Your cell phone is probably the most important thing you keep on you at all times. So, it only makes sense to carry it with you everywhere you go, even when jet skiing!
Where you keep your phone is important, you don’t want it to get wet or damaged while riding.
I’ve created a list of all the best places to keep your phone when jet skiing and tips I’ve learned through the years!
1. Built-In Phone Holder
Since 2018, the larger Sea-Doo watercraft have had a padded phone holder that is watertight inside the glove box.
Both Yamaha and Kawasaki also have places to keep your phone dry and protected too, but just like Sea-Doo, it’s not on every model.
Kawasaki phone storage above, Yamaha waverunner phone storage below. Both in their glove boxes.
What’s great about the built-in phone-storage is that many models allow you to connect directly to the PWC like you would with your car and play music, get directions, or even take calls.
Here is how the Sea-Doo BRP Connect works:
2. Glove Box
The next best place to store your phone is in the glove box.
If you have one that has the storage built in like in the last section, that is located in the glove box. Everyone else without the built-in option can still use the glove box.
What’s important is that you put the thing in a protective container. Glove boxes on jet skis can be huge, and you don’t want it bouncing around and damaging your screen.
I suggest a protective hard case that is also waterproof (Amazon Link Ad).
Many of these cases allow you to store your phone, wallet, boater’s license and anything important. Then you keep this case in your glove box for easy access to your items.
Important: Make sure to buy a case that is a bright color, don’t do dark colors because if it falls in the water it’s much harder to find. It needs to be BRIGHT, just like your life jackets need to be bright!
3. Dry Bag
Not every watercraft has a large enough glove box, but many of them have plenty of storage in the front.
When storing your phone, I suggest getting a dry box like in the last section, but to group everything together, I suggest putting the dry box into a dry bag.
A dry bag is larger and softer, but you can fit more items in it. I keep a spare shirt and a small towel in mine to add padding, but I also have a hard case dry box for my phone.
You could use a book bag, but it needs to be one that is watertight and dries quickly. Normal bookbags get soggy and moldy, so I don’t recommend them to people!
The picture above is my bright orange dry bag floating in the water to show its water tight and easy to spot. I love this thing and something I always carry with me when riding my Sea-Doo. In fact, it’s already packed before getting near the machine – I’ve learned this less the hard way!
4. Under Seat Storage
Yamaha waverunners are more popular about having dry under seat storage on most models.
Sea-Doo has a few and so does Kawasaki, but not anywhere near as much as Yamaha.
While you have many models with under seat storage, it’s not my go-to suggestion for phone storage. You want to have your phone near you, and to get to the under seat storage means taking the seat off. To get the seat off, you or the passenger needs to get off the seat, and it’s a real balancing act!
But if you want the driest place to keep your phone, it still needs to be in a protective case, under seat storage will be it.
Note: It does get warm near the engine, so not the best spot on hot days.
5. Armband Phone Holder
You can buy armband phone holders (Amazon Link Ad) that strap to your arm and keep your phone near-by.
I like this idea, mostly because your phone is easy to get to, and you can hear it better if it starts to ring.
There are downsides, one is that these cases are not water tight, so if your phone can’t handle getting wet it’s a no-go. The last problem is that it’s not as secure as the other options, but people wear these things when running and mountain biking, so it’s not that bad.
If done right, it’s the prefect solution for navigating the lake, as you can use your phone GPS.
6. External Storage
All the manufacturers are coming out with more add-ons for watercraft like never before.
One such example is external storage and cooler bags.
7. Life Jacket With Pockets
You can buy life jackets with pockets (Amazon Link Ad) to use on a jet ski and keep your phone in. (Yeah, many people don’t know it’s a thing!)
It’s not common for every life jacket to have pockets, and to be honest, it’s silly that they don’t. I mean, come on! This is such a huge selling feature!
When buying a life jacket for a jet ski, it’s important it’s a TYPE III. It’s dangerous to use anything else for jet skiing and water sports.
I also suggest getting life jackets with the bottom hooks that allow you to attach the safety lanyard.