5 Great Areas near Adelaide to Ride Your Jet Ski

Adelaide is spoilt with some epic jet ski riding areas but to get to most of these spots, you’ll need to haul your jet ski on a trailer for up to 2 hours.

Best Jet Ski Riding Areas Adelaide

In creating this guide, you’ll have to remember that I grew up in Adelaide. Spending many childhood weekends on the Murray River gave me so much exposure to some great riding areas. We also travelled through much of the state, so I certainly know a thing or two.

Here are where most jet ski riders in Adelaide are riding:

1. Coorong, Goolwa and Murray Mouth

Most people pretty much choose the lower reaches of the Murray River where it discharges into the ocean to ride their jet ski. Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert are especially fun areas and the speed limits are reasonable or sometimes non-existent.

Getting there only takes just over an hour from the CBD and there is plenty of space to stretch out and play! I recommend staying overnight with my favourite being Milang but honestly, there are so many good spots worth exploring!

2. Murray River and Mannum

Head upstream and you’ll come across the weekend wonderland for boating and jet ski enthusiasts. For many of us, our childhoods involved staying at Mannum for a weekend of fishing or exploring the waterways.

You’ll need to watch out for the ferries that dart every 5 minutes across the waterways. I like to head about 20km upstream from Mannum. For overnighters, the caravan park is great and I’ve personally stayed there many times as a child.

Alternatively (and more cost-effective) too, head on the eastern side for some great camp sites right on the river. While there sometimes aren’t any boat ramps, most riders have no problem with a sand launch assuming they have a 4×4.

3. Kangaroo Island

You can certainly ride around Kangaroo Island with a jet ski with regular events with the local Adelaide riding club(s). If you want more details then hop into the large Facebook group with some local legends who are always keen for a ride.

A ride over to Kangaroo Island is really weather-dependent even in the more sheltered areas. I’d aim to be riding on the eastern side of the island by drawing a triangle between Cape Jervis, Penneshaw and Bay of Shoals or Kingscote. Chances are that you won’t need extra fuel though some guys do carry it.

4. Port River

Now the Port River isn’t much of a great riding area but a great spot to see dolphins with your jet ski without paying for a tourist boat. You’ll get about 15 nautical miles to explore around Torrens Island but you’ll need to watch out for the big ships.

There was a company that used to do jet ski hire here but unsure if they are still operating at this time. Most of the jet ski hire companies in Adelaide operate on the Murray River given the vast area in which one can explore.

5. Moana, Aldinga, Maslin’s and Port Willunga

If you fancy some open-ocean riding then I’d aim for the southern part of Adelaide which makes for the perfect day-trip. St. Vincent Gulf is open to the weather elements but on those glassy summer days, it makes it perfect for riding on a jet ski.

Just keep in mind that you do need to keep a set distance from shore to avoid noise to local homeowners alone the esplanade as well as to protect swimmers. It’s generally 200m from the low water mark but I recommend that you check the signage at the boat ramps before you ride away. The sand is also quite hard-packed so most guys actually do a beach launch while parking their 4×4 up on the soft sand.

In Summary

There you have it! Some really great places in which you can explore with your new PWC. Sure, there are numerous lakes way south of the city, popular spots up near Renmark and Barmera and some great riding around Port Augusta, but more than enough close to Adelaide to keep you happy for a couple of years.

In the winter months most people do tend to head up into the northern reaches of the Riverland to avoid that chill. Who said that jet ski riding is only for summer? Certainly the waterways are a lot quieter apart from the occasional houseboat.

Catch you out there!