After you invest in a jet ski, it is important to know the limitations of it. You may wonder how far you can ride a jet ski for before it runs out of gas. There are many factors that go into the specific answer for your jet ski, but here is the general answer.
A Jet ski at wide open throttle (WOT) uses about 10 gallons per hour (GPH). This means that an average PWC will use up 10 gallons of gas in 1 hour when at full throttle the whole time. Most jet ski tanks hold 16 gallons, meaning you could spend just over an hour and a half on the water.
How to Calculate Your Jet Ski’s MPG
If you want to know exactly how far your jet ski can go on one tank of gas you will have to calculate your jet ski’s MPG (miles per gallon).
In order to do this you will have to:
- Fill up your jet ski up all the way and then reset your odometer
- Ride your PWC until you reach at least half a tank (your calculation will be most accurate when the tank is almost empty)
- When it is close to being empty, take it back to land and refill the tank with gas completely
- Divide the number of miles you rode by how many gallons you refilled the tank with- this will be your MPG
- The formula is miles ridden / gallons refilled = MPG
Once you know your MPG for your specific jet ski you will know how far your jet ski can go on one tank of gas. After you know this you can get in the water and feel confident in how long you can ride for.
It is a smart idea to calculate your personal MPG because other people may ride their jet skis differently. For example, your wife may like to just cruise around going 20 MPH without slowing down to turn or ride some wakes. If you use your jet ski in other ways like speeding up to 50 MPH for 10 seconds and then slow down and do some donuts at 15 MPH, your gas is going to run out at a different pace than your wife’s use of the gas.
Once you calculate how long your “wife” can spend on the water doing what she likes, you can tell her how long she should be spending on the water before it needs to be filled up again.
This is just an example, but you get the idea: there are all kinds of different jet skis out there with all kinds of different ways to be ridden. Knowing how your jet ski works and where it’s limitations are is important to have a safe time on the water. Take care of your jet ski like you take care of your car: you won’t have any more fun if you don’t baby your jet ski.
How Much Does it Cost to Fill up a Jet Ski?
It does depend on what jet ski you have for how much you will have to spend on gas. The Sea-Doo Spark has a smaller and more fuel efficient tank making it the cheapest option for gas. The bigger jet skis are going to cost you about 3 times as much as a Spark will.
The average cost is going to be around $50 per tank of gas. Again, you will have to experiment with your specific jet ski and see just how much it will be. Gas prices are changing all the time, so keep that in mind when calculating price too.
Jet ski With the Largest Gas Tank
The largest jet ski gas tanks hold around 20 gallons of gas and will last much longer on the water than the small recreational jet skis that only hold around 8 gallons.
One of Sea-Doo’s biggest gas tanks is on their GTX Limited 300. This PWC costs around $17,000.
Yamaha’s biggest tank is on their FX Limited SVHO which goes for around $17,000.
Kawasaki’s biggest tank is featured on the Ultra 310LX which is around $18,000
Yes, these are very expensive, but if you are wanting to have the most horsepower, speed, and length on the water you have to pay for it. There is a reason that these three PWCs above are in the luxury category of jet skis. These are the best of the best and are made for people who want the supreme watercraft.
Fuel Efficient Jet Ski Tanks
The Sea-Doo Spark is by far the most fuel efficient jet ski you can buy. The 60-horsepower version burns 1.9 gallons per hour, and the 90-horsepower burns 2.4. Compared to the 250-horsepower Sea-Doo RXT-X drains 20 gallons per hour. The Yamaha FX Cruiser guzzles 21 gallons in one hour! You could be using that gas to run your car for two weeks, but instead, use it up in one hour on a bigger and fancier jet ski.
Would you rather be on the water for 45 minutes before you have to fill up again, or spend as long as you want playing?
Although the Sea-Doo Spark is not as big, fancy, or fast as its more expensive competitors, it is the best bargain out there and you can’t beat the fuel efficiency.
Worst Jet Ski Mileage
The larger the engine, tank, and jet ski all together, the more you are going to spend. One thing to keep in mind is that the smaller recreational jet skis are the most fuel efficient because they are smaller and use less gas overall. The more expensive the jet ski (luxury, performance) the worse the mileage is going to be.
In my opinion, the smaller Sea-Doos and Yamahas are the better choices because you get more money out of the time on the water than you would on a bigger jet ski. Yes, the Spark and EX do have smaller tanks, but the gas lasts much longer than in a large tank. Either way, you will have to change your tank so why spend 4 times more on gas than with a Spark?
Let’s compare the Sea-Doo Spark’s tank with Yamaha’s FX Limited SVHO:
Sea-Doo Spark
- Gas tank size: 7.9 gallons
- Uses 2 gallons per hour
- Lasts for almost 4 hours on the water
Yamaha FX Limited SVHO
- Gas tank size: 18.5 gallons
- Uses about 16 gallons per hour
- Lasts for 1 hour
In my opinion, jet skis are used on the water for having fun. Getting your heart racing as you reach above 40 MPH and jumping wakes is what makes a fun time. The truth is that you can do this with the cheapest jet ski out there, so why spend 4 times the price for a comfier seat?