Buying a Used Jet Ski: Complete UK Buyer’s Guide

Buying a Used Jet Ski: What to Check Before You Buy

Buying a used jet ski can save you a lot of money, but it can also become very expensive very quickly if you buy the wrong one.

A ski can look immaculate in a Facebook advert and still have problems hiding underneath. On the other hand, a slightly scruffy ski with good history and an owner who's clearly looked after it can be a much better buy.

The trick is knowing what actually matters.

If you're looking at your first ski, don't get too hung up on shiny plastics, stickers and aftermarket bits. I'd be far more interested in how it's been maintained, where it's been used and whether the seller can prove what's been done to it.

Here's what I'd check.

Start with the service history

Before looking too closely at the ski itself, ask about its history.

When was it last serviced?

Who serviced it?

At what engine hours?

Has anything major been replaced?

Are there invoices?

A folder full of receipts is a very good sign. It doesn't guarantee the ski is perfect, but it tells you the owner has actually spent money maintaining it.

Be a little more cautious with answers like:

"It's always been looked after."

"My mate services it."

"It doesn't need servicing because I barely use it."

That doesn't necessarily mean there's a problem, but I'd want to see something to back it up.

A properly maintained higher-hour ski can be a much safer buy than a low-hour machine that's spent years sitting around with very little attention.

Read our guide to jet ski servicing.

How many hours is too many?

This is probably one of the first questions everyone asks.

There isn't really a magic number.

Engine hours matter, but they're only part of the story.

I'd rather buy a ski with 100 hours that's been serviced regularly, flushed after salt-water use and stored properly than one with 35 hours that's been neglected.

Low hours aren't automatically good either.

A ski that's spent most of its life sitting unused can still end up with battery problems, stale fuel, corrosion and deteriorated hoses or seals.

Look at the hours alongside the age and condition of the machine.

If something is ten years old with incredibly low hours, I'd want to know why.

Look closely around the engine bay

Open the seat and actually spend some time looking inside.

You're looking for signs of neglect rather than expecting everything to look brand new.

Check for:

• obvious corrosion

• rust around fasteners and clamps

• oil or fluid leaks

• damaged wiring

• loose hoses

• water sitting in the hull

• salt deposits

• badly corroded battery terminals

• anything that looks recently bodged together

A little surface corrosion on an older salt-water ski isn't necessarily the end of the world.

Heavy corrosion everywhere is different.

It usually tells you something about how the ski has been treated.

A clean engine bay isn't proof of perfect maintenance either. Anyone can clean one before putting it up for sale, so look beyond how shiny it is.

Check the hull properly

Don't just walk around it from five feet away.

Get underneath if you can.

Scratches are normal, especially on skis that have been launched from beaches or regularly put on trailers.

What you don't want to find is major cracking, poorly repaired fibreglass, obvious impact damage or sections of the hull that look noticeably different from the surrounding area.

Look around the keel and rear of the ski in particular.

Ask about any repairs you spot.

A professional hull repair isn't automatically a reason to walk away, but you want to know why it was repaired and who did it.

Look at the pump and impeller

The jet pump is easy to forget about when you're excited about buying a ski.

It's also quite important.

Look through the intake underneath and check the condition of the impeller if you can see it.

Heavy damage to the blades can affect performance.

You should also look for debris, damage around the intake grate and anything that suggests the ski has sucked up stones or other objects.

If you're not confident checking this yourself, it can be worth having someone who knows jet skis look over the machine before you buy it.

Ask where it's been used

Fresh water and salt water aren't the same thing.

There's nothing wrong with buying a ski that's been used in the sea — most UK skis probably have been at some point.

What matters is how it was looked after afterwards.

Ask the seller if it was flushed after salt-water use and how they cleaned it.

If a ski has spent years in salt water without being rinsed or maintained properly, corrosion can become a much bigger issue.

Read our guide to caring for your jet ski.

Check whether it's supercharged

Not every jet ski is supercharged, but if the one you're looking at is, find out exactly what engine and model you're buying.

Different models and model years can have different maintenance requirements.

Ask whether any supercharger work has been carried out and whether there's paperwork for it.

Don't rely on something you read in a Facebook comment that applies to a completely different year or engine.

If you're unsure, check the manufacturer's information for that exact machine or speak to a specialist.

Find jet ski supercharger specialists.

Start it from cold if possible

If you're going to view a ski, I'd prefer the engine to be cold when I arrive.

There's a reason for that.

Some problems are much easier to hide once an engine has already been warmed up.

If the seller has had it running for half an hour before you arrive, I'd at least ask why.

Listen to how it starts.

Does it struggle?

Are there warning lights?

Does anything sound obviously wrong?

Don't start revving a ski aggressively on a trailer either. You're trying to check it, not prove how loud it is.

A water test is much better than listening to it on a trailer

A jet ski can sound absolutely fine sitting on a trailer and behave completely differently once it's under load on the water.

If possible, test it properly.

Pay attention to how it accelerates, whether it reaches power cleanly, how it steers and whether you notice any unusual vibration.

Check the reverse and braking system if fitted.

Watch for warning messages.

After the ride, have another look inside the hull and make sure it hasn't suddenly filled with water.

If a seller won't allow any sort of water test on an expensive ski, I'd want a very good reason.

Check the display and electronics

Turn everything on and make sure it actually works.

Check the display, trim system if fitted, reverse, electronic braking, steering controls and any other features specific to the model.

Try both keys if there are two.

Modern jet skis have far more electronics than older machines, and seemingly small electrical problems can sometimes be surprisingly expensive to sort out.

Don't forget the trailer

It's very easy to think of the trailer as something that just comes with the ski.

You're going to be towing it down the motorway, so it's worth checking.

Look at the tyres, bearings, winch, hitch, rollers or bunks, frame and lights.

Check for serious corrosion.

Ask when the bearings were last serviced.

If the tyres are ancient and cracked, factor replacements into what you're willing to pay.

A cheap jet ski isn't such a bargain if you immediately need to spend hundreds sorting out the trailer.

Check the paperwork

Make sure the person selling the ski actually has the right to sell it.

Check any available ownership documentation and make sure identification numbers on the machine haven't obviously been tampered with.

Ask for receipts or evidence of purchase if available.

If the story surrounding the ski feels strange, don't ignore that feeling just because the price is good.

There will always be another jet ski for sale.

Be careful with heavily modified skis

Modified jet skis aren't automatically bad buys.

Some are built extremely well.

Others aren't.

If the ski has been remapped, fitted with performance parts or significantly modified, find out exactly what's been done.

Ask who carried out the work.

Ask whether the seller still has the original parts.

Ask what fuel it needs.

Most importantly, don't assume that because someone has spent thousands modifying a ski, the modifications have automatically made it more valuable or reliable.

If you're buying your first ski, a fairly standard machine with good history is often the simpler option.

Don't buy purely on looks

Graphics, seats, handlebars and shiny parts are easy to see.

Maintenance isn't.

I'd happily take a ski with a few scratches and faded plastics if everything mechanical checked out.

Cosmetic bits can usually be sorted later.

An engine rebuild is slightly less fun.

Should you get a jet ski inspected before buying?

If you're spending a substantial amount of money and you're not confident checking the ski yourself, yes — it's worth considering.

A specialist may be able to run diagnostics, check for stored fault codes, inspect the engine and pump and spot things you simply wouldn't know to look for.

You're never going to remove every bit of risk from buying something used, but spending a little before buying can save you spending a lot afterwards.

Find jet ski diagnostics specialists.

What should you ask the seller?

You don't need to interrogate them.

A normal conversation can tell you quite a lot.

I'd want to know:

• How long have you owned it?

• Why are you selling it?

• Where do you normally ride?

• When was it last serviced?

• Who services it?

• Has it ever had any engine work?

• Has the hull ever been repaired?

• Has it ever taken on water?

• Are there any current faults?

• What modifications have been made?

• Is there paperwork for the work?

• When was the trailer last maintained?

You don't necessarily need perfect answers to everything.

You're mainly looking for whether the history makes sense.

Walk away if something doesn't feel right

This is probably the most useful advice in the whole guide.

Don't convince yourself to buy a questionable ski because you've travelled two hours to see it.

Don't buy it because it's the colour you wanted.

And don't let somebody pressure you because "three other people are coming to see it tonight."

There are plenty of jet skis out there.

If the history doesn't add up, the seller is avoiding straightforward questions or you find something you're uncomfortable with, go home.

Missing out on a bargain is much cheaper than buying somebody else's problem.

So, what makes a good used jet ski?

For me, it would be fairly simple.

Good service history.

A seller who can answer sensible questions.

No obvious serious corrosion or damage.

Everything works.

The ski behaves properly on the water.

The paperwork makes sense.

And ideally, evidence that it's been maintained by somebody who knows what they're doing.

Don't obsess over finding the ski with the absolute lowest engine hours.

Look for the one that's been looked after.

That's normally the much better place to start.

Looking for a Used Jet Ski?

If you're ready to start looking, browse UK jet ski dealers and specialists through JetSki Directory.

Find Jet Ski Dealers in the UK