “Chaparral is a fantastic company. They are the biggest selling, number one sports boat brand in the UK & USA, and I am very proud that outside the USA we are their biggest and most successful dealer.

“This year we will be unveiling our new brand, AMP, which is a collaboration with Ocean Craftmarine. Their parent company Solico also produces 90 per cent of the world’s snowboards and wakeboards.

“They’re amphibious ribs with wheels on legs that drop down and they drive out of the sea and straight up the beach.

“Most of their marine products are made for the military and special services, as well as for navies worldwide.

“We gave them a specification and they have made different versions of the AMP for us, ranging in price from £156,000 to £300,000 including VAT.

“It’s a quality rigid inflatable boat with seating that can cope with bad seas if necessary and has an onboard 35 horsepower Vanguard engine as well as the 4wd hydraulic legs which enables you to drive on dry land. It’s very James Bond, it’s very glamorous and a lot of fun.

“The AMP will be making its first-ever appearance anywhere at the All Wales Boat and Leisure Show.

“Although they have not arrived in the country yet, I have a number of them already sold, so I am expecting them to be very popular.

He added: “The All Wales Boat and Leisure Show is a great event and the Anglesey Showground is the perfect location.

“It’s bang in the middle of Anglesey, its surrounded by holiday parks and the sea. That’s why people go there. You’ve got your audience there and it’s going to be the school holidays.”

Organiser Davina Carey-Evans, managing director of Beaumaris-based Sbarc Event Management, revealed the marine sector is growing faster in Wales than any other part of the UK and boating generates an annual tourism spend of £282 million.

Anglesey is also popular with surfers and scuba divers, who pump £7.8 million into the local economy.

Davina, who has previously been involved with marine events such as the One Ton Cup, a world-renowned sailing event which was based in Pwllheli in 2001 and the annual Round Anglesey Race, said: “The All-Wales Boat Show has evolved and grown and the 2019 event will also include a strong leisure element, with holiday parks like The Warren in Abersoch and Plas Coch on Anglesey being represented.

“Moving the show to Anglesey showground will hopefully be a catalyst for our plan to turn the island into a major events hub.

“We certainly have all the right ingredients. Anglesey is already a destination for 1.8 million visitors every year looking for things to see and do while, the venue is ideal, with 3000 square metres of undercover buildings, parking for 3,000 vehicles and excellent accessibility as it’s just off the A5 and A55.

“The show will connect together industry leaders in boat and leisure products and services across Wales, with not only fishing and boating enthusiasts but all those that have a passion for the great outdoors. T

“It will be a family friendly and an engaging event with the opportunity to discover a huge range of exhibitors, show events and activities where you can have a go too.

“The show will be a must-visit for event boat owners, watersport-lovers or families looking for a great day out and there is also a glamping site for those who want to stay overnight.”

The event also has the backing of Jim Jones, the managing director of North Wales Tourism.

He said: "Maritime tourism is on the up here because North Wales generally and Anglesey specifically has so much to offer. It's second to none.

“We already have fantastic attractions on the Menai Strait, including RibRide and the brilliant facilities at the National Outdoor Centre for Wales, Plas Menai, which excels in delivering the ultimate in water sports courses and outdoor adventure activities.

“North Wales is undoubtedly the European capital of adventure tourism and marine tourism is a big part of that.

“There is so much confidence in the industry, so much investment going into North Wales, and we're now reaping the rewards.

“The plan to stage the All-Wales Boat and Leisure Show at the Anglesey Showground heralds another economic boost for the region and underlines that we are now in a golden age for tourism.”

A major maritime-themed show will spearhead ambitious plans to transform Anglesey into the events capital of North Wales.

Tourism chiefs have hailed news that the All-Wales Boat and Leisure Show is coming to the Anglesey Showground as an economic boost for the island.

The event from Thursday, May 30, to Saturday, June 1, is expected to attract boat lovers from across the UK.

It’s grown out of the All-Wales Boat Show that’s previously been staged in Conwy and Pwllheli.

According to organiser Davina Carey-Evans, managing director of Beaumaris-based Sbarc Event Management, the showground is a great venue with huge potential to be developed while Anglesey is the perfect setting.

The marine sector is growing faster in Wales than any other part of the UK and boating generates an annual tourism spend of £282 million.

Anglesey is also popular with surfers and scuba divers, who pump £7.8 million into the local economy.

Davina, who has previously been involved with marine events such as the One Ton Cup, a world-renowned sailing event which was based in Pwllheli in 2001 and the annual Round Anglesey Race, said: “The All-Wales Boat Show has evolved and grown and the 2019 event will also include a strong leisure element.

"The marine sector is growing faster in Wales than any other part of the UK and boating generates an annual tourism spend of £282 million"

“Moving the show to Anglesey showground will hopefully be a catalyst for our plan to turn the island into a major events hub.

“We certainly have all the right ingredients. Anglesey is already a destination for 1.8 million visitors every year looking for things to see and do while, the venue is ideal, with 3000 square metres of undercover buildings, parking for 3,000 vehicles and excellent accessibility as it’s just off the A5 and A55.

“The show will connect together industry leaders in boat and leisure products and services across Wales, with not only watersport and boating enthusiasts but all those that have a passion for the great outdoors.

“The level of interest from the marine sector is unprecedented for the next event, with over 17 of the best-known brands already signed up. Among them are Robalo, Bayliner, Finnmaster, and Ocean Master, to name a few". 

“Anglesey is already a mecca for water sports that are surrounded by 146 miles of brilliant coastline"

“We’re aiming for the enthusiasts in the middle of the market, we’re not going for the high-end multi-millionaire yachtsmen or women.

“This event is designed for the people who tow their boats behind their cars, not to mention the kayakers, surfers, wakeboarders and scuba divers. These are the people who do it for the fun of it.

“It’s going to be a must-visit for boat owners, water sport-lovers or families looking for a great day out.

“Eighty 80 per cent of the people who come to Anglesey are repeat visitors, which means they probably have access to a boat and certainly have access to the water with all the available slipways.

"I'm really excited by the potential of the event and how it can be the start of something even bigger.”

It was a sentiment endorsed by Phil Scott, who is chair of the Destination Anglesey Partnership and a Director of the award-winning RibRide Adventure Boat Tours, who are based in Menai Bridge.
He said: “Anglesey is defined by its coastline so this is the perfect place for the event to be held.

“We're also very lucky to have Snowdon very close to us, and we always think of Anglesey as the best place to visit Snowdonia from.

“RibRide has just recently been honoured as the best tourist attraction in North Wales at the Go North Wales Tourism Awards and we have also been named as the number one boat tour in the UK on Trip Advisor.

“The success that we’re enjoying is a good pointer to the huge potential of staging the All-Wales Boat and Leisure Show here on Anglesey.” Jim Jones, the Managing Director of North Wales Tourism, is equally excited.

He said: "Maritime tourism is on the up here because North Wales generally and Anglesey specifically has so much to offer. It's second to none.

“We already have fantastic attractions on the Menai Strait, including bride and the brilliant facilities at the National Outdoor Centre for Wales, Plas Menai, which excels in delivering the ultimate in water sports courses and outdoor adventure activities. 

“North Wales is undoubtedly the European capital of adventure tourism and marine tourism is a big part of that.

“There is so much confidence in the industry, so much investment going into North Wales, and we're now reaping the rewards.

“The plan to stage the All-Wales Boat and Leisure Show at the Anglesey Showground heralds another economic boost for the region and underlines that we are now in a golden age for tourism.”

The All Wales Boat Show is sailing back into Conwy Quays Marina on 9 to 11 June 2017, and with new sponsors and event partners on board it promises to be even bigger and better.

The Show, is the only event that promotes Wales’ marine leisure industry. The All Wales Boat Show takes place from Friday 9 June to Sunday 11 June at Conwy Quays Marina.

For the first time the land based part of the Show will be free to enter which will appeal to people wanting the coastal lifestyle, whether they be boat owners, watersport lovers or families looking for a great day out. The Show will continue to be fully interactive with exclusive experiences that can’t be found anywhere else, with visitors having the chance to discover a huge range of exhibitors, show events and activities, including plenty of opportunities to have a go themselves.

Davina Carey-Evans, organiser said: “Although the Show has been a growing success from day one, we decided to take a year out in 2016 in order to review every aspect and focus on giving it a fresh approach. During that year we visited other boat shows across the UK and realised the All Wales Boat Show is an event to be immensely proud of and with incredible support from the Welsh Marine Industry, this year’s show will be 30% bigger, and I am delighted that the majority of this increase is from businesses in Wales. Boating, watersports and coastal living to sustainable coastal holidays and marine conservation – the range of exhibitors is so diverse that we really will have something for everyone. Whether you want to own a boat from say Hanse, Brig or Chaparral, enjoy a coastal holiday or take part in one of the many watersport activities, this is an event not to miss.”