How Much Does a Jet Ski Cost? [2022 Price Guide]

We’ve done the research to find the price of jet skis in 2022 across the United States and Australia. Yamaha, Sea-Doo and Kawasaki jet skis are listed here.

In real-world terms, jet skis do vary in price and will cost between $6,000 for a cheap one with very little power, up to $25,000 for a luxury top-of-the-range jet ski. It really depends on your needs and budget.

The costs also depend on whether you’re buying a new or used PWC. If you buy a used jet ski, then you can expect to save between $2,000 and $7,000 off the new price.

Jet Ski Pricing 2022 Guide

Here is a completely updated pricing guide for the 2022 jet ski season for the main 3 manufacturers. We have created this guide and updated it each year so that you know how much a jet ski will cost in North America and Australia.

These numbers are assuming you were to buy a new one from the dealership without promotions applied.

Editor’s note: Please keep in mind that the COVID supply chain crisis has meant that a jet ski ordered today in early 2022 may take 6 to 9 months until delivery. This is impacting the entire marine industry.

Additional purchase expenses

In addition to the cost of purchasing a jet ski, you’ll also need to set aside an additional 20% of your budget for the following:

• A quality new trailer from the same dealership. Don’t take the risk of buying a used jet ski trailer as we detail in that reader’s guide.
• Your safety gear. Budget between $300 and $700 for safety gear including life jacket, wetsuit, helmet and gloves at a minimum.
• Additional accessories. These include a quality GPS device, tow tubes and fishing rod holders.

Most people are surprised to see the true upfront cost of a new jet ski.

How much do jet skis cost to maintain?

This depends on how often you use your jet ski. If it’s used every weekend, you can expect to have to understand several scheduled logbook servicing internals annually which will cost $250 for labor, not including parts.

In addition to the servicing cost and parts, you’ll need to pay registration each year for your jet ski, as well as registration for your trailer. Depending on your state, you may also need to pay insurance on both the jet ski and trailer too.

The main reason that people sell jet skis is that they can be expensive to maintain. Clearly, it’s not just the upfront cost that we’ve defined here that should be taken into account.

How much fuel will a jet ski use?

On average, it takes 2 to 3 hours of continuous use on a jet ski to completely empty the gas tank. Consider that the more fuel-efficient jet skis such as the Sea-Doo GTI 90 and GTI 130 will often allow riders to ride longer and further where they may clock 4 hours of use.

You won’t be riding continuously though with many riders choosing to stop for a rest 2 to 3 times when out riding. There are fuel stations in most places, but if there aren’t, you can always bring additional fuel.

Which jet ski brand should I buy?

There are only 3 main jet ski brands in the PWC market today. These are Sea-Doo, Yamaha and Kawasaki. The most popular jet skis are Sea-Doo but they do have a mild reputation for unreliability, with Yamaha proving to be very reliable though lacking in features and style.

Kawasaki, as the poor runner-up with less than a dozen jet skis in their line up, still pack a good punch. If you want a stand up jet ski instead of a sit-down jet ski, then you’ll need to buy a Kawasaki. Their top-of-the-line sitdown jet skis have won many races around the world for their incredible speed and handling abilities.

How long do jet skis last?

Between 200 and 400 hours. In contract, for the more reliable jet skis which aren’t built for performance, you’ll find used jet skis on the market which are at the 300-hour mark. These jet skis will get an additional 100 hours before needing a full engine rebuild. The performance jet skis often are retired after 200 hours (approximately 70 rides) as their engines cannot handle the strain in such harsh conditions.

Can I ride my new jet ski at night?

Jet skis can be ridden at night within certain states and countries, though night riding isn’t normal and you’ll need to ride slower. For this reason, almost none of the manufacturers by default are not installing navigation lights on jet skis so you’ll need to get some aftermarket lights installed from your dealer.

Is it worth me buying one?

With all of that in mind, is it worth buying a jet ski to go riding with? It seems some people are worried about everything and they shouldn’t be.

You see, these days jet skis are more reliable, cheaper and are more fuel-efficient than 10 years ago. Buying a jet ski is worth it if you’re riding at least twice per month, otherwise, just hire one and let others deal with the expenses.