A stand is nice to have if you own a Sea-Doo, Yamaha, or a Kawasaki watercraft. Sometimes you need a jet ski off a trailer to work on it or storing it for the winter.
What kind you need to buy depends on what you’re doing with it, who will use it, and what type of jet skis you put on it.
I have compiled a list of the top stands and carts you can buy for your jet ski that work for most.
Listing The Ultimate Stands you can get for your PWC
When you want the ultimate jet ski stand, there is one name that comes to mind, Aquacarts! Not all watercraft stands are the same, some are a mess and make life so much harder. From the many options I’ve used, the best stand is the “Aquacarts AQ-19b“. Though, any stand you can buy will work, so long as you don’t go over the jet ski’s weight limit.
Below are what I consider the greatest options for stands listed out and at the very bottom will be a more affordable option, but there is a catch!
1. Aquacarts AQ-19b
Aquacarts makes some of the greatest stands for PWC’s on the market. The AQ-19b is actually one of my favorite stands to use, especially for getting the waverunner off a trailer.
Buy the AquaCart AQ-19b here. (Amazon Link Ad)
Features
- Tall enough to get off most trailers!
- Carpeted bunks to protect the hull.
- Large casters, makes it easier to roll around on many types of floors.
- Locking casters, so the machine won’t roll away when working on it.
- 1300 LBS capacity.
Weight Capacity
The weight capacity is about 1,300 POUNDS – that’s quite a lot!
To give you an idea, here is the weight of the heavier jet skis.
Make | Model | Weight (lbs) |
---|---|---|
Sea-Doo | GTX 230 | 805 |
Yamaha | FX SVHO | 818 |
Sea-Doo | GTX 300 | 819 |
Yamaha | FX Cruiser SVHO | 820 |
Yamaha | FX Limited SVHO | 822 |
Sea-Doo | RXT-X 300 | 829 |
Sea-Doo | WAKE 230 | 829 |
Yamaha | FX HO | 836 |
Yamaha | FX Cruiser HO | 838 |
Sea-Doo | GTX Limited 300 | 849 |
Sea-Doo | FISH PRO 170 | 858 |
Kawasaki | STX 160 | 864 |
Kawasaki | STX 160X | 864 |
Kawasaki | STX 160LX | 877 |
Kawasaki | ULTRA LX | 932 |
Kawasaki | ULTRA 310R | 1047 |
Kawasaki | ULTRA 310X | 1051 |
Kawasaki | ULTRA 310LX | 1073 |
For the full list of PWC weight, click here.
2. Aquacarts AQ-11
If you need a stand that is shorter to make it easier to work on or easier to display a watercraft, then you want the “Aquacart AQ-11“.
Made of aluminum, so it can withstand the outdoors better.
The one problem some might have is that it will be harder to take a watercraft off a trailer since it sits so low. If you have the manpower or equipment, then this is not a problem.
Get the Aquacart AQ-11 here. (Amazon Link Ad)
3. CE Smith Trailer Personal Watercraft (PWC) Dolly
If you have a stand-up, Sea-Doo Spark, Yamaha EX, or any lightweight simple watercraft then you don’t need anything fancy. This dolly will work just fine for your needs.
You could put a Sea-Doo GTI or Yamaha VX on it and be fine, but I would not go anything bigger.
Its smaller wheels are not ideal if you need to roll it around beyond your garage, so keep that in mind. And the lack of wheel locks means you need to keep it on level ground.
But for the money, it’s a great value for a metal jet ski dolly .
Get the CE Smith Trailer Personal Watercraft Dolly here. (Amazon Link Ad)
4. The DIY – Works for some smaller watercaft
The last option will be the cheapest, but not the easiest, you can make your own watercraft stand.
I’ve seen guys make stands out of PVC pipe, but unless you got a small stand-up jet ski, I don’t recommend it.
What I do suggest is making your own stands out of wood. If you got a saw, drill, bolts, washers and nuts, you can easily do this. A DIY stand won’t be as sturdy and durable as the stands we’ve covered so far, but they are easy and cheap to make.
Wooden stands are how many dealerships store their watercraft (even Sea-Doo uses wooden crates to ship them)! Below is the simplest design that many dealerships use.
The DIY Option At Some Dealerships
I see people overthink PWC stands, many dealerships use this simple design because it’s easy to build and cheap. It does have some downsides, but its simplicity can’t be beaten.
Using 4×4 and 2×4 construction lumber and L-brackets and bolts, you can make this simple stand.
You’ll want to use treated lumber to get the most life out of the stand, or paint them your favorite outdoor sealer. I suggest Thompson Water Seal (or Valspar deck stains, I’ve had good luck with them) if you want to protect the wood from the elements.
You’ll need two 2×4 pieces at 3 feet long and two 4×4 pieces at 2 feet long.
Every model is different, so you may need to adjust the sizes to fit yours. Use your trailer bunks as a guide to know how wide and deep you should make your stand.
This simple stand can be made using one 2x4x8 and one 4x4x6. At the time of writing this section, the lumber cost is about $15. Using screws, brackets and other items, you’ll be under $50 for the whole stand. Add casters to make it mobile and give it more height, make sure the casters can support the weight of the watercraft.
You can put carpeted padding (Amazon Link Ad) on the bunks if you want the extra protection, if not, then sand the insider corners as that is where the hull will touch.
Downsides With Going the Do It Yourself Routes
There are a few downsides to this simple DIY stand.
- It sits low to the ground, so if your trailer is high, it can be a pain for larger jet skis to get on and off the trailer. You can make it higher by using more 4×4 posts and building up, doing this will require longer screws to hold the 4×4 posts together.
- It doesn’t last as long, the lumber will decay overtime, even though it’s treated. Depending on where you keep it, you can get 3 to 5 years out of this stand.
- Requires some basic woodworking tools. You’ll need some basic tools to make this work, but it doesn’t get any simpler and cheaper than this design.
More Do It Yourself from other people
If you’re looking for a bigger, more heavy-duty PWC stand that sits higher, there are many videos that show you how below.
How to transfer a jet ski from trailer to a stand?!?!
If you need a jet ski stand or cart, you might be wondering how you move the thing from the trailer to the stand?
The ideal way to move one off a trailer and onto a cart is to slide it as shown in the video below.
The way dealerships do it is by using a forklift extensions or lift/crane. Not everyone has a forklift or a lift handy, so sliding is the next option.
Then, to get the jetski back on the trailer, you line it up in the back and using the ratchet bow hook you crank it onto the trailer.
Both ways are not easy, but using a few friends it’s not that hard. I don’t suggest doing it by yourself as it can be dangerous.
Where do you store your trailer when you’re not using it?
When you get the PWC off the trailer and to the stand, what’s next for the trailer?
Most people park the trailer in a spot away from everything else and prop the tires up so they don’t wear uneven when sitting for months.
I know a few people that will flip the trailer on it’s side so it takes up less space, but the trailers are heavy, so caution needs to be had.
The smart ones share a trailer – [as they don’t need it often] – most often only to put it in and out of the water.
Get a stand if you work on your jet ski, so much easier!
It was super common for the guys in the shop to want to take watercraft off their trailers because it’s so much easier to work on them. This was especially true for double trailers, as one side of the trailer could have another unit on it, making it harder to repair the one you’re working on.
If I’m doing a detail cleaning, I prefer to take my Sea-Doo off and put it on a stand, so I can better clean the underside.
It’s also harder for thieves to take your craft when it’s not on a trailer, so dollies and stands have plenty of benefits beyond what most people realize.
Wrap up
I’m big on do-it-yourself projects, as you can build exactly what you need. This means, at least for me and my needs, the most ideal stand I can get for my jet ski will be one I make.
There are so many options to customize a stand to fit your jet ski and your needs. Every one’s situation will be different, from the jet ski to where you keep them. I know guys who build custom stands that are stackable. So what is good for me is not ways good for you.
Just whatever you do, make sure the stand can support the weight of your jet ski.