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

Let me go ahead and answer the question, the best time to get a jet ski is probably the worst time to buy one.

I know I wrote a little about this in a post here, but I wanted to go into more details about the best time to buy. It’s a bit more tricky than giving a simple date, let me explain.

The Best Time To Buy A Jet Ski

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

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

Why, might you ask?

That is when the jet ski 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.

I know that carmakers are a year ahead, and that can be confusing, but for the most part, jet skis current year models are the year you’re in now.

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 jet ski manufacturers that can determine the deals, but also the dealers too.

Some jet ski 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 jet ski 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 jet skis can come in as soon as January, but many new models can still be shipped out until the next year models start to ship.

The manufacturers used to stop around June or July, but after 2020 they keep trying to catch up with demand.

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 that is willing to sell it.

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 Jet Ski Prices Go Down In The Winter?

Most people don’t drive jet skis in the winter, so jet ski 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 jet ski 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 jet ski 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.

Can You Negotiate New Jet Ski Prices?

You can negotiate new jet ski prices, so long as demand is not too high.

If demand is high, jet ski prices will stay high because someone behind you is willing to pay more.

Jet skis have about 4% to 8% dealer markup, but it doesn’t mean you can expect that much off.

Jet skis don’t always have the nice hold-backs like car dealers have. You also have to factor in other things like freight, prep, doc, title and other fees. You can negotiate some dealer fees for jet skis, but it can be a hurdle, as covered here.

Every jet ski dealership is different, so I suggest getting quotes from the 3 nearest dealerships to get a good idea of real pricing and not what’s on the internet.

How Much Do Jet Skis Cost?

Jet ski prices tend to change every year, so that is why I create a post on jet ski prices here.

In that post, I have a calculator you can use to give you an idea of fees and other cost to get a jet ski.

Comparing Prices Online

I know no one likes to feel like they got a bad deal on something as expensive as a jet ski, but it’s important to remember that people lie a lot on the internet.

You’ll get the guy on the forms saying he got a jet ski for much lower than the quotes you get.

Please keep in mind that different regions will have different promotions depending on what is selling. Setting the various regions to the side, it’s important to remember people like to tell stories that make them look like the hero. We get this from all the movies and books we read in our lives; we just want our friends and even random strangers to know we won the battle.

While I’m not going to say that it’s not possible to get amazing deals – they’re out there – you can’t always believe what you read online.

Why Are Jet Skis So Expensive?

When I started working at a jet ski dealership in 2007, the most expensive jet ski cost about $13,000. Today, the most expensive jet ski goes for over $20,000!

Jet ski prices go up every year on most models due to inflation, but in the early 2020s they went more crazy.

People were stuck at home, had extra money, and everyone wanted a jet ski. When demand is high, prices go up, even on used jet skis. We also saw inflation go up more, which added to the problem.

Even in 2007 you could not get a jet ski for $5k, but people thought that is how much they cost. Even today, people still think new jet skis are cheap and often shocked when they see the real cost. Boats, in general, have gone up, along with everything. That is why the Spark was such a huge hit in 2014 when it started at $4,999 and brought more people into the sport.

Sadly, we won’t see cheap jet skis again and prices will only keep going up. This is why I say you should not time the market for jet skis as they never go down in price, even the jet ski trailer prices keep going up like crazy.

To add to it, people want bigger and bigger jet skis. The jet skis of today are much larger than the jet skis of the 90s. Jet skis are the size of a small boat, shoot, even boats are getting bigger and bigger because that is what people want.

The Full Picture

Don’t forget to get the complete picture when shopping for a jet ski. Never trust non-MSRP prices you see on dealer’s websites. The dealership can’t advertise below MSRP on current year models, but can make the price of last year’s model anything they want.

You’ll see lower, often crazy low prices on last year’s models. This is a selling technique to get you to call or email. Always get the final price in writing and remember that this can be a gamble. If you don’t live in the state that you bought from, you might not get the full promotions, and this is why I encourage people to buy from their closest dealership or one in their own state.

It’s more vital to purchase from your local dealership for the simple fact you’ll need to take it to someone you trust. You’ll need someone to service and work on it, and having someone near that is good is more ideal. It’s honestly worth the extra cost of buying from your local dealership, as they can be less hassle when something goes wrong.

After You Buy

After you have bought the jet ski, or even before you get one, you’ll need to make sure you have all the correct gear and tips.

I have a guide on the 107 must-have jet ski accessories and tips that will help you get on the right track for when it comes to jet ski know-how.