You’re ready to take the plunge and buy your first jet ski. You’re still not totally sure if a new watercraft is better for you or if you’ll go used, but you’re positive you want to own one. How much money should you expect to spend on a jet ski?
The average cost of a jet ski is $5,000 to $18,000. Factors such as the weight of the jet ski, whether it’s a luxury PWC, or if you buy it new or used will influence how much you’ll pay.
We know you want examples of real jet ski costs, and we’re here to provide them. We’ll also talk about why some PWCs are costlier than others and whether you should buy new or used.
Let’s dive right in!
What Is the Average Price of a Jet Ski?
So you want to buy a jet ski. The first part of the process–and one of the most important–is budgeting. Yet before you can budget, you need realistic price expectations for owning a jet ski.
On the very low end of the price spectrum, you can buy a jet ski for about $5,000, sometimes less. Lightweight rec jet skis may retail for this price or a few thousand dollars over, as will youth jet skis. Finding a used jet ski for around $5k shouldn’t prove too challenging either.
At around $10,000, you’re right in the sweet spot for jet ski costs. Most new PWCs will be about this much, maybe a few thousand over but not much higher than $12k.
These mid-priced jet skis don’t necessarily have the greatest towing capacity nor all the bells and whistles like accessories or heated seats, and your ride is probably a one-seater as well. Still, you can buy some really great jet skis from brands like Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Sea-Doo at $10,000 and slightly over.
Between $15,000 and $20,000, you’re getting into high-end jet ski territory. These PWCs include supercharged engines, awesome suspension systems, luxury features, and accessories galore. You do get the value for your money, but spending this much on a jet ski isn’t necessary unless you want the best of the best. Those new to jet skis will almost never shell out this much money on their first go-around.
40 Jet Ski Price Examples (New and Used)
Now that you have a better idea of what jet skis cost, let’s see some real applications of PWC prices, shall we? In this section, we combed the Internet to show you how much you might pay for the hottest jet skis on the market new and used.
New Jet Ski Prices
To bring you more information on new jet ski prices, we looked at the three biggest jet ski manufacturers, which are Sea-Doo, Yamaha, and Kawasaki. All prices are for 2021 models unless otherwise noted.
- Sea-Doo Spark Trixx: $7,699
- Sea-Doo GTI SE: $10,899
- Sea-Doo GTX: $13,099
- Sea-Doo Fish Pro: $15,599
- Sea-Doo RXP-X: $15,799
- Sea-Doo Wake Pro: $15,799
- Sea-Doo RXT-X: $16,799
- Sea-Doo GTX Limited: $17,999
- Yamaha EX: $6,999
- Yamaha EX Deluxe: $8,999
- Yamaha Superjet: $9,499
- Yamaha VX Deluxe: $10,849
- Yamaha VX Limited HO: $13,549
- Yamaha FX Cruiser HO: $14,299
- Yamaha GP1800 R SVHO: $14,749
- Yamaha FX SVHO: $15,799
- Yamaha FX Cruiser SVHO: $16,499
- Kawasaki Jet Ski Ultra 310X: $15,499
- Kawasaki Jet Ski Ultra 310R: $16,499
- Kawasaki Jet Ski Ultra 310LX: $18,199
Used Jet Ski Prices
We used PWCTrader.com to curate the cost of used jet skis. Due to the nature of the site, the listings are subject to disappear or change. You also might not find the same jet ski offered at the same price elsewhere or on PWCTrader.com, so be forewarned!
- 2017 Sea-Doo RXT-X 300: $12,000
- 2015 Yamaha VXR: $9,800
- 2016 Sea-Doo RXP: $12,995
- 2017 Sea-Doo RXT-X 300: $11,999
- 2020 Sea-Doo Spark 3-Up Rotax 900 ACE: $8,249
- 2013 Yamaha FX Cruiser SHO: $9,500
- 2018 Yamaha FX Cruiser SVHO: $13,499
- 2017 Sea-Doo GTX Limited 300: $25,000
- 2016 Sea-Doo GTX 155: $8,900
- 2016 Yamaha FZ S: $12,500
- 2020 Yamaha GP1800R SVHO: $14,399
- 2008 Kawasaki STX-15F: $5,200
- 2007 Sea-Doo GTI SE 155: $10,750
- 2014 Sea-Doo GTX Limited 215: $10,000
- 2019 Kawasaki Jet Ski Ultra 310X: $12,500
- 2017 Sea-Doo RXT-X 300: $11,999
- 2016 Yamaha VXR: $10,999
- 2016 Sea-Doo Spark 2UP 900 H.O. ACE: $6,999
- 2017 Sea-Doo GTX Limited 300: $11,999
- 1995 Yamaha VXR: $1,995
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Factors That Influence Jet Ski Price
Now that you’re clearer on jet ski prices for new and used PWCs alike, let’s delve further into the factors that make one jet ski model several thousand dollars more expensive than another.
Brand
You’ve of course heard of Sea-Doo and Yamaha, but what about Tigershark? Sure, this Arctic Cat subsidiary went defunct in the late 1990s, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still Tigershark jet skis floating around for sale.
The point we’re trying to make is this: when you see a brand like Kawasaki, it’s instantly recognizable, and not just for jet skis either. You know that if you buy a Kawasaki jet ski that you can expect high-quality parts, great performance, and an overall enjoyable jet skiing experience since this brand has been trusted for so long.
You wouldn’t be able to say the same about a Tigershark jet ski, which is probably part of the reason the brand is now defunct.
Name recognition is about more than simply looking cool among your friends by saying “yeah, I have a Sea-Doo or [insert your brand name here] jet ski.” It’s so you have peace of mind that the machine you’re traversing the water on is safe and well-built.
Age
Jet skis are a lot like cars in that new ones are always coming down the pike, automatically rendering the current lot out of date. For instance, as of this writing, it’s 2021, but before the year is out, the next 2022 jet skis from Sea-Doo, Kawasaki, and Yamaha will be introduced. If you own a 2021 jet ski, then before it’s even 2022, your 2021 PWC is old.
Jet ski value always depreciates. According to J.D. Power, the first year you own your jet ski, it’s value is down 22 percent. For every year after that, the value drops by eight percent.
This doesn’t mean your 2021 jet ski is worthless, oh no! If anything, you can sell it for prices very close to new for at least the next year to come and perhaps the next several years as well. Even 2020 jet skis are considered pretty new at this point and can make a lot of money. After that, depreciation really begins to kick in.
Go back and review that list of used jet ski prices from the last section. Jet skis from 2015 and up tend to sell for about $10,000 while those older than 2015 but still from the 2010s typically sell for under $10,000.
Just for amusem*nt’s sake, we included one jet ski on our list all the way from 1995. That Yamaha is selling on PWCTrader.com for under $2,000. For any other jet ski, that would seem like an absolute steal. Once you realize how long ago 1995 was though, the thought of having to maintain an old jet ski and replace all its parts makes the jet ski easier to pass up even at such low prices.
We do want to say this: the price of a used jet ski is always at the discretion of the seller. Some sellers believe a jet ski is worth more money than it is. They’ll refuse to budge on the price, which is usually to their detriment, as the PWC stays on the market longer. Other sellers are a little more willing to haggle, at least to a degree.
You need to know what a jet ski is worth too so you can ensure you get a good deal when shopping used. You can’t go into your jet ski search assuming that $12,000 is a good price to pay for a Sea-Doo Spark when the jet ski should have cost you under $10k. You’d be getting majorly ripped off!
Weight
Getting back to new jet ski pricing, how much the PWC weighs is another major determinant of cost. We’ll use Sea-Doo to illustrate this.
The sporty jet skis in the Spark series cost $5,500 to $7,700. Designed for doing tricks, the Spark weighs between 410 and 450 pounds depending on the engine. We wrote about this in our post on jet ski weights.
Touring Sea-Doo jet skis such as the GTX series are heavier, about 800 pounds. They also cost $13,000 to $18,000, which is a huge price jump from the smaller and lighter Spark.
The Sea-Doo Fish Pro 170 is among the weightiest jet skis that Sea-Doo manufactures, weighing 858 pounds. Unsurprisingly, the Fish is one of their most expensive jet ski too, as the 2021 Fish Pro costs $15,599.
Performance
Do you want a souped-up, tricked-out jet ski that’s like a racecar on the water? The more enhanced the performance of your PWC, the higher the price tag that usually accompanies it. You only have to take a look at Yamaha’s WaveRunners to see this principle in action.
Their GP1800R SVHO has “supercharged race technology” through its four-stroke, four-cylinder Super Vortex High-Output Yamaha marine engine. This jet ski is on the higher end of the price spectrum at $14,749.
The Yamaha FX SVHO for up to three riders features Yamaha’s SVHO engine, which is a supercharged, 1.8-liter Super Vortex High-Output Yamaha marine engine that promises even greater torque and power than the GP1800R SVHO. This PWC is costlier still at $15,799 new.
The FX Limited SVHO is the highest-price performance Yamaha watercraft at $17,699. It can seat up to three people and includes a supercharged four-stroke, four-cylinder Super Vortex High-Output Yamaha marine engine, the most powerful engine Yamaha has to offer. Of course it would cost more.
Amenities
Having the right amenities makes your jet ski ride more convenient and enjoyable, but add-ons tend to come at a premium.
The Yamaha VX Limited HO is rife with accessories, among them a Connext LCD screen built into the dashboard, integrated speakers, a tube and rope for towing, and a multi-mount system for accessories. Some of those add-ons are available for an extra fee, but it goes to show what this jet ski has to offer. The starting price? $13,549. You’re mostly paying for accessories.
Kawasaki, the manufacturer that makes some of the more expensive jet skis on the market, adds lots of luxury features to its PWCs that drive up the price. The Jet Ski Ultra 310X includes a five-position handlebar that’s fully adjustable as well as Kawasaki Smart Steering. That explains in part why the Ultra 310X starts at $15,499.
The Jet Ski Ultra 310R has more amenities such as sports performance seating, a 12-position handlebar, Smart Learning Operation, and Smart Steering. This model costs $16,499. For $18,199, Kawasaki’s Jet Ski Ultra 310LX boasts heat-resistant seating material, luxury seats, mounted GPS, an audio system from JETSOUND, and Smart Steering. Money can buy you a lot of comfort.
Should You Buy a New or Used Jet Ski?
You’re one step closer to owning a jet ski, but before you can proceed, you need to answer one important question. Is a new or used jet ski better for you? Let’s help you answer that by digging a little further into your circ*mstances and needs.
What’s Your Budget Like?
Do you have a robust budget because you’ve been saving up for a jet ski for some time now? Perhaps you’ve decided as a spur of the moment thing a few weeks ago that you’d like to own a jet ski, so you don’t have that much money to put towards a PWC. If that’s the case, you can either buy now with what you have or save up for a few more months and reassess at that point.
Even with a penny-pinching budget, you can likely afford a new jet ski. You’re just limited to smaller jet skis like the Sea-Doo Spark which aren’t powerhouses in the engine department. If you’d rather be able to push the pedal to the metal, so to speak, then buy a more powerful used jet ski or budget for a new one.
Do You Care about a Warranty?
Most jet ski warranties are only good for a year from the purchase date. Sea-Doo extends its warranty to 48 months, which is four years, but that’s not considered the norm. Depending on how old your jet ski is when you buy it used, its warranty more than likely has expired.
A warranty can protect your jet ski if the parts break and you weren’t at fault for it. This can save you hundreds of dollars if not more, but only for as long as the warranty is active.
Without a warranty, if anything happens to the jet ski–whether it’s your fault or not–it’s on you to pay for its repairs and parts.
If that sounds like a chance you don’t want to take, then a new jet ski is best for you. Sea-Doo does have an extendable warranty as part of its B.E.S.T. plan, which you can learn about here.
Do You Want a Pristine Jet Ski?
Used jet skis are, well, used, so that means they’ll have a few bumps, dings, and scratches. It’s not that the previous owner didn’t take care of their PWC, just that this is what happens with enough time and use.
If you always pictured your first jet ski looking shiny and perfect like it’s in a full-page magazine ad, then again, we would say to stay away from used jet skis unless it’s a 2020 or 2021 model.
Are You Worried about Theft in your Area?
A brand-spanking-new jet ski is going to have an undeniable appeal, but maybe to more than just your jet skiing friends. We’re talking about criminals and other nefarious characters who might want to cop your ride. Should your area or the place where you store your jet ski be a spot where crime is common, we’d suggest you shy away from a new jet ski for the time being. If you must have one, lock it up tight.
Used jet skis, especially older ones, are far less appealing to criminals.
Final Thoughts
Jet skis cost around $10,000 on average, but you can get a more inexpensive one for less than that and not have to buy it used. With the information in this guide, you’re now ready to buy your first jet ski. Best of luck!
Once you get a jet ski you should get it insured before you even take it out on the water. You may be wondering how much insurance for your jet ski will cost so here is the average amount. Jet ski insurance may sound like your just burning extra cash, but it can be really helpful. It’s great to have peace of mind when it comes to expensive toys and jet ski insurance is generally worth it.
