Jet Ski Buying Crash Course

[TexasBob]

Toying with the idea of a Jet Ski. Trying to see what I would have to spend to get one. What brands, size, etc are best and more importantly what main features to look for. what is a lot of hours? Can any of them be used in saltwater a couple times a year (with galvanized trailer)?

[TreyRo]

We had polaris forever and a few seadoo sprinkled in. I've worked on most of them.

Really any of them brand wise are fine if you are shopping late model: Sea-Doo, Yamaha, Kawasaki. Most have built in flush kits and are at least somewhat prepaired for salt use. I used to take my race skis to the coast a few times a year but that was a couple decades ago.

Edit: Our most recent ski was a SeaDoo GTI and it was a very smooth, dry, and quiet ride. Which bores me to tears but it was great for exploring up the creeks and coves. We sold it because our kids are small/we used the big boat 90% of the time.

[CaptainDave]

I've only owned one waverunner, but here are a few things I know.

Brands - Yamaha and Sea Doo are literally 1A and 1B. Both of these brands together make up like 90% of the total market. Kawasaki does have a line as well, but their market share is minimal compared to the other 2.

The key difference between Yamaha and Sea Doo is the cooling system. The Yamahas are open looped (i.e. water cooled) and the Sea Doo is closed looped (i.e. anti-freeze).

Use in saltwater environment will require more maintenance for both brands, just like any other watercraft. Obviously, the amount of saltwater usage we determine that.

Galvanized trailer is ok, but aluminum is better.

[TX CHICKEN]

I have owned a Sea Doo and Yamaha many years ago and both were pretty dependable with minor maintenance. If you run it in salt I recommend Salt-Away when rinsing. I used it religiously and never had any rust issues.

[zac221]

Get the Yamaha fishing platform. That way you can goof off and go fish off shore lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[SmTx]

I'd buy ASAP. I'm betting another huge run on toys for this summer and anyone waiting won't be able to find what they want soon.

[Txnative78]

I am in the marine business. We are already running out of inventory and dont expect it to return to normal until fall. I dont sell jet ski's, but friends that do tell me they are in the same situation. I'm afraid the selection will get worse and worse as we get closer to summer.

[Txnative78]

Also, as Captain Dave said, Sea doo and Yamaha are the only two I would consider.

[kingranch]

I was a seadoo tech for years I can say hands down if you are looking for performance then seadoo is it. Now if you want longevity Yamaha... That is all you need to know

They both will set you back alot of coin nowadays.

[Atfulldraw]

Our seadoo sits on a lift on the dock in a saltwater environment.

It was the only choice considering that.

15-20k is where you are gonna be.

I’ve been on a lot of them, the seadoo gti is one of the most stable platforms.

We can lock a cooler on the back and fish off of it sideways.

[SB09]

I've got a Sea Doo Fish Pro. They do great in saltwater if you wash them out after use. 16k brand new before taxes.

[ken800]

Toying with the idea of a Jet Ski. Trying to see what I would have to spend to get one. What brands, size, etc are best and more importantly what main features to look for. what is a lot of hours? Can any of them be used in saltwater a couple times a year (with galvanized trailer)?

I think the more important question is what do you want out of it? There are so many with so many purposes that it's hard to choose based on "I want a jetsk". I've probably owned 15-20 in my lifetime...

Stand up or sit down? Two person or 3 person? How fast do you really want to go? Do you plan to mod it or leave it bone stock? And finally, what would be the max budget you'd want to spend? You sorta mention ocean a couple times a year so I assume lake/river most of the time.

Since I've all kinds of personal watercraft, here's my take, in a nutshell:

Standups - especially in the ocean - are a bit more challenging to master but more fun than several barrels of monkeys.

small one-seaters like the sea-doo HX and waveblaster (used only) were almost as fun as the standups and hella fun jumping waves in the ocean

2-seaters are moderately enjoyable in all types of water. They don't go airborne as easy on smaller waves but can still be very maneuverable.

3+ seaters, "the SUVs" of the PWC industry, can be big enough to be used as a small boat. Yamaha had a 4-seater that was HUGE with a ton of storage. I had one and used it to wakeboard behind with friends. It was remarkably stable.

Bottom line... Figure out what you want most out of it, max budget, then start your search. I quit the PWC world a few years ago because it got so dangerous on open water from people in boats not paying attention. This includes other PWC.

[Cullbuck]

what ever you get make sure it has reverse. it makes unloading and docking alot easier.

[WItoTX]

I assume its a lot like buying a snowmobile. Used is a crapshoot. Open everything up, look for corrosion. I would make them let your take it for a ride. If you buy one, maintain it properly, or it's going to break nearly immediately. They all are going to have their issues, so get on some jet ski forums and figure out which brand has the issues you want to deal with, and buy that one.

I've never had a jet ski, but my learning from snowmobiles tells me that is the route to go.

Good luck and enjoy the toy!