Jet Ski Maintenance: Effective and Sustainable Tips

March 31, 2020

Several people choose to live on a lake or near the sea due to the access it brings to surrounding waterways. To enhance their experience of living near the water and enjoy water activities, many people extend their property by building jet ski floating docks as an additional investment. If you want to do the same then read our floating docks buying guide to make an educated buying decision.

Tip 1: Read and Familiarize Yourself With the Manual

For those first-time jet ski owners, carefully read and familiarize the manual. Vehicle manuals have full information on every component of your personal watercraft (PWC). It will help you to understand how your jet ski works.

Moreover, whatever jet ski model you have, always refer to the manual. Do not attempt to do any Do-It-Yourself repairs on your PWC. It may cause more harm than good. There are specific things noted for you to follow for a successful procedure.

Note: Our checklist and tips are only a guide for efficiently maintaining your jet ski.

Tip 2: Clean or Wash Your Jet Ski

The first and most essential maintenance task for PWC is knowing how to properly clean it. You might think that the seawater splashing through your jet ski while cruising is the solution. But, it’s not.

Whenever you use your jet ski for water activities, you are exposing them to different aquatic elements that may cause harm to its components. Both saltwater and freshwater may cause stains and corrosion to the windshield, seat, and other nooks and crannies.

Thus, it is best to clean your jet ski. Here are some tips on how you can efficiently clean your PWC:

Most jet skis have a removable hood, storage boxes, removable seat, and seat covers. Remove all of the possible accessories of your jet ski to access and clean the saltwater out of every corner.
Look for the jet ski bung plugs and open them to drain out any water in the PWC. Moreover, you can incline and carefully hold the jet ski wheels on the trailer. It can maximize the drainage of any sand or debris that is stuck inside the jet ski.
Use a water hose to clean the jet ski. Spray the entire craft starting from the inside then to the outside areas in end-to-end directions. But, take extra precautions that no water will enter essential components that may become blocked.
Lastly, do not forget to take time cleaning underneath the jet ski. Salt and sand will likely collect in these areas. Collected sand and salt may lead to corrosion.

After you are done cleaning, rinse everything down and dry it with a microfiber cloth. If you notice there’s water stuck inside, use a pump to extract it. Are you not familiar with the parts of your jet ski? Refer to its manual. Each PWC is slightly different.

Tip 3: Maintain Engine Fluid

The engine provides power to the jet ski, this is why there is a need to flush and remove the salt, sand, weeds, and other aquatic elements that may have collected in the engine. Flushing the engine after every water activity will prevent damage and corrosion.

Some modernized jet skis have hose connectors for interior cleaning. You only have to attach the hose before you start your engine. As the engine runs, the hose will turn on and it will run for two minutes. Make sure to run your jet ski for a few seconds before turning off the hose. Also, do not forget to give a few twists to the throttle to extract the water from the exhaust.

Tip 4: Fuel Your Jet Ski Properly

You need to make sure your jet ski is fueled. A properly fueled jet ski means a full fuel tank and the outdated or unused fuel is disposed of. This tip needs to work to ensure your PWC is safe and functional when you hit the waves.

But, you still need to check the jet ski manual on this matter as some jet skis require pre-mixed fuel and oil. Meanwhile, other PWCs do not need pre-mixing as they have separate tanks for oil and fuel.

Tip 5: Check Every Jet Ski Component

Ideally, checking every jet ski component before and after heading out into the water is the best preventive measure for water accidents. Taking a quick investigation of the components does not have to be in-depth.

Make checking a good habit to notice any damages on your jet ski. Familiarize where the jet ski components are correctly placed to properly check and test every component to ensure they are perfectly functioning. If you notice cracks or fissures around the fiberglass of your jet ski, let a professional further check it.

Tip 6: Schedule a Jet Ski Maintenance

Now, you have cleaned, fueled, flushed, and cleared out the fuel from your jet ski. But, there are still other maintenance tasks that need to be done for your jet ski. These are the annual maintenance you need to complete once a year:

A Jet Ski dock or PWC dock is a convenient, cost-efficient, and sustainable way to store jet skis and other PWCs for every season. Moreover, its innovative design makes the dock easy to install. Hisea Dock provides high-quality plastic floating docks for your jet ski and other different applications.

Final Thoughts

To own a jet ski is truly fun and a great investment. However, you have a responsibility to maintain and care for your PWC. So, whether you have owned a jet ski for a while or a new PWC owner, you must have the right and efficient jet ski maintenance guide Thus, we encourage everyone to be knowledgeable to the best of their abilities to certainly avoid any accidents in the water and unnecessary expenses in the future. Find more detailed knowledge about floating dock in this floating dock guide for beginner in 2020.

If you want to learn more about jet ski docks, check out our other interesting articles:

All You Need to Know About Jet Ski Floating Dock Costs

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Best Jet Ski Floating Dock: What You Need to Know

How to DIY Jet Ski Dock: A Guide for Beginners