Jet Ski Cover Tips and Common Questions

If you’re a jet ski owner, you know the unmatched thrill of riding the waves, feeling the rush of speed and freedom.

But as much as you love your watercraft, it needs protection from the elements. That’s where the often-overlooked hero comes in—the jet ski cover.

In this post, I’ll go into the important role of jet ski covers in protecting your jet ski from sun, rain, debris, and other potential hazards.

Do Jet Skis Need A Cover?

Getting a cover for your jet ski is one of the best things you can do to protect them and keep them looking good.

Here is a list of why you should have a cover on your jet ski.

1. Protects it from the sun – The sun will fade and crack the fiberglass, plastic and the vinyl of your jet ski.
2. Helps keep some rain off – Rainwater is not the cleanest water, and it will leave water sports. Even worse, the footwells of most jet skis hold water and attract bugs and animals to your watercraft. This is a huge reason to have a cover on your jet ski!
3. Keeps bird droppings off – Birds love to poop on things, and your jet ski is no different. The bird poop has acid in it, and it will eat the paint and plastic parts of your jet ski, leaving a mark behind.
4. Keeps small animals away – small animals like mice love hiding spots and the inside of your jet ski is perfect, but keep a cover on it, and they have a hard time getting in.
5. Cuts down on theft – Some jet skis are easier to steal than others, but it’s hard to tell when a cover is on it. The jet ski also tends to blend in better to the background, as the covers are often bland colors.
6. Keeps it cleaner – Boats just get dirty, and when they sit they attract grime and other gunk. The footwells of jet skis are the perfect place for gunk to build, and keeping a cover on your jet ski cuts down on the cleaning.

The picture above shows a jet ski that was not covered enough, and now the seat is splitting and black mold marks all over it. Some of the black marks won’t come off because it’s damaged by the sun.

Best Jet Ski Cover?

The best jet ski cover is one that is made for your exact jet ski, or the manufacturer’s cover.

I suggest getting a cover for your cover when it comes to long-term storage.

To get the full details on the best jet ski cover, I have a guide that will help.

How To Put On A Jet Ski Cover

Putting on a jet ski cover is tricky for most people, especially when on the dock.

Here are the universal steps to putting on a jet ski cover:

1. Make sure the jet ski and seat are dry before putting the cover on.
2. Expand the jet ski cover and look for the handlebar section.
3. Throw the cover over the jet ski and put the handlebar section of the cover on the handlebars of your jet ski. Sometimes the cover has markings that let you know it’s the handlebars and not the mirrors.
4. Pull the front of the cover over the nose.
5. Pull the rear of the cover over the rear seat.
6. At the rear, pull the right side of the rear cover onto the right rear of the jet ski.
7. Pull the left rear of the cover to the left side, this may be the tightest spot.

The trick is to do the handlebars first, then the nose and lastly the rear. Going any other direction will frustrate you.

If you’re on a dock or a drive-up lift and having a hard time, you can do the handlebars first, then the rear, but it will be hard getting the nose of the cover over the nose of the PWC for manufacturer covers.

Do Jet Skis Come With Covers?

Not every jet ski comes with a cover, it’s mostly the higher-end models or the limited edition models that come with a cover.

When buying a new jet ski, make sure you haggle for the cover, as that is when you’re going to get the best deal on one. Shoot, haggle on two, as you’ll need a new one in 3 years anyway, and they don’t get cheaper. Just have to store it for 3 years, seal it in plastic and you’ll be fine.

When Should You Cover Your Jet Ski?

You should cover your jet ski when you’re done riding it for the day.

Going a few days without covering your jet ski is fine, but I would not make a habit of it.

If you don’t cover your jet ski, the fiberglass and plastic will fade, and the seats will start to tear. You can put protectants on the fiberglass, plastic and vinyl, but a cover is simply the best protection you have.

It will be the cover that fades and tears apart and not the jet ski, which means you’ll need to replace it every 3 to 5 years.

Is A Sea-Doo Cover Worth It?

Sea-Doo, Yamaha and Kawasaki all sell their own jet ski covers that fit your watercraft perfectly.

The cover you get from the manufacturer will be the best cover you can get for your jet ski, but it’s often the most expensive. You want something that is a tight fit to stop the elements from destroying your jet ski.

One solution is to buy the manufacturer’s cover, but then get a cheaper cover to put over that cover to extend the life of the good cover. I do this for long-term storage of my jet ski and it really helps a lot.

Why Don’t Jet Ski Covers Last?

The thing about covers is that they will last anywhere from 3 to 5 years if you’re lucky.

But this is a good thing.

You want your cover to look bad because your jet ski would have looked that bad, or worse, if you didn’t have a cover. It’s cheaper, and easier to replace a cover, than fix or detail your jet ski.

Why Are Jet Ski Covers So Expensive?

It’s a fact that jet ski covers do go up in price every year, just like most things.

Since you’ll need to get a new jet ski cover every 3 to 5 years, it might be worth it to look at affordable covers. You can get some affordable covers online, which is great news! But these covers are not the same thing you would get at most dealerships.

The covers made by the manufacturer are excellent covers. Most of these covers will have a thicker material that holds up better, and some even go as far as having cotton padding to protect the hood and such.

Probably the biggest perk of getting a cover that is made for your watercraft is that it’s usually easier to put on. Most Sea-Doo covers will have cotton padding; this tells you that this is the front of the cover. You drape the cover over and align up the handlebars. Put the nose on next and come around the rear for complete coverage. The manufacturer’s cover will fit like a glove and won’t require any complicated ratcheting. Another big perk is that most of these covers are well-thought-out that they have zippers that allow you to get to the gas fill and many other compartments of the watercraft.

The picture above is of my Sea-Doo Spark with its cover, and as talked about, it has a zipper around the seat, so I can fill up the gas tank or get to the glove box without taking the cover completely off.

You can buy universal fitting jet ski covers online that are cheaper than the manufacturer. The fit won’t be as good as the manufacturer, but that is a plus because I use them to put over my good cover. I use universal jet ski covers* to protect my good cover, as they’re easier and cheaper to replace than the Sea-Doo covers. The image below gives you an idea of how I do long-term storage with a universal cover over my Sea-Doo cover.

Can I Tow With My Jet Ski Cover On?

This is more of a personal taste, but I recommend not towing your jet ski with the cover on, especially on short trips.

No matter how good the cover fits and snugs up to the jet ski, I’ve seen them fly off. And when they do fly off Its when you’re going down the interstate, and it always flies to the other side of the road and lands in a mud puddle (from my own personal experiences)

For long rides, I find the cover rubs the plastic and other parts of the jet ski raw. The constant wind pressure also stretches and wears the covers out quicker, too.

The counter-argument is that people leave the covers on to keep the watercraft from getting dirty or rocks hitting them. This is a very valid argument.

I have found a middle ground when it comes to this problem.

To get the best of both worlds, I would wrap friction points under the cover with a microfiber rag and throw a ratchet strap across the middle of the jet ski to keep it from completely flying off.

How To Wash Jet Ski Covers

Before you even consider washing your cover, you need to be honest with yourself. If the cover feels brittle, has holes, super moldy or 3 to 5 years old, then it is time for a new cover.

Here are the steps to clean a jet ski cover:

1. Lay the jet ski cover on a flat, clean surface.
2. Spray the cover with mold and mildew stray cleaner made for boats.
3. Let the spray sit for a minute.
4. Scrub using a hard bristle brush.
5. Rinse the cleaner off.

Some of the black spots won’t come off, even they look like mold, it’s not, and it’s damaged materials from the sun. It’s better for your cover to look this and not your jet ski, it means your cover is working!

If the black spots bug you, then use a magic eraser, but it can be too aggressive to very worn out covers, so tread lightly.

Can You Put A Jet Ski Cover In The Washing Machine?

I don’t suggest putting your jet ski cover in the washing machine, especially if you have a center agitator.

Newer side load washing machines will “fine” on a gentle cycle for newer covers, but it’s not going to clean as well as you think. If the cover is old and brittle, the washing machine will destroy it and overall, it’s not worth it.

You can fill up a bath tub or large bucket outside with water and Oxiclean* and let the cover soak for a bit. Always do a small hidden test spot before going too deep with Oxiclean, every cover reacts differently.

NEVER put the cover in the dryer, only hang it outside to dry.

You can try your local laundromat to see what they can do, they may surprise you or look at you funny.

Just note that mechanical washing of jet ski covers is not ideal and can destroy them if you’re not careful. A good soaking or rinse off with the hose is the best you’re going to get, and if the cover is too bad, then it’s time for a new one.

How To Extend The Life Of Jet Ski Covers

If you want to extend the life of your jet ski cover, you need to put a protectant or Fabric Guard* on it.

A lot of the stains come from the water, bird poop, and other gunk that hits the cover. A fabric guard will help protect your cover and extend its life longer than not using it.

Jet Ski Cover Is Too Tight!

When you get a new jet ski cover, especially one from the manufacturer, it can be hard to put on. This is very common. You want a tight cover if you intend to tow it behind your truck, but just like shoes, the cover needs to be broken in.

Make sure to put the handlebars on first, then the nose, and lastly the rear.

If you try to put the cover on the rear first, then it’s going to feel impossible. It’s always the handlebars, then the nose, and the rear. Any other way and you’ll be yelling and cussing the cover.

If it’s a brand-new cover, I like to lay it out in the sun for a couple of hours before I put it on so that it stretches out a bit. This can make putting the cover on so much easier.

Plus, the cover will get easier to put on overtime, just like how shoes get easier to put on overtime.

Where Can You Get Jet Ski Covers?

You can get jet ski covers from your local dealer or online.

We have created a guide to help you find the best cover that fits your jet ski here.