Helpful Guides

Often people ask me if installing mirrors on a jet ski is actually worth the hassle? Well, my reply is generally along the lines of this:

Jet ski mirrors are a good choice to have, however, they shouldn’t be relied upon on the waterways. Unlike car mirrors, a mirror on a PWC are much smaller and often have some blind spots. It’s recommended that riders still look over their shoulders, much like a motorcycle rider does, before altering directions on the waterways.

There are instances where having these fitted do have their merits which I’ll get into.

Using Jet Ski Mirrors For Tow Sports

The main use of mirrors isn’t casual jet ski riding. Instead, they’re designed for keeping an eye on those on tubes, wake boards or skis. Certainly it’ll prevent a lot of neck strain.

Just keep in mind that the mirrors aren’t only small, but they’re not sitting at the eye-line of the driver like a car. Instead, like a motorcycle, they’re slightly lower and aren’t showing fully everything behind, so keep an eye out of the blind spots and don’t depend entirely on those mirrors. It’s why you have a pillion passenger after all.

Use PWC Mirrors For Solo Riding

For most riders, using mirrors on a jet ski when riding solo is almost pointless. At any more than 30-knots, the continual bouncing of your hull means the mirrors are going to be hard to focus in on.

Sure – you’ll spot a cruise ship but it’s going to be hard to spot another jet ski out there. This is why you really need to LOOK OVER YOUR SHOULDER and not just your mirrors before hooking a turn!

New Rider Training

One of the biggest traps for new jet ski riders is an excessive reliance on mirrors. They’re just not the same as motorcycle mirrors. Sure – use them on occasions, such as checking how sunburnt you’ve become, but for all other reasons – you should avoid using them.

Should I Buy Jet Ski Mirrors?

That depends. I would recommend jet ski mirrors for tow sports but you shouldn’t depend entirely on these. They certainly can make things a little easier for unloading your jet ski too, but there isn’t much else as a benefit.

Here are several great jet ski mirrors for the Sea-Doo Spark and Yamaha Ex:

You can also purchase these from your local dealership if your current mirrors need to be replaced.

There are numerous ways in which you can enjoy the freedom of jet ski ownership, and one of those ways is through going snorkeling.

It’s not too difficult and in this guide, I’ll show you how to get the most out of your day beneath the surface, and you’ll see a different world that few people will ever experience.

Let’s begin.

Things You’ll Need for Jet Ski Snorkeling

It’s not simply a matter of packing a set of goggles and a snorkel. There is a lot more that makes for a great day out there on the water. That all begins with checking the predicted weather conditions since high winds won’t lead to an enjoyable day out, and neither does recent rain as it makes the water quite murky.

So you can treat this as the perfect jet ski packing list to ensure you don’t get stuck out there.

1. Quality Snorkel

Instead of purchasing some cheap snorkel off Amazon, I prefer to recommend the big name brands whose products last for several years. The oceans need less throw-away plastics and I’m sure you’d agree, so buy yourself a decent snorkel with goggles.

2. Flippers

Some people use flippers and some people don’t. It’s optional and flippers are often too large to fit in the front locker of most jet skis. I’ve seen guys store these in their footwells though it means they do need to ride more conservatively. You can also strap these down on the rear swim platform if you own a large jet ski.

3. Jet Ski Anchor

I’ve seen guys rock up to do some snorkeling only to have forgotten the jet ski anchor. Even if you are beaching your jet ski, I’d still recommend an anchor whether it’s an incoming or outgoing tide. I’d be aiming to let out 30 meters of rope in addition to the chain length. It’s also a good way to reference where you are underwater so you don’t get accidentally swept too much by the current.

4. Towel

It goes without saying that you’re going to want to bring a towel. The thing is – you’ll need one that is more adept to be rolled up small as your space will be limited with your other gear. I like to bring two towels and keep one covering my seat of the jet ski while I’m swimming. When I get back, then it’s toasty warm!

5. Diver’s Flag

Some guys I’ve seen use a diver’s flag when they’re snorkelling with their jet ski closeby. This often isn’t necessary nor is it legally required in most places, but great for an area which has a lot of marine traffic (read: weekend warriors!) who might cross over your area.

6. Vinegar

A pro-tip I can give you is to pack some vinegar in the front locker as you’ll never know when you might be bitten. I’ve also seen some guys pack shark deterrent devices but for where I live, it’s completely unnecessary given how reasonably shallow the water is.

7. Cell Phone or VHF Radio

In an emergency situation, you’ll want to have quick access to communications equipment. Don’t depend on cell phone signal everywhere but in 75% of areas you’ll pick up signal just fine as well as having access to changing weather forecast. A VHF is also becoming quite standard given their reduction in costs and small size.

In Summary

There we have it! 7 things you need to pack for a successful trip out there snorkelling with your jet ski. It’s much easier than taking an entire boat especially if you plan ahead.

Stay safe and I’ll catch you out there!

While there are hundreds of jet ski rental businesses around the world, have you ever wondered if you can hire one for more than a few hours.

Well, you’re in luck!

You can hire a jet ski for between 2 days and 7 days by seeking out smaller, independent hire agencies. These are typically rental companies with only 2 to 3 jet skis in their fleet. They keep their jet skis on trailers and allow hirers to tow the jet ski away with their own car to explore more than one waterway or region.

In this guide, I’ll be helping you seek out those smaller and lesser-known companies.

Hire a Jet Ski Long Term

In just about every case, you can only hire a jet ski for between 1 to 3 hours. It really makes things difficult if you want a longer-term hire to either tow tubes, go fishing or even some camping! That’s really what owners of jet skis actually do, but hirers often have different goals.

In the eyes of a rental business, 97% of people who hire are just there to have some affordable fun for a few hours. This is why it can be unfeasible for them to allow you to rent a jet ski for a weekend or even for an entire week.

Luckily, I did some research and found some companies that do these longer-term rentals. Some of them will actually allow you to either take the jet ski away with your vehicle, or they’ll hook up the ski and take it to a boat ramp of your choosing.

Cost of Rentals

Unlike those people who hire for short-term, you’re going to be paying a whole lot more. Expect to pay between $1,000 to $2,500 to hire a jet ski long term depending on the season and length of hire. A lot of this expenditure is due to additional hours you’ll be putting on the machine as well as an increased insurance risk and premiums for the owner.

Certainly, if you’ve hired from the same individual a few times, they’ll often give you a slight discount. This is all too common in the shoulder months either side of summer and especially if you hire during the week.

While the price seems high, it’s still far cheaper than buying your own jet ski outright and having to store it someplace. You’ll still be responsible for storage and refuelling the jet ski while it’s in your care, but you won’t need to get finance or pay a lot in upfront cost.

Keep in mind that you’ll be expected to pay a large bond of up to $3,000 on your credit card. This sits in escrow in case you damage, destroy or steal the jet ski. By paying a small premium each day of the hire (say $30), you can get this liability fee down quite considerably.

Where to Find Weekend Rentals

So then, where do you find these guys who’ll gladly take their ski out for an entire weekend? Well, let’s have a look:

1. Look on Google. I found someone in my local area who allows you to hire overnight and on weekends.
2. Ask in Facebook groups. There are dozens of jet ski owner Facebook groups all across the world. Have a look inside and you’ll find individuals who might be willing to allow you to hire their private jet ski. There may be some maritime regulations and insurance/licensing requirements in your particular state.
3. Call the jet ski hire shops. While many of these rental businesses proclaim that you can only hire by the hour on their websites, they’ll often let people rent longer term if they simply ask. It’s even easier if you’ve hired from them before.

Occasionally, and especially in winter, some dealerships are open to the idea of long term rentals given their sales volume is remarkably low and they still need revenue.

Closing Thoughts

I hope that’s given you some great ideas on where you can get a jet ski to rent for more than just a few hours. It’s seriously fun out there and chances are that you’ll have even more fun if you can ride for longer.

Catch you out there!

Have you ever wondered whether it’s safe to bring your jet ski right up on to the sand? Well, let’s address that concern.

You can ride up and park a jet ski on most sandy beaches without hull damage such as scratches and holes. Where damage typically occurs is when there are large pebbles amongst the sand and in this case, we recommend that you anchor your jet ski in waist-deep water for safety.

It should be noted that the engine needs to be off before you reach the sand, otherwise you’ll be running it dry which could cause engine damage, similar to if you started your jet ski on its trailer.

Parking Jet Skis on a Beach

You’ve probably seen it before where you find a photo with dozens of personal watercraft all lined up. This is probably the result of a group ride to one destination.

While it looks great, the main reason why riders choose to park on the sand as opposed to leaving their jet ski in the water like boats and yachts is convenience. They’re seeking to avoid getting their shorts wet and indeed I’ve done the safe as well multiple times.

Then you’ve got the other main reason which is the threat of dragging anchor. If you do have to anchor your jet ski, then chances are that a current of more than 5-knots could start dragging your ski as the anchor itself can’t hold. I’ve heard of guys getting larger anchors (the type for fishing boats) but the main challenge is the space available in the front locker.

Essentially, parking a jet ski on a beach is the best means by which to secure it if you’re going for a walk or using the toilets.

Tips For Success

In writing this, I figured you’ll want to make sure you get it right the first few times you do it.

I can recommend that you:

1. Choose the Right Beach

Don’t just choose any beach to come and park yourself. You’ll want to gauge the conditions before you get up there. Even from 10 meters away you can quite easily see if the sand has any high density of rocks of pebbles that could scratch your hull.

2. Come in Dead-Straight

It’s best to line yourself up dead straight on the beach. if you come in at an angle, then you could actually tip yourself over when the bottom of the hull strikes the sand, or even flip the jet ski on to its side. If you’re out there on your own, then this could be challenging to upright. Also, you don’t want excessive speed where you beach yourself too far up because you are the one that needs to get this 1,000-pound machine back into the water!

3. Turn Your Engine Off

As you come up onto the beach, you’ll want to have your engine off. Essentially you’ll use the momentum from your ski to get you up the beach. But here’s the thing – the slant or angle of the beach will cause your impeller to push itself deeper and potentially suck up sand or debris if the engine itself were running. So we really do this as a safety measure.

4. Anchor Yourself Properly

While I see guys all the time beaching their jet skis and walking away, I like to add a sand anchor just in case for peace of mind. The scary notion of coming back to a jet ski that has floated away isn’t just theory, because it’s happened before to some guys I know. Keep an eye on those tides as well!

In Summary

After a few tries, beaching your jet ski is relatively easy. Just be prepared for the sudden slow down as the hull strikes the sand. Choose your beaches carefully, take it easy the first few times and most importantly….have fun out there!

There seems to be a split among the personal watercraft community with varying opinions on using covers when towing. I did find a correlation with the more experienced riders having a single viewpoint, which is the following.

For most makes and models, you can keep a jet ski cover fitted when towing short distances to and from the boat ramp. It’s recommended that you remove the cover if you’re going on to the highway as the speeds could have the cover come off and potentially cause an accident. Only use manufacturers covers as aftermarket and cheap alternatives typically fall off easily.

In this article, I’ll discuss further whether or not you keep the jet ski cover fitted or take it off before leaving home.

Let’s begin.

Jet Ski Covers and Towing

There are a few topics that lit up any Facebook group and one of those is the use of jet ski covers. While many agree that you should have one and keep it fitted when you’re storing your pride and joy, it’s a mixed bag of responses when it comes to using at speed.

Some guys claim that they have towed with their covers attached for 5+ years without a problem. I’d agree with these folk actually! Others disagree and claim that theirs has falling off at high speeds.

I guess this really depends on the situation

Highway Towing

At these higher speeds, you can be sure that some air is going to creep undernear your jet ski cover and add some pressure to the underside. This is where your velcro or clips will really be tested.

One tip I can give you is to use an additional ratchet strap running across the seat and right under the hull. Should the cover actually falll off, it will still be caught and present losing it, damaging it – or worst still – having it strike a motorcyclist or another vehicle.

Residential Streets

On residential streets I see no problem in using the jet ski cover, however you’re probably only going to drive for 10 minutes anyway. Save yourself some space and just leave the cover at home. Makes sense to me?

Then again you might be doing something before or after you go for a jet ski ride, including stopping somewhere to eat and you may want to keep that UV light away from that seat of yours. In that case, it’s wise to have a cover fitted but I’d also be looking at some security device too as the theft of jet ski covers does happen and it’s frustrating.

Your Tow Vehicle

The height of your tow vehicle does impact whether air can get underneat your cover and blow it off. Those with large 4x4s (with no open tray) will find that their tow vehicle creates a slip stream so they’ll have less of an issue than compared to a hatchback.

That said – this doesn’t completely eliminate the airflow. You’ll still find some air comes in from underneath the tow vehicle and rises up at the drawbar of the jet ski trailer.

In Summary

If you’re new to this and aren’t quite sure, then I’d just leave the cover at home to begin with as you’ll have one less thing to worry about. And if you did one to use one, remember to stick with the brand names such as SeaDoo, Yamaha and Kawasaki. Their covers are generally well-built and can handle some draft.

You can certainly leave the cover on year-round but take it off occasionally to let it air out. Many people leave theirs on at the dock without a problem at all.