Jet Ski or Boat – Which One Do You Buy?

Jet skis have revolutionized water recreation, offering an exhilarating experience that sets them apart from traditional boats.

While both provide access to the water, they cater to distinct preferences and priorities.

For new riders venturing into the realm of water sports, smaller watercraft often present an enticing alternative, offering unique features and advantages that appeal to thrill-seekers and enthusiasts alike.

Let’s delve into the distinctive characteristics that differentiate them and explore why they might be the preferred choice for those new to the water!

Boat or Jet Ski… buy the jet skis!

Why?

• Simple, I’ve learned that the only people who asked me this question never owned, either. 
• This is someone new to all, and of the two, a PWC is a way easier for a beginner.

There are many pros and cons to owing both, so let’s go over them below.

The Pros To Having A Jet Ski

1. They’re Cheaper

Sure, they can cost can over to $20K, but it’s still more affordable than a boat.

And if you could find boats for under $20K, it wouldn’t be anywhere near the reliability and coolness.

Prices of boats, like everything, have gone way up; watercraft prices have gone up too, but at least they’re still cheaper. With the cost of everything going up, it makes more sense to get started small.

Even a used craft can be found that is in good shape at a great price to let you get your “feet wet” and find out if boating is for you.

2. Jet Skis Are Simpler To Drive

If you’ve never been either one before, you’ll find modern watercraft easier to drive and more forgiving.

Many watercraft you get today have brakes, and it makes docking and driving a lot easier. Brakes are not new, Sea-Doo had it in 2009, Yamaha since 2015, and Kawasaki in 2022.

PWCs don’t have transmissions (not in the way you think), so there is no shifting gears and no moment when you’re not in control. When the engine is on its processing water and doing something, you can even steer in neutral.

You don’t have this type of control in boats, you’re doing a lot more on boats to maintain this level of control.

3. There Are No Exposed Impellers

PWCs don’t have any exposed impellers as boats do!

Yes, those spinning blades of death are tucked away inside.

I still recommend turning the engine off before you get near the jet pump. Also, keep your fingers and limbs away from the impeller, too.

Since there are no exposed impellers, I find myself using that over a boat for pull sports like tubing. You still have to worry about sucking up the rope, but I have a guide on that and how to stop it here.

4. Maintenance is Not As Complex or as expensive

They’re simpler.

They don’t have a traditional transmission like a car or boat; instead, it uses a small bucket at the rear to control thrust by directing water flow. In contrast, boats have complex transmissions with gears that require maintenance and can make unsettling sounds when shifted.

Boats also have more moving parts, often using adapted truck engines, that means…

• Belts and various components need regular replacement.
• Watercraft engines are more straightforward, akin to lawn mower engines, with no exposed rubber belts and fewer cylinders and spark plugs to worry about!

Servicing jet skis is typically cheaper and more accessible due to their smaller engines.

Additionally, owning a PWC can lead to lower expenses for:

• Gas
• Insurance
• Towing
• And other factors compared to owning a boat!

5. Cleaning Is A Breeze and less to clean, too!

Cleaning is a breeze in comparison. Boats require extensive cleaning, involving removing seats and dealing with carpets, especially when preparing for the season.

Boats act like giant buckets that accumulate leaves and debris, even with a cover, and rain can sneak in, causing moldy carpet odors.

After a ride, cleaning boats can be a daunting task, often leading to friends conveniently disappearing or avoiding help. In contrast, cleaning a PWC is a quick job, mostly a pressure wash or a simple soapy bath that takes no more than 15 minutes.

Who wouldn’t prefer spending more time on the water than cleaning a boat?

6. Jet skis are Great For Quick Rides After work

You just got home from work, and the kids want to go on the water before the day ends.

This is not an easy thing to do on boats. With a waverunner, you hop on and go — no need to think about it.

Even the people who have both find themselves using the watercraft more because the boat is too much to get ready.

The most common feedback I get from owners is that you have to plan a day beforehand when you want to take the boat out.

Planning is something you do at work, not something you aim to do on your day off.

7. Jet skis have Brakes and far easier to dock!

Yes, you read that right.

Sea-Doo, Yamaha and now Kawasaki, have with brakes. This is something you don’t get on boats, unless it’s the new Sea-Doo Switch.

Not only does this make docking easier, but it gives you better control too. If someone pulls out in front of you, you can stop quicker, unlike boats.

8. You Have A Ton Of Places To Store jet skis

I store my Sea-Doo Spark out behind a small corner of my shed. Could I fit a boat there? No, but more importantly, I couldn’t get a boat and the towing vehicle back there.

I can put my Sea-Doo anywhere that it’ll fit because it’s so small! Not only that, but I can also physically move the single thing by myself without needing to hook up to a truck.

Since watercraft are so small, there is always room for them at the sandbars or docks.

Boats take up a lot of room, and you often get the angry look from other boats if you take too long at the docks. With a jet ski, if the dock looks full, I still have the option to carefully beach it instead. Beaching boats is not ideal due to its size.

With boats on a busy weekend, it can feel like parking a bus in a busy parking lot. Stress like this is not what I look for when I’m enjoying my time on the water.

9. jet skis are easier to tow behind your truck

For many people, this could be their first time towing something. Trust me, from experience, it’s better to learn to pull something small, than something big.

And if you can master backing a small trailer down a boat ramp, you’ll have no issue backing up any trailer!

Another thing to consider is your vehicle. Make sure your vehicle can tow the either one you want. (Can your car towing, find out here) This could mean purchasing a new truck or continually having to rent one.

I’ve had people tow a Sea-Doo Spark with a Toyota Prius or Ford Mustang and have no issue.

To learn more about towing and jet ski weight, I have a post on that here.

10. Jet skis are nimble and quick!

They’re the motorcycle of the water, fast and nimble!

You can get some with 325 HP, that is quite a lot when most of them only weigh 800 pounds.

They are so fast that they’re having to put in different modes and keys to keep people from going too crazy or hurting themselves. You can even make them faster with many simple modifications.

If all you want is speed and power, a jet ski is the best way to go.

The Cons Of Jet skis, The pros to having a boat

I can’t go without pointing out the negatives of owning watercraft compared to boats.

So let’s cover all the pros of owing a boat and the cons.

1. You Can’t Drive a jet ski at night

For the most part, you can’t drive them at night. Sure, there are some places that will allow or ignore it, but for the most part, you can’t nor should you even try.

They don’t come with navigation lights and the general rule is that it’s not safe to drive them at night due to their size and how careless people can be. Driving at night is a different and more dangerous game. You got to go slow at night, that many jet skiers can’t do!

2. Most Jet skis can only carry 3 people

Most models are a 3-person seating capacity, and a few are 2 or even 1.

It gets even worse, as many 3-seaters only seat 2 adults and maybe 1 child, sure it’s 3 people, but don’t expect to stretch it beyond that. You get three grown adults on a 3-seater, and it’s bound to roll over.

You also have a smaller weight capacity, due to its smaller size, so they can only carry so much.

3. Boats Are A Little Safer than jet skis

A boat will naturally be safer because they’re physically bigger.

• Also, people tend to do more stupid things when it comes to PWCs.
• Along with them being more nimble and quick, and boats being slow and big, you’re going to have better odds on the boat at being safer.
• It’s not to say you can’t be safe, with so many driving modes, learning keys, and safety features like brakes, they have come a long way.

4. You Can Do More on a boat

Boats are larger, and it allows you to do more things.

The gap is closing with manufacturerss adding things like fishing models and exploring models to the list.

Fishing used to be hard or nonexistent, but with new accessories, it’s not that much of a gap anymore, but boats still have more room for activities.

5. Tow Sport are easier on boats

They can pull tubes and other pull sports, but it’s not the same as boats.

Sure, you can get models made for pull sports like the Sea-Doo WAKE, but it’s not going to make a wake similar to a wakeboard boat.

A boat can also pull more people on a tube, not because it’s lacking power, but due to laws. A 3-person craft can only have a total of 3 people, that’s people on the tube, the driver, and anyone else on board. It’s if someone gets hurt, there is enough room to get back to land.

You can get watercraft with over 300 HP, so pulling power is not an issue, but laws and safety is, and they will always lose the debate against pull sports with a boat.

What should you get… why not both?!

I’m not saying you should get both.

But what if you could combine the two? Well, you can, and it’s called a jet boat.

Both Scarab and Yamaha have their own jet boats. They use the engine from a Sea-Doo, so it’s simple and still very powerful.

Sea-Doo came out with the Switch in 2022, it’s a jet-powered pontoon that gives you a cross between a Sea-Doo and a boat. The Sea-Doo Switch is the perfect in-between option.

No exposed prop on jet boats, as they use the same drive system that a jet ski uses. Plenty of room like a boat would have with some of them having a toilet/sink/changing room.

Scarab even uses Sea-Doo engines, so they have closed-loop cooling, that means the engine never takes in lake or ocean water to cool it. No salty lake water corroding things and no debris to clog the cooling! You usually have to pay extra for this on other boats, but it’s standard on Scarab Jet Boats.

This is the few times in life where you can have your cake and eat it too. Why not take a look at jet boats!