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How Shallow Can A Jet Ski Go Without Destroying Your Pump

No one tells you that lake water will go up and down, especially where I live, when you’re new to boating. I ride mostly on Lake Norman, which is a man-made lake that cools a nuclear power plant. They can raise and lower the lake as they need it, or better yet, lower it. The lack of rainfall can affect the level, just like other bodies of water.

When this happens, like clock work, I see tons of people sucking up debris. From sand, rocks and sticks to odd things like snakes and maps.

Most people new to jet skis don’t know that just because there is no out drive, it doesn’t mean you can go wherever you want on the lake. There is a certain clearance under your watercraft that you must keep. There is a lot to unpack here, so let’s get to it.

How Shallow Can you Go?

A jet ski needs at least 3 feet of water under it before turning the engine on.

They can float in a few inches, but great care needs to be had when in shallow areas when the engine is on.

The jet drive is a giant vacuum that will suck up anything in its way. This includes sand, rocks and more that will clog your pump and stop the engine. Even driving quickly over shallow spots can wreak havoc on the jet pump.

My general rule, if the water is below average waist height, the engine is off.

What To Do If You Suck Something UP?

If you started your engine in shallow waters, then you most likely suck something up.

The bad news is that you need to take the craft back to the repair shop to let them fix it. Often, the wear ring gets damaged along with the impeller, especially if it was rocks. All this requires taking the pump apart and replacing these pieces.

Sometimes you can shake the PWC or rock it side to side to dislodge anything in the pump while in the water, but it doesn’t always work. The craft needs to be taken out of the water and sent in for repairs.

Tips For Starting In Shallow Water

To keep from sucking up debris while in shallow water, there are a few things I like to do.

I like to get the jet ski about waist deep, around 3 feet, and then hop on. When getting on the machine from the back, I will kick off a little bit to get to deeper waters. Once in deeper waters, I turn the engine on.

I also watch out for grassy areas, as the pump can and will suck that up.

What About Beaching?

If you plan on beaching the craft, the shore line will approach fast, and you need to know when to kill the engine.

The same rules apply, but I tend to kill the engine when I can see the bottom and coast in. If you’re shutting the engine off by the time you stop, it’s far too late.

Even better is to anchor the PWC out and use a screw anchor to keep it in place, as shown below.

Author

Steven

I started working at a power sports dealership in 2007, I worked in parts, service counter, and as a technician before moving to sales in 2013. I created StevenInSales.com in 2014 to answer common watercraft questions I would get from people. Now managing the site full-time, I continue to provide advice and web tools for my readers about watercraft. I've owned several watercraft, with a Sea-Doo Spark as my current main PWC.

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