Is It Worth Installing Mirrors on a Jet Ski?

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.