Jet ski top speed has got to be the most common question I get asked.
The top speed of a jet ski can vary from 40 to 70 mph, depending on the model.
The fastest a stock jet ski can go is 70 mph due to a gentleman’s agreement with the US coast guard. However, jet skis delivered outside the United States don’t always have this 70 mph limit and can often go slightly faster.
The average jet ski speed is 57 mph, but many new riders never go beyond 40 mph as they learn the ropes. Doing 40 mph on a jet ski feels like doing 80 mph in your car and shocks many new riders.
Modified jet skis can reach speeds over 100+ mph. The fastest modified jet ski goes a little over 120 mph.
Jet Ski Top Speed Chart
2023 Sea-Doo, Yamaha and Kawasaki top speed (MPH), price, and horsepower rating.
Make | Model | Price | MPH | HP |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sea-Doo | Spark 2UP 60HP | $5,999 | 40 | 60 |
Sea-Doo | Spark 3UP 90HP | $7,299 | 49 | 90 |
Sea-Doo | Spark 2UP 90HP iBR | $7,699 | 49 | 90 |
Sea-Doo | Spark Trixx 2UP | $8,199 | 49 | 90 |
Sea-Doo | Spark 3UP 90HP iBR | $8,299 | 49 | 90 |
Sea-Doo | Spark Trixx 3UP | $8,799 | 49 | 90 |
Yamaha | EX | $7,599 | 50 | 100 |
Yamaha | EX SPORT | $8,899 | 50 | 100 |
Yamaha | EX DELUXE | $9,999 | 50 | 100 |
Yamaha | EX LIMITED | $10,599 | 50 | 100 |
Sea-Doo | FISH PRO SCOUT | $14,299 | 50 | 130 |
Yamaha | JETBLASTER | $10,699 | 51 | 110 |
Sea-Doo | GTI 130 | $10,699 | 52 | 130 |
Sea-Doo | GTI SE 130 | $11,499 | 52 | 130 |
Sea-Doo | Explorer Pro 170 | $16,799 | 52 | 170 |
Sea-Doo | FISH PRO SPORT | $17,299 | 52 | 170 |
Sea-Doo | FISH PRO TROPHY | $19,599 | 52 | 170 |
Yamaha | VX-C | $9,999 | 53 | 125 |
Yamaha | SUPERJET | $10,499 | 53 | 100 |
Yamaha | VX | $11,199 | 53 | 125 |
Yamaha | VX DELUXE | $12,099 | 53 | 125 |
Yamaha | VX CRUISER | $12,499 | 53 | 125 |
Yamaha | VX LIMITED | $13,699 | 53 | 125 |
Sea-Doo | WAKE 170 | $12,899 | 55 | 170 |
Sea-Doo | GTI SE 170 | $12,099 | 56 | 170 |
Kawasaki | STX 160 | $11,399 | 57 | 160 |
Kawasaki | STX 160X | $11,999 | 57 | 160 |
Kawasaki | STX 160LX | $13,699 | 57 | 160 |
Sea-Doo | GTX 170 | $13,999 | 58 | 170 |
Yamaha | FX HO | $15,399 | 58 | 180 |
Yamaha | FX CRUISER HO | $16,699 | 58 | 180 |
Kawasaki | SX-R | $11,599 | 59 | 150 |
Yamaha | VX CRUISER HO | $13,299 | 62 | 180 |
Yamaha | VX LIMITED HO | $14,999 | 62 | 180 |
Sea-Doo | GTR 230 | $14,099 | 63 | 230 |
Yamaha | GP1800R HO | $14,199 | 65 | 180 |
Sea-Doo | WAKE PRO 230 | $17,499 | 65 | 230 |
Sea-Doo | GTX 230 | $14,999 | 66 | 230 |
Yamaha | FX SVHO | $18,899 | 68 | 250 |
Yamaha | FX CRUISER SVHO | $19,399 | 68 | 250 |
Yamaha | FX LIMITED SVHO | $19,999 | 68 | 250 |
Yamaha | GP1800R SVHO | $16,499 | 70 | 250 |
Sea-Doo | RXP-X 300 | $16,799 | 70 | 300 |
Sea-Doo | GTX 300 | $17,499 | 70 | 300 |
Kawasaki | ULTRA 310X | $18,299 | 70 | 310 |
Sea-Doo | RXT-X 300 | $18,799 | 70 | 300 |
Sea-Doo | GTX Limited 300 | $18,899 | 70 | 300 |
Kawasaki | ULTRA 310LX-S | $19,299 | 70 | 310 |
Kawasaki | ULTRA 310LX | $20,299 | 70 | 310 |
Sea-Doo | RXP-X Apex 300 | $20,999 | 70 | 300 |
The top speed numbers come from personal experience and research.
Top speed may vary 5+/- mph with weight, altitude, fuel quality and water condition.
How To Make Your Jet Ski Faster!
There are several ways you can make your jet ski faster, from easy to hard, let’s cover them!
Easy Speed Increases
- Use the correct key or driving modes.
- Remove extra weight.
- Make sure the wear ring and impeller are not damaged.
- Make sure the supercharger is working if you have one.
- Run premium, non-ethanol gas.
- Get race sponsons.
- Speed control bypass, some models computers won’t let you go over a certain speed, so you need a module that bypasses the GPS signal.
- ECU Tuning. May require you to ship the ECU out or go somewhere to get it reprogrammed.
Hard Speed Increases
- RIVA kits.
- Buy a faster jet ski, some will only go so fast.
- Replace intake grate.
- Get a new impeller.
- Cold air-intake.
- Performance exhaust system.
If you have a supercharged jet ski, especially one that uses GPS for speed like a Sea-Doo, then getting the speed control bypass will be the easiest and fastest way to increase your jet skis top speed.
Keep in mind, some of these modifications will void your warranty.
Can You Make Your Jet Ski Slower?
Most jet ski models today have speed limiters that allow you to restrict the top speed.
For example, Sea-Doo has an ECO mode that limits top speed to 45 mph.
A lot of models even have a learning mode or learning key that can be programmed from 32 mph to 50 mph. The jet skis that can’t be programmed are stuck at 35 mph.
You also have more modes like Touring that makes the jet ski slower to take off but still gets to top speed. This is nice if you want to cruise and not launch out of the water.
These modes are not new; for example, Sea-Doo has Touring and Sport mode since 2009 and became more available after 2011.
That Doesn’t Sound Fast?
I do get a few people tell me 40 mph or 55 mph doesn’t sound fast.
While 40 mph in your car may not seem fast, on a jet ski, it feels like 80 mph.
I’ve had a few customers new to the sport who won’t go past 35 mph because it’s too fast for them. I remember my first time on a jet ski and being blown away by the pure take-off power.
You don’t have a roll cage around you like in a car, so you hear all the wind noises, and you sit a lot closer to the water, so it feels like you’re going faster than you are.
Don’t let the lower speeds confuse you; all jet skis you get today are fast. Jet ski manufacturers don’t fight over top speed, they fight over 0 to 30 mph and 0 to 50 mph numbers. Every jet ski you buy today feels like it jumps out of the water when you go full throttle! This is especially true for new riders.
I’m Sure My Jet Ski Does 100 MPH!?
I’ve had customers tell me their jet ski does over 100 mph stock.
There has never been a production model jet ski that has done over 70 mph from the factory.
What they’re confusing is MPH with KPH or KM/h.
100 KPH = about 60 MPH
And 60 mph is a standard top speed for many models. 57 mph is the average in the chart at the top.
Yamaha VS Sea-Doo VS Kawasaki
Of the leading 3 manufacturers, who makes the fastest jet ski?
Well, all 3 are capped at 70 mph due to a gentleman’s agreement with the coastguard.
Sea-Doo and Kawasaki are the only ones with 300 HP engines, but the racers love to use Yamaha.
Sea-Doo has the tech, Kawasaki has the bigger engine, and Yamaha has the hull.
Things are getting more interesting since Sea-Doo updated the RXP-X, and Yamaha has made some fine-tunes to the already great GP1800R SVHO. At the end of the day, it’s going to come down to personal preference. The manufacturers lay the groundwork, it’s the racers that do the impressive stuff.
I agree. At 45 mph on water, I feel like I am flying. 99% of my time on the water is spent going 35-40mph tops.
I realize there is a segment that is solely focused on speed. But when I am on a lake, most jet ski riders I observe are not going wide open. Most are cruising around, especially if they have a rider with them.