The small but mighty vehicle can be costly to buy and own, but are they expensive to fix?
Jet skis can be expensive to fix, depending on what it is that is broken, and how high-end the jet ski is. Damage to the body can be relatively cheap, but engine repairs may run up quite a bill. Mechanical fixes can be more expensive than those on a car, depending on what needs doing.
Read on to learn more about jet skis and the cost of maintaining them.
Expensive Entertainment
There are those who claim ownership of a jet ski is more hassle than it’s worth. You’ve got the initial purchase, taxes, insurance, fuel, and maintenance.
It’s a list that doesn’t seem to end, and owning a jet ski can be just as expensive as owning a car. However, a car is a practical and functional machine, whereas a jet ski is solely for entertainment.
If you’re willing to part ways with tens of thousands of dollars for a brand new, high-end jet ski, you might not care, though. You’re likely willing to pay what could be a couple of thousand dollars a year to maintain your watercraft.
We should establish that not all jet skis are dramatically expensive, only the top-tier ones. You can buy a brand new jet ski, such as a Yamaha or Sea-doo, for as little as five to eight thousand dollars.
Although, the top-end vessels will cost you as much as twenty-thousand dollars, or more. These higher-end models come equipped with multiple seats, storage, powerful engines, and technology throughout.
One of the most expensive jet skis available in 2020 was the Kawasaki ULTRA 310LX. This 310-horsepower beast of a vehicle started at around eighteen thousand dollars.
It was classed as a luxury jet ski, capable of seating three people at one time. It boasted an engine bigger than a lot of modern family vehicles: a 1.5-liter, petrol-injected motor.
This was a very fast craft, capable of reaching almost seventy miles-per-hour on the water.
So, how much would it cost to maintain a jet ski like this?
Racking Up The Bill
As we’ve explained already, there are some who’ll say renting a jet ski is preferential to ownership. You’ll avoid the year-round costs that come with maintenance, insurance, storage, and fuel costs.
The cost of renting a jet ski can be as little as a few dollars per hour. While you can tack on accessories and insurance premiums, it’s still a minor fraction of the cost of ownership.
One website goes as far as to compare jet ski ownership to that of owning a second, expensive car. They claim that jet ski ownership can cost up to twelve hundred dollars a year.
Like a car, you’ll need to carry out regular oil, battery, spark plug, and even light bulb changes. You’ll need to factor in weather-proofing your vehicle, including ‘winterizing’ the vessel.
There’s also the consideration of a gas stabilizer. This add-on will keep gas fresh in the fuel tank if you’re planning on storing the jet ski for a while.
Finally, there’s servicing – you must service your jet ski regularly or run the risk of missing a developing issue.
The costs of these services can be staggering when compared with the same service on a car. The reasoning behind this is that a jet ski is a specialty vehicle and the mechanics that repair them are few and far between.
An oil change will reportedly cost anywhere from two hundred to five hundred dollars. Even if you change the oil and associated parts yourself, it can cost as much as one hundred and seventy-five dollars.
The batteries that go in a jet ski cost around one hundred dollars, and that’s before the labor costs of changing it. Winterizing your vessel could be as much as seven hundred dollars with a licensed repairman.
Inevitable
It’s worth considering that the jet ski is an adventure craft. It’s built to travel at high speeds across open water and be pushed to the limit with every use.
Therefore, it stands to reason that you’ll be racking up a considerable bill every time you take it out on the water. It’s inevitable that there will be damage to the hull with every use, particularly if you use it in a rough manner.
You can apparently repair scratches, gouges, and even dents yourself, but if you crack or split the hull it will need specialty repairs.
Although, it’s almost ridiculous to ask that you take it easy on something as exhilarating as a jet ski.