Kalkomey Commissions Southwick Associates for First-Ever Study of Online Boater Education Effectiveness—Results Show Lasting Knowledge Retention

RICHARDSON, TX (June 11, 2026) — A study by Southwick Associates confirmed that Kalkomey Enterprises' online boater education courses significantly increase students’ boating confidence and create lasting knowledge of safety protocols. Kalkomey is the first and only online boater education provider to commission an impartial, third-party study on the outcome of its courses. The study found that Kalkomey boater education students reported a 25% increase in confidence in their ability to safely operate a motorboat, scored an average of 88.5% on a safety knowledge evaluation administered up to six months after course completion, and overwhelmingly reported changes in real-world safety behavior. Kalkomey is the leading provider of outdoor safety education and government program administration in North America.

Southwick Associates, a market research and economics firm with more than 35 years of experience in the outdoor recreation industry, conducted the study impartially on behalf of Kalkomey. The research evaluated both of Kalkomey's online boater education course formats: the Boat-Ed™ standard course and the ilearntoboat™ interactive course.

Southwick Associates Study Details

Southwick Associates surveyed 764 adults across more than 40 U.S. states who had completed a Kalkomey boater education course within the prior six months. The online survey was fielded from January 13 to February 12, 2026. Of those respondents, 483 had completed the Boat-Ed standard course and 281 had completed the ilearntoboat interactive course. Statistical testing was performed at the 95% confidence level to compare learning outcomes between the two course formats.

About the Kalkomey Boater Education Courses

Kalkomey is the only boater safety education provider that develops online courses, eBooks, and print materials on behalf of government boating and boater safety agencies across North America. Kalkomey's National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) compliant boater education courses have certified millions of boaters for more than 30 years, making Kalkomey the most established and widely used online boater education provider in the United States.

The Boat-Ed standard course is Kalkomey's original online boater education format, with more than two decades of use by state agencies and their residents. Boat-Ed delivers comprehensive safety content alongside periodic knowledge checks to reinforce learning throughout the course. Boat-Ed has the longest track record of any online boater education course in the country, and its curriculum has been refined continuously based on student performance data, agency feedback, and evolving NASBLA standards.

The iLearnToBoat course is Kalkomey’s scenario-based learning experience designed to build applied decision-making skills and is approved by both NASBLA and the United States Coast Guard as an interactive boater education format. The ilearntoboat course uses real-world boating scenarios, immersive decision-based challenges, and a game-like narrative experience to teach boating safety through applied learning rather than passive reading. The ilearntoboat interactive format is designed to engage a new generation of boaters, and the Southwick study confirms that it resonates particularly well with students under 35.
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Students Showed Higher Confidence and Preparedness

Kalkomey boater education students rated their confidence in safely operating a motorboat at 7.2 out of 10 before taking a course. After completion, Kalkomey students rated their confidence at 9.1 out of 10, representing a 25% increase. More than 80% of Kalkomey boater education students reported feeling well prepared or fully prepared to operate a motorboat without supervision after completing the course. There was no statistically significant difference in confidence between Boat-Ed students and ilearntoboat students.
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Students Retained Knowledge on Safety Questions

Kalkomey boater education students scored an average of 88.5% on a 10-question boater safety evaluation. Southwick Associates administered this evaluation up to six months after students completed their Kalkomey course, demonstrating that Kalkomey's boater education courses produce durable knowledge retention. Boat-Ed students scored 88.6% and ilearntoboat students scored 88.2%, with no statistically significant difference between the two Kalkomey course formats.
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Students Feel More Prepared to Operate a Boat

More than 80% of Kalkomey boater education students agreed that the course made them more likely to follow safety protocols while boating. More than 75% of Kalkomey students agreed the course helped them recognize and avoid hazards they would not have identified before taking the course.
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Students are More Likely to Share with Friends and Family

Kalkomey boater education courses earned a Net Promoter Score of 61.5, well above the threshold of 50 that generally indicates strong customer satisfaction. More than 70% of Kalkomey students qualified as promoters, meaning they would recommend the course to others. Approximately 65% of students described their course as somewhat or very engaging, and more than 83% found it somewhat or very informative. More than three-quarters of students also reported sharing the safety knowledge they learned with friends or family, extending the impact of boating safety education beyond the individual participant and into the broader boating community.
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Both Kalkomey Course Formats Are Effective

The Southwick Associates study found that the Boat-Ed standard course and the ilearntoboat interactive course performed comparably across all major measures of effectiveness, including confidence, knowledge retention, preparedness, and satisfaction. Younger students under 35 showed a preference for the ilearntoboat interactive format, while students 55 and older preferred the Boat-Ed standard format. These findings support Kalkomey's approach of offering both course formats so that every boater education student can choose the style that works best for them.

"Every state agency that approves an online boater education provider is making a commitment to their residents that the course actually works,”  said Blake Clark, CEO of Kalkomey Enterprises. "Until now, no provider in this category has invested in third-party evidence of what that means in practice. These results change that. Our courses are building confident boaters who retain what they learn and change their behavior on the water—and we can prove it. We'll keep investing to push that standard further, including with Boat-Ed+, our next-generation scenario-based experience."

What This Means for Boaters

For anyone searching for the best online boater education course, the Southwick Associates study provides impartial, third-party evidence that Kalkomey's Boat-Ed and ilearntoboat courses are very effective. Kalkomey boater education students don't just pass a test; they retain critical safety knowledge months after completing the course, they change their real-world behavior on the water, and they share what they learn with the people around them.

Whether a boater prefers the proven, straightforward Boat-Ed standard format or the scenario-driven ilearntoboat interactive experience, Kalkomey offers a state-approved path to boater certification that produces confident, well-prepared boaters and contributes to safer waterways for everyone. With NASBLA-compliant courses available in more than 40 states, Kalkomey boater education is the most widely available and validated online boater education option in the United States.

To Read The Whole Study Click Here
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About Kalkomey Enterprises

For more than 30 years, Kalkomey has partnered with government agencies and outdoor organizations to help people participate in outdoor recreation safely, confidently, and responsibly.

Founded in 1995, Kalkomey is a leading provider of online recreational safety education, supporting nearly one million outdoor enthusiasts each year through regulatory-approved education programs, agency technology solutions, and mobile applications.

Kalkomey’s mission is to connect people to the outdoors through education, technology, and safety-focused experiences that prepare them for confident participation. By working alongside state, provincial, and federal partners, the company helps make outdoor recreation more accessible while promoting safety, compliance, and long-term stewardship of natural resources.

About Southwick Associates

Southwick Associates helps organizations make better decisions through better information. With a specialty in the hunting, fishing, boating, and outdoor recreation sectors, since 1990 they have served a wide range of outdoor-oriented clients, including outdoor manufacturers, natural resource agencies, conservation non-profits, investment and legal firms. Southwick Associates has been recognized as the outdoor sector’s premier source of new knowledge.

Media Contact:
Megan Wood
Kalkomey Enterprises
Richardson, TX
pr@kalkomey.com

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