Best Time To Buy A Jet Ski – It’s Not What You Expect!

The Absolute Best Time To Buy

The best time of year to buy is in August or September.

Those two months will be the golden months to get a great deal.

Why, might you ask?

That is when the manufacturers release the new models for next year. So if it’s 2023, they’ll be releasing the 2024’s around August to September 2023.

Why August or September?

August or September are not set in stone as being the time to purchase.

What determines it is when they release the new jet ski for the new year. For all we know, they could change it up and release next year’s models in June, so keep that in mind.

For the most part, it’s always been between August or September.

Right before the release of the new models, the manufacturer wants the dealers to sell as many of the last year’s models as possible so that they’ll buy the latest models. With that in mind, the manufacturer cranks out better rebates and warranties that you don’t see often.

But There’s A Catch!

While it’s often that the manufacturer will release some great promotions during August or September, it doesn’t mean it will be great all the time.

Sometimes the market is good, and many dealers don’t have much stock, so they don’t need to give many incentives. We saw this in 2020 to even now because of the world shutting down.

Other times the market is bad, and dealers have a lot of inventory, so they need to give great rebates. We saw this during the 2008 recession and a few years after.

Just like the stock market, it’s not best to time the jet ski market. Some years are good, and some are bad.

What controls when it’s the right time to buy is often when no one is buying.

Like in the winter months or off seasons. You’re going to find the best time to buy when the season is ending or is in the off season. The catch is that when it’s the off season, it’s not the best time to ride a jet ski, as it’s usually cold. Though, you can get some gear to make riding in the cold not so bad.

The Curveball

The good news is that you’ll get curveballs sometimes. Either before the season starts or in the dead heat of it, you’ll find that manufacturers will come out with some great promotions.

Make sure to know the promotions before buying a jet ski, check out the manufacturer’s websites here…

• Sea-Doo
• Yamaha
• Kawaski

I’ve seen some crazy good promotions given in the middle of the jet ski season, either because sales were slow or sales were good. The jet ski gods decided to sell – sell – sell!

Don’t Forget The Dealers

It’s not just the manufacturers that can determine the deals, but also the dealers too.

Some dealers get models they can’t simply sell and if another dealership won’t buy it, they’ll discount it to customers. You also have some dealerships who have a lot of competition around them and price the jet skis to move.

Most dealerships have a floor plan, meaning they finance the models on the floor.

After a certain period, the finance company starts to charge interest and then the dealership often wants those model to be sold.

The models that are the most trouble for dealerships are the leftover models. While still new, the dealership has carried over the model to the next year. The manufacturer will often have rebates, but it’s not guaranteed. I’ve seen a few jet skis that simply won’t sell, so figure those models out to get the best deal.

When Do They Ship The New PWCs?

New jet skis get shipped to Australia first, as their summer is the US’s winter.

For the US, new models can come in as soon as January, but many new models can still be shipped out until the next year models start to ship.

Dealerships are allotted so many units, and if the dealership doesn’t have the one you need, they can often get it from another dealership.

The best way to get your name on a jet ski is to leave a deposit.

Worst Time To Buy?

There is not a bad time to purchase a jet ski, but you can time the market wrong. Just like everything in life, when there is more demand than supply, prices go up. If you want a jet ski that has a lot of demand but little supply, you’re usually not going to get the best deal possible.

But why do they do it like that? Well, you may not want to pay that much for the watercraft, but the next guy will since the demand for it is so high.

The right timing can also play in your favor. Every region will have different promotions, so the person in Tennessee will have different promotions than the person in New Mexico. It’s important not to worry or concern yourself with what others are getting for their jet ski but concern yourself with what’s selling and not selling if all you care about is the price.

Note: If you really want a jet ski, and it's the heat of the season, and the dealership has it in stock, then buy it. I've seen many people try to time it right and when they usually wait the models are gone for the rest of the year, and another one can't be located. Just like money, time is a precious resource, but one you can't get back. Sometimes it's better to bite the bullet and buy now and enjoy the summer with your family than it is to find that one golden nugget of a good deal. Also, these things don't get cheaper later; they always go up in price every year. 

Do Prices Go Down In The Winter?

Most people don’t drive jet skis in the winter, so dealerships tend to lower prices around that time.

While prices go down during the winter months, it’s not always a guarantee.

If demand is still high, like seen during the early 2020s, jet ski prices will stay high.

During normal times, jet ski prices tend to go down in the winter as demand is low and dealerships are looking to make money.

Buy In Winter – Where To Store?

If you buy a jet ski during the winter, you might be wondering how that goes, and how do you store it?

It was common for customers to buy a jet ski during the winter as that was when we had the best deals or the customer simply was not ready for it until next year.

For new jet skis that were pre-sold, we marked them as such and kept them in the crates. You want to keep them in the crates because it keeps the clean, and they’re winterized.

The customer would pick a date, often giving a week or two heads-up, and take deliver then.

Often, the trailer would not get assigned yet and if they did not have the jet ski in stock, they would still mark it as sold in their systems.

Overall, the dealership will gladly store your new jet ski until you’re ready to take deliver next year. This was especially true if you paid for them in full. Though, the financing will not happen until you take delivery.