Helpful Guides

All jet ski owners need to learn how to clean their personal watercraft properly, but also quickly! I’ll show you how to do it in less than 15 minutes.

It’s really important that you take care of your jet ski. It really helps to improve the resale value so that you can get maximum dollars for it when it’s time to upgrade to the latest model.

More importantly, it’s not hard to do. You just have to know how to do it properly and WITHOUT spending hours doing it. After all…you’d prefer to be out riding or camping!

Cleaning a Jet Ski At Home

This guide is more-so written for those who ride in saltwater conditions. For those who ride in freshwater, your cleaning regime can be done in less than 10 minutes.

You see – saltwater is much more corrosive. Engines don’t like saltwater at all, but they can be take freshwater a lot more. That isn’t to say that you should neglect any cleaning of your jet ski if you only ride in dams, lakes, lagoons and fresh river systems.

I’m simply stating that you can be more care-free. You just won’t get to enjoy wave jumping. 🙂

Here are some of the tools you’ll need to clean your jet ski properly:

1. A good marine sponge or two that doesn’t scratch paintwork
2. Fresh running water hose (preferably treated) with nozzle
3. The right soap. VERY IMPORTANT! Don’t use household soaps
4. Chamois so you can avoid leaving streaks on your jet ski
5. Marine wax so that you can make ongoing cleaning much easier

None of these will cost much. For less than $100 you can find all of these at your local marine shop. Even if they don’t sell jet skis, they do serve the marine enthusiasts who all need to look after their watercraft.

How to Flush and Wash a Jet Ski in 4 Steps

So let’s look at what to do so we can get out jet ski looking like new after every ride.

1. Hose Down the Exterior and Engine Bay

Time allocation: 3 minutes

Some people use a pressure hose on the outside and switch to a non-pressure head for the engine bay.

2. Use a Sponge and Soap

Time allocation: 4 minutes

Use marine soap available at your local marine store to clean off the saltwater build-up and river dirt.

3. Rinse This Soap Solution Off

Time allocation: 4 minutes

The same garden hose is all you need. Just make sure everything is super clean and you can dry it with a chamois.

4. Apply Some Protective Wax

Time allocation: 3 minutes

This stops your paint from fading prematurely. Meguiars sells a great one that is popular with fellow PWC riders.

Total time it took: 14 minutes.

This, of course, assumes that you can move fast. After a hard day of riding, some people will be more lethargic and could take 20 to 30 minutes to do the same job. After all, who is rushing? No one! We just had a fun day out.

Best Jet Ski Cleaning Products

Now let’s look at some of the things I recommend in greater detail.

The first thing we’ll want is a bottle of good marine soap. Anything for the boating market works well for jet ski cleaning and maintenance.

Then it’s time to get some marine wax. This will keep your jet ski cleaner and you’ll reduce the amount of cleaning time required on the next ride.

Now, any type of marine sponge is good. One thing that some people like is the drill-bit attachments now available on Amazon.

Another great product available is mark erasers. When you put marks on your jet ski, these sponges really can help remove them.

I’ve heard great things about that product within riding communities.

Salt away is a great product that we have available here in Australia. It really helps both those who use boats and jet skis to keep their marine toys in great condition!

In summary

It’s important that you seek to maintain your jet ski cleaning regime. If you simply factor in the time after each ride, you should just about always get it done in less than 15 minutes.

Sometimes I’ll invite friends along for a ride. The only catch is that they need to clean my ski for me. It’s a win-win for both of us.

It’s also great to get the washing of your jet ski done at your local self-serve car wash. Of course, do it yourself with a pressure washer turned down to the minimum output when flushing the engine bay. It just saves taking all that saltwater residue back home to your driveway.

Either way, look after your machine and it will serve you for years. When it’s ready to sell, the next buyer will be impressed by the way it has been looked after!

So you’ve thought about buying or selling a used personal watercraft through an auction. There are several ways to go about this, and many people don’t even think about auctions in the first place. Sometimes these can save you a fortune though liquidators and auction houses.

But yet, choosing to buy or sell a jet ski at auction can be dangerous in some ways. Today I’ll be detailing if it’s actually worth the risks involved.

Buying a Jet Ski at Auction

Going to an auction to buy a jet ski sounds very exciting. You can potentially find the machine that you’ve always been dreaming of…at a price you can actually afford!

That said, it isn’t always the best idea. Let’s look at some pros and cons.

Pros

1. You can get a real bargain, 10% to 30% off the normal market prices.
2. A chance to take the jet ski away that day without all the usual hassles.
3. Often you’ll have minimal competition as others are there for motorbikes, cars and boats, not jet skis.
4. Some auctioneers don’t know exactly how valuable the performance jet skis actually are, so you can flip one for a profit.
5. The jet ski has gone through a vetting process so you know it isn’t stolen.

So it does look like a good idea to buy one at auction, but let’s look at the flip side now.

Cons

1. You have no verifiable service history of the jet ski.
2. No warranty. If it breaks tomorrow, it’s all on you.
3. Other bidders might push you past your reserve price.
4. Often there might only be 1 or 2 jet skis at auction on the day.
5. The level of service you’ll receive is much less than dealerships.

This causes people to lose their confidence in the process of buying at an auction.

Selling a Jet ski at Auction

If you’re ready to part ways with your jet ski quickly, then an auction is a great idea. Often dealerships who get trade-ins actually use auction houses to move on with these used machines, so the dealership can concentrate on new toys.

Like buying a jet ski at auction, selling one via the auctioneers isn’t the best idea.

Pros

1. You can get money fast, often the same day or within a few days.
2. Won’t really need to have numerous people come to your house.
3. No need to list it on Craigslist and wait for the phone to ring.
4. Avoids the increased risk of identity theft when transacting.
5. No need to take photos as the auction house will do that for you.

If you need some dollars fast and without much hassle, then auctions clearly are a good idea. But let’s look at the downsides too.

Cons

1. You won’t get the best price possible. In fact, it will be really low.
2. Really no say in what price you’ll actually get. It’s up to the market.
3. No recourse – once it’s sold, then it’s sold. You can’t stop and say no.
4. You’ll be treated like a number in the system, as opposed to a human.
5. You might have to pay a commission or fee once your jet ski is sold.

This probably explains why you won’t find so many jet skis at auctions since most of them are actually on Craigslist.

Final Verdict on Auctions

Most people decide to buy or sell a jet ski privately, instead of going to auction. This provides the best opportunity for both parties without the middle man intervening.

The seller gets a great price while the buyer knows the jet ski has been looked after. This represents a great win-win situation.

Auctions are often best for private car collections or furniture. This is where the repair bills can be a lot less if something goes wrong.

Now if the seller needs money fast and the buyer wants to get a significant discount, then transacting via an auction is a smart way to go.

You’re in need of some parts for your personal watercraft. As an established eBay seller, let me teach you how to stay safe on the platform.

Buying parts for your jet ski off eBay can be very risky! You really need to do your research to make sure you’re looking at the real deal.

In this guide, I’ll help you through that process so you can buy with confidence.

Jet Ski Parts You Can Buy Off eBay

Before we begin, let’s have a look at what we can buy.

eBay has available all sorts of parts for jet skis, as well as accessories to have more fun out there on the water.

You can buy the following:

• Replacement handlebar grips
• New crankshafts for both Yamaha and SeaDoo
• Jet ski air filters
• Suction fishing rod holders (these are average quality)
• Floating safety lanyards
• Stickers and decals (won’t really improve the performance though)
• Engine gaskets
• Hatch cover brackets
• Pistons and spark plugs
• Full engine blocks
• Cylinder heads
• Crankcases
• Throttle levers
• New boarding steps
• Engine impellers

Let’s have a closer look now…

It’s fair to say that you can find most things on eBay for your jet ski. The main issue is that it’s a real hunting game. Often you won’t find exactly what you’re looking for, which really sucks.

How to Stay Safe When Ordering

When it comes to eBay, you’re really protected by their Money Back Guarantee. That said, you want to stretch even further.

Here is what I would be looking at:

1. How long the seller has been selling on the platform for
2. The volume of feedback that they have received (star rating)
3. Amount of jet ski products that they currently have for sale
4. How your ordered product will be shipped (padded box etc)
5. When you should expect delivery of the actual product
6. A detailed overview where they show the compatibility of such parts

Take for instance this graph that I found.

Clearly this seller knows jet ski parts very well. The only thing is the lack of details regarding shipping, especially as he is located in Russia.

While it’s true that eBay has your back, their customer service team isn’t known for its high level of service. You can expect to do some running around to get a refund if the product didn’t live up to expectations and wasn’t described properly. This is why it’s important that you audit sellers first before ordering.

How To Know It’s Risky

How do we know when we should perhaps avoid a seller? That’s easy.

1. If they have less than 30 feedback, I generally avoid them.
2. It’s relatively easy to maintain 100% feedback, so any less should be avoided.
3. Look at the shipping times. You need the parts to get your jet ski working, so you don’t want to be waiting 2 months for it to arrive.
4. Have a good look at the photos. Are they all of the same background?
5. Check where the seller is actually located and if they sell other PWC parts.

The ‘Positive Feedback’ rating on eBay isn’t a representative of exactly how good someone else. It’s certainly a good metric to pay attention to though.

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In the above example, I would choose redline-motosports who while not 100% in their feedback rating, actually has processed hundreds of thousands of transactions.

Alternatives Towards eBay For Jet Ski Parts

So what else can do we if we’re looking for jet ski parts but we want to avoid eBay? Well, there are a few options out there.

1. Head down to your local jet ski dealership. While they sometimes might not have the parts you want on hand, they can order them in and fit them in their workshop. This is generally the safest method, but it’s also expensive too, hence why so many people turn to eBay.
2. Use Amazon to find parts. While not as popular for PWC parts as eBay is, you’ll find some parts on Amazon that you might not necessarily find on eBay.
3. Head over to Craigslist. Jet skis have a short shelf life. After a few hundred hours it’s time for them to retire. Most often than not, the parts are mostly still good, so people sell parts locally through Craigslist.
4. Jump inside PWC Facebook groups. There are networking groups all over the world where people can help advise you on where you can locally source a part that you might be hunting for. Often mechanics are in these groups offering their services and might even have the parts you want on hand.

As you can see, it’s not just eBay where you can get the parts you want. You really should think outside the box, especially with Craigslist where it’s cheaper since you don’t have to pay for shipping.

Summary

It is worth it to order jet ski parts on eBay, provided you do your research first. You’ll also need the mechanical aptitude to fit those parts onto your jet ski.

For some people, it does get a bit too hard. The expensive option is using your local dealership, but this often solves the problem fast, so you can get back out there riding again.

eBay is a good platform. I continue to sell on there and ride my jet ski in my spare time. They have improved considerably over the years, but just make sure you get what you ordered.

So you’re very excited about the notion of riding a jet ski, but that begs the question: Should you hire one or simply buy one outright?

Many people have this conundrum, including me. I’ve done both.

I’ve hired a jet ski and I’ve also bought a jet ski.

Each has its pros and cons. And because of COVID-19, there are shortages globally in new personal watercraft and parts, so it’s something to keep in mind.

Today I’ll drill down on which one you should do.

Jet Ski Hiring vs Buying

There is really no clear-cut answer initially. There are some things you might want to think about:

1. Your current starting budget including all gear, maintenance and registration
2. How often you’ll ride a jet ski, both annual average and peak season
3. The availability of where you can ride (jet ski hire shops aren’t everywhere)
4. Your current skills and experience in riding personal watercraft
5. Your current weight (since most hire shops just use rec-lite jet skis)
6. If you want to take passengers and do tow-sports such as wakeboarding
7. The storage capacity in your home for your trailer
8. How devoted you are towards cleaning/servicing a jet ski
9. Whether you’re OK in being restricted in your chosen routes

That really gives you something to think about. The person who buys a jet ski has a different thought pattern to someone who simply hires.

Jet Ski Ownership vs Rental Comparison Table

To make things easier, I’ve created these two helpful comparison tables where you can compare pricing information.

Jet Ski Purchase	Cost Divided by Month
Initial $17,000 upfront including trailer	Lease at $400/month
Accessories (life jackets, spares, flares, GPS) – $1,200	$100
Registration and Insurance – $1,200/year	$100
Service and Maintenance – $600/year	$50
Fuel Per Ride – $50 (assuming 1 ride per month)	$50
Total	$700/Month

Next, we have the side-by-side comparison:

Compare Side-By-Side	Renting	Ownership*
1x 2hr Rides/Month	$200	$700
2x 2hr Rides/Month	$400	$750
3x 2hr Rides/Month	$600	$800
4x 2hr Rides/Month	$800	$850
5x 2hr Rides/Month	$1,000	$900
6x 2hr Rides/Month	$1,200	$950
7x 2hr Rides/Month	$1,400	$1,000

This is based on my data in my jet ski rental pricing article where I found that hiring a jet ski for 2 hours, on average, will cost $200.

As you can see, there isn’t much of a clear-cut answer apart from the financial benefits. Neither optional is good or bad, despite renters often being frowned upon. Some people like to ride and drop it off at the shop, whilst others want the feeling of full ownership. The tables also don’t account for re-sale value after the end of your jet ski loan is repaid.

Let’s drill down on each one.

Hiring a Jet Ski

There are dozens of jet ski hire shops across the world. In the United States, there are certainly plenty, as well as here in Australia.

Most of these will simply offer the opportunity of a jet ski tour, as opposed to giving you the opportunity to ride and explore yourself. Most people would prefer the solo adventure instead of being restricted to a bunch of new riders and a normal route.

Advantages

• You don’t need to outlay a lot of money for a jet ski, trailer and accessories, plus registration and insurance
• No need to worry about it being stolen. You ride it for 2 to 3 hours then return it.
• Avoid the hassles, time, embarrassment and ques at boat ramps. The shop will launch it for you so it’s ready to go when you arrive.
• You also don’t need to worry about cleaning, servicing or storage. It’s all taken care of for you.
• If you break-down when riding, that’s not your problem. The jet ski shop will sort that out.
• Gives you a chance to gain some experience riding a jet ski before buying your own
• You have that ‘safe’ feeling of knowing that someone else takes care of everything.
• You’re given some guidance on where to ride and where to avoid before departing.
• Depending on the jet ski shop, they might also include a GPS so you can find your way home.

Disadvantages

• Most jet ski shops only have a basic fleet of rec-lite jet skis for their public riders. These are lightweight and not very powerful.
• You might have to pay a PWC rental bond. Depending on your country, this could be $1,000+
• Once you’re done riding, you have to return back to base by a certain time.
• Other riders will fly past you because you’re on a donkey of a jet ski.
• Quite restrictive on where you can go. Often you’re only allowed in canals, lakes and rivers and not the open ocean.
• No wave jumping! Very few of any jet ski hire shops allow their riders to jump waves, otherwise, you risk your entire rental bond.
• Also restricted on when you can ride. I like to ride at sunrise and most jet ski shops open from 9am onwards when it starts to get busy on the waterways.
• No refunds if the weather gets bad. Often you just have to suck it up.

As you can see, fairly balanced. Hiring a jet ski is better suited towards the occasional user (i.e. 1 ride per month) who also don’t want to do anything crazy, mainly just cruise around for a while.

Buying a Jet Ski

When I go into a jet ski dealership, I feel like a kid in a candy shop. There are just so many great jet skis, both at Yamaha and SeaDoo dealers.

Buying your first jet ski will be one of the best decisions you ever make. That said, they are expensive so it’s always best to start with hiring unless you can afford one outright.

Advantages

• It’s your own jet ski, so you can add decals and ride anytime you want.
• Fully unrestricted on where you can ride too. Maybe even try some jet ski camping and enjoy some overnight trips in the wilderness.
• Unless you buy a rec-lite jet ski (like the SeaDoo Spark) then you’ve got more power on hand. More power = much more fun!
• You can go wave jumping anytime you want, but that takes practice too.
• Keeping up with other PWC riders should be no problem at all.
• Children can join you out on the waterways with tube sports and wakeboarding.
• You don’t have a feeling of being watched or tracked, so you can ride anywhere.
• No fear of damage. If you hit a submerged rock, then that’s on you to sort out.
• Zero requirements to tag along on a jet ski tour. In fact, you’ll often overtake others out there on tours.
• Can join in with group rides. Join your local jet ski clubs for details.
• Instead of buying a boat, you can go jet ski fishing!

Disadvantages

• You’ll need to outlay thousands of dollars for the ski, safety equipment, trailer, registration and insurance.
• Will require a place to store your PWC at home or another safe place.
• To maintain its condition, you’ll have to properly clean your jet ski after each ride.
• Good risk of theft. Thieves love jet skis so you become a target, but there are ways to stop them (Read more: Security devices for PWCs)
• You’ll also need a tow vehicle capable of handling your jet ski at highway speeds without swaying.
• If you ride on weekends, then expect a queue of people at the local boat ramp. You’ll also need to learn how to launch and retrieve.
• Depreciation: your jet ski is losing value each and every week (plus clocking on additional riding hours too)
• You might not feel confident enough yet on the first few riders to join with other riders.
• Lots of time spent researching on where to ride and potential hazards.
• If you live in an apartment like me, you’ll need to spend money to rent an additional car space.
• The additional cost to have a towbar fitted to your vehicle.

Again, a pretty fair outlay. I’ve done both hiring and renting and certainly jet ski ownership makes better sense if you’re riding often (more than 2 times per month).

Summary

There is nothing wrong with hiring instead of buying. As I’ve detailed, each has its pros and cons.

Hiring gives you the chance to learn as you go, either with an organized tour or self-hire option. It’s much less hassle for a few fun hours on the water.

On the flip side, owning your own jet ski is one of the best feelings in the world. The chance to ride when and where you want cannot be replicated with jet ski hire shops.

If you’re unsure, I would recommend hiring first. This way you can discover whether the sport of jet skiing is an enjoyable activity for you and the family, without spending a large chunk of capital.

So you’ve just bought a jet ski trailer and are looking for some accessories that can make life a whole lot easier. Well, you’re in the right place.

Jet Ski Trailer Accessories

Today I’ll be detailing some great accessories that every jet ski enthusiast should have. Because it’s not just the PWC, but the investment in a proper trailer that makes for a fun day on the water.

None of these are critical but most are highly recommended for the beginner.

1. Tongue Jack / Jockey Wheel

A lot of normal trailers come with these already attached. They use a swing-up system or a bolt-on system. As you turn the handle, it allows the front of the trailer to increase or decrease in height, allowing you to better line up to your towbar.

Jet ski trailers typically don’t have these, because what you’re carrying is already quite light at perhaps 1,300 pounds at the most. However, some people will struggle to lift the tongue on to their towball. Others just want to move their trailer/ski around more easily in the garage.

For that reason, a minimal investment into a jockey wheel (Australia) or tongue jack (USA) is highly recommended.

2. Jet Ski Trailer Lock

You really need to stop (or at the very least, slow down) those thieves who attempt to steal your jet ski trailer.

I would recommend 3 types of jet ski trailer locks. These are:

1. A strong and reliable hitch-lock that stops opportunistic tow aways
2. A wheel-lock that stops rogue rollbacks and hook lift tow trucks
3. Locking your jet ski to your tow vehicle with a chain and padlock

Even if you’re on your jet ski and riding away, I wouldn’t ever leave the trailer unlocked. Whilst your trailer isn’t worth much, it’s still an easy item for someone to steal and create a new VIN number.

3. Gas Can Holder

Nobody should be carrying fuel inside their cars because the odor from a fuel leak will take months to subside. At the same time, we all hate running out of fuel on a perfect jet skiing day.

I would recommend a fuel can holder mounted on your jet ski trailer. Use a strong metal such as stainless steel so it lasts a long time and is less likely to corrode over time.

Some people like to mount one on each side of their jet ski trailer. This helps in weight distribution when towing on motorways. It also makes it easy when fueling too.

One tip is to use a padlock and chain so the fuel can is locked to your trailer. While the fuel cans are cheap, some people can’t help themselves to steal a bit of free fuel when you’re not looking.

4. Jet Ski Trailer Spare Tire

I see it time and time again the lower quality tires that most people have on their tires. They will happily spend tens of thousands on their dream jet ski, but then buy a cheap trailer with scrap tires.

The first thing you’ll want to do is fit on brand new tyres from well recognized brands such as Maxxis. They make excellent tyres for jet ski trailers, and well, any type of trailer.

The next thing is to make sure you have a spare tyre. Sure, you might only be 5 miles from the boat ramp, but a flat tyre without a spare is very embarrassing. You could change the tyre in 10 minutes (trailer tyre changes are very easy) and be riding again in no time.

Just like the fuel cans, I would aim to lock the spare tyre to the trailer. You can also use a locking bolt so it can’t loosen or fly off when on the highway.

5. Trailer-mounted Toolbox

While you’re having a spare fuel can holder mounted, you could also ask for a good quality stainless steel toolbox. Something the size of a glove box is perfect for me, but you might want something bigger to store life jackets.

In the small version, I can store gloves and sandals plus maybe a few spare rollers. You don’t need to be as security-conscious about what is stored here, since the most important stuff can be stored in your jet ski front locker.

Another thing I like to store is my spare tire levers. This way, if I get a flat tire, I don’t have to unpack the boot. I go traveling often and the boot is often full of weekend camping gear.

6. Rooftop Tent

Right – now we’re getting a bit more luxury. Some friends of mine have mounted roof-top tents on their jet ski trailers for prolonged adventures.

This has three real benefits:

1. It stops some sunshine from damaging the paintwork on your jet ski
2. You have a very comfortable place to sleep after a day of riding
3. Jet ski thieves are less likely to steal your trailer as it is unique

On the downside, you will have increased fuel consumption because of the wind drag. Also, it can make your trailer more top-heavy so it’s important that you slow down when cornering.

I believe the upsides really outweigh the downsides. A rooftop tent really does make weekend jet ski camping trips much more fun!

7. Spot Tracker

You really should have a tracking device on your jet ski. Sure, it won’t necessarily stop the thieves at all, but will help you find your jet ski once it’s been stolen.

Many people forget about the trailer. Once you’ve got the accessories I’ve listed above, it’s worth a whole lot more.

I’d recommend a Spot Tracker. You can mount it in a location that is hard to find. The batteries often last a week or two which is ideal.

8. WD-40, Duct Tape and Zip Ties

Lastly, these 3 smaller accessories which I’ve grouped together, are going to make a real difference. I don’t think you need a photo… 🙂

Let me tell you why these are important:

1. The WD-40 to loosen up your winch if it hasn’t been used for months
2. Duct Tape to quickly patch up a ripped jet ski cover (happens often)
3. Zip Ties if your lanyard breaks when riding (temporary solution only)

All of these can be stored inside your jet ski toolbox. You just never know when you’re going to need them, even for your tow vehicle.

Summary

Most people buy a jet ski trailer and think that’s it – they’re done! Truth be told, only a few weeks later they are looking for some complementary accessories.

You don’t need everything on this list. Certainly, if you’re on a budget, I would choose the security and theft prevention accessories first before moving on to the more luxury additions such as the roof top tent.

See you out there on the waterways!