Lost Jet Ski Key: Where Do I Get A New One?

The moment when you’ve lost your jet ski key can really spoil the rest of your day. Who has the key? Are they going to steal your jet ski?

It’s actually quite common for people to lose the keys to their jet ski, whether that’s a Yamaha, Sea-Doo or Kawasaki. So they – how do you get a new key?

How To Get a New Jet Ski Key

It really depends on the make of your jet ski and its age as to how easily you’ll get a new key. In the following table, we’re showing you the keys, the level of difficulty and the price you can expect for a key replacement.

These are how much new jet ski keys cost:

Make	Difficulty	New key cost
Sea-Doo Pre-2015	Medium	$100 to $200
Sea-Doo Post-2015	Easy	$70 to $150
Yamaha	Easy	$70 to $150
Kawasaki	Medium	$85 to $170
Tiger Shark	Hard	$150+
Polaris	Hard	$150+

Note: The Tiger Shark and Polaris jet ski keys are hard to get the manufacturer keys duplicated, but you can actually use a locksmith and in most cases, you’ll get an identical key. As these are older models, they don’t have the tech the newer jet ski manufacturers have to prevent theft.

The easiest way to get a new jet ski key is to take your jet ski into a dealership. You CANNOT simply bring them the spare key and ask them to duplicate it. They will need your actual jet ski in the workshop so they can assess your particular model. It’s also best to call the dealer for an appointment before you take your jet ski in.

To stop this from happening next time, check out these products:

These floats are super handy as they will prevent your jet ski key from sinking to the bottom of the ocean.

The Technology of Jet Ski Keys

Unlike a car, jet ski keys are actually programmed differently. This is because there is a, comparatively speaking, a high theft rate of jet skis. Thieves often consider them to be a hot item that can be resold quickly.

Imagine your jet ski being stolen and while you have the keys, someone else is already riding it out there tomorrow with new plates!

Personal watercraft keys have these two components:

1. The magnet. This allows the jet ski to be turned out as it recognizes its presence.
2. The ROM Chip. This is the tech which has a combination of digits embedded and it’s the reason why you simply can’t take in your spare key. Each key simply has a different string of numbers embedded or hard-coded into each key hence why duplication is essentially impossible.

Older jet ski models don’t have this technology such as the Tiger Shark and Polaris, as they ceased production years ago.

Bypassing a Sea-Doo DESS Key

It’s almost impossible to by-pass a Sea-Doo DESS Key. We say almost impossible as there are documented cases of people being successful doing this, but these are rare and often does more harm than good for the industry.

The key data is what will catch people out who try to bypass this technology. Sea-Doo in particular have done this as they want to protect their loyal and honest customers.

Two Jet Skis With The Same Keys

You can have two jet skis and have the same key able to start both. How? Ask your dealer provided they are the same manufacturer. They can program the key before pick-up.

The real advantage here is that if you lose one of your keys, you still have the other available at home. Even if it’s just a starter key, it’s enough to get you going.

Are You Losing Keys?

If you’re losing keys or are fearful of losing keys, then I recommend that you have a jet ski lanyard that is fluorescent and floats. Personally, mine is huge so I can’t miss it and it’s on my checklist of things to take with me to the boat ramp, including the plug and extra fuel cans.