Basic introduction to purchase of a Personal Watercraft
First of all I’m going to start by a basic introduction of things needed and what to look for when purchasing a used watercraft. This is not meant for a specific maker but a more overall view of the watercraft. A couple of things to think about, if you plan on purchasing a ski for you or your family.
Figure out the size of ski you need. If you have a family with kids 3 person PWC may be more functional and convenient for you. Buy as much as you can afford. If the price difference between the smallest motor and the middle sized motor is 200$ SPEND it. You’ll want more power later and you’ll have to sink more than 200$ to touch the power level of a ski with the bigger motor. For a first timer get the basic level ski, cause you may decide the sport isn’t for you. At that point you can basically still get most of your money back because base level skis sell pretty fast. If you’re a single guy and like speed get at least a 900 CC motor size, preferably 1100 or 1200 CC motor. The 11-1200 are capable of 60+ mph speeds. ( 11-1200 CC motor refers to the basic overall size of the ski motor not a particular manufacturer)
Don’t forget to add in operation costs. In costs I mean yearly insurance ( got to have it just like a car) While ski insurance isn’t a law you should get it. Remember hitting someone on the water without being insured it comes out of your pocket. It wont get covered by car or homeowners insurance. It’s not too expensive either. I think mine is 200$ a year and that includes 2 skis and trailer. I’m covered throughout the US on any body of water and have comp and collision theft and vandalism. I also have the highest coverage I can get. This way if I get sued insurance pays 400 000 before I have to start paying. Anyway the fuel, oil, sparkplugs and basic maintenance all cost money. If you don’t know how to do your basic maintenance either start learning or take it to a jet ski shop or dealer, but add in the dealer/shop cost as part of yearly maintenance. After the first few times you’ll start learning like most of us. Trust me.
Jet skis are not something that requires no maintenance and they are not toys. They are high performance machines capable of 60+ MPH speeds. You wouldn't give your 13 year old the keys to your truck to drive on the freeway so please don’t let him drive the jet ski. Nothing against 13 year olds, but they cant legally drive a jet ski. Follow the boating rules that apply to your riding area and be courteous to others on the water.
Ride responsibly. Just because you ride responsibly doesn’t mean you can’t have fun.
When I’m writing this I assume the ski you’re purchasing is a ski that starts and runs not something that’s in pieces.
TOOLS NEEDED:
1. Bright flashlight
2. Compression gauge ( don’t get a super expensive one but don’t get the press on style. You should find one that has a threaded end that fits in the spark plug hole)
3. Legal paper pad and pen. ( to write different things you find good or bad so you don’t forget)
4. A mechanics creeper helps check the underside of the ski without getting all grubby
Ok lets start by when you first arrive. Is the ski in a garage or outdoors? Are there things or boxes piled on the ski thus possibly scratching the finish?. Is there a cover on the ski? In a garage it isn’t that much of a big deal but outside the sun and various things in the air can and will damage the finish and discolor the paint.
Start by looking at the trailer. Does it have rust spots (most trailers will have some rust but as long as the trailer itself isn’t rust rotted it will be ok. Are the tires worn down and/or flat? Are the trailer lights working? What about the watercraft front hold downs. Are they there or does the owner use tie downs to hold the front of the ski to the trailer. How is the locking mechanism of the trailer. Is it rusty or hard to lock and unlock? Are there fenders on the trailer. No fenders means all the road junk kicked up by the tires lands on the ski bottom or sides are the plates/registration up to date on the trailer and ski ( use all that you find wrong as a tool to bring the price down )
Ok time to look at the ski. Start at the front and work your way back. Is the trim scratched, falling off or missing? How is the gel coat/paint? Is it scratched up or faded. Are the stickers peeling or cracked or faded? That could mean the ski sat outside in the sun or rain. Look closely at the stress points of the hood seat and steering system. Do you see small spider web cracks? While most skis develop them after a while and aren’t that big a deal you still need to be aware cause little cracks turn to big cracks.
Is the seat cracked, cut, or faded? Does it latch tight to the hull? Does the hood close without effort. Hoods should close by placing the hood all the way down and then giving a slight push to lock it in. they should never have to be slammed shut to close. Make sure the hood pin lines up to the hood lock. Is the hood wobbly when its in the open position? Is it the mount that’s wobbly or the bolts loose. Check and see if the prop rods, for the hood is missing or damaged and if it has hood shocks make sure they are holding up the hood. Bad shocks can be a possibility of a hood open for extended periods of time, like when someone is working on the motor a lot or a hood that was opened repeatedly. Check the fiberglass around the hood hinges. See if it’s flexing a lot. A small amount of flex is normal but not enough to be actually lifting the fiberglass around the hinge. Check for cracks in that area and at the hood pin. Look in the storage bin. Is it clean or full of junk and dirty? Make sure the gauges aren’t missing or loose. Are the mirrors loose? No big deal a screwdriver tightens them up but it shows lack of maintenance in my opinion.
Do the handlebars move easily from lock to lock position. Do you feel any grinding or slight dragging?
Ok, Now grab your flashlight and get on the ground with your mechanics creeper.
Look at the hull starting from under the rub rails. Do you see gouges or signs of impact? It could mean anything from the owner not paying attention and hitting things to possible damage to the hull. The bottom of the ski most likely has scratches. Mine does from beaching it and while I don’t consider it to be a huge deal but some are perfectionists. As long as the scratches aren’t deep don’t worry about that. If you see big gouges write it down on your pad. You did remember to bring the paper and pad. RIGHT? Now get your flashlight and shine it in the pump. The impeller should be free of nicks and gouges. It may have some small nicks and stuff, most likely that cant be avoided but any big gouges or the blade leading edges being bent could mean a new impeller is needed or fix the stock one. The small nicks and scratches are just normal wear and tear. If its gouged up or bent remember the amount to fix the impeller is about 80$ average and the cost of a used is 100-150$ and the cost of a new one is 200+ ( depending on model)
On all skis you should look at the clearance between the impeller side and the housing. On Sea Doo’s the wear ring is replaceable on most other skis the wear ring is part of a complete piece that must be replaced.
Also look at the pump through the rear exit nozzle. Look at the pump vanes. That’s the fan looking blades that DON’T MOVE. See if they are cracked or pieces missing off the vanes themselves. That section is one of the most expensive parts of the pump. You wont be able to see a lot of the vanes but you should be able to get a good idea of the shape its in. On Sea Doo’s ask the owner if he changed the pump oil. If his reaction is a basic scrunch of the face you can bet he didn’t even know there was oil back there.
Look at the intake grate. Is it hammered and beat up? Some scratches are unavoidable but deep gouges are not a good thing. Hey while you’re under there look at the bunks of the trailer. Is the carpeting rotted and is the wood cracked and torn up? While the bunks don’t cost too much to replace you are going to spend a good 20-40$ on materials and then there is your time to actually install them.
How’s the ride plate? Scratched or gouged? Some guys will tell you about the extra stuff they added on and while I personally like after market parts, I basically see it like this. It’s supposed to have a carb(s), a head and pipe. Personally I would look for a stock ski since some people just throw after market parts at a ski hoping to make it run better and sometimes it’s a hit or miss unless the guy knows what he’s doing. Basically, look at what a similar ski is selling for in the area. and then make a educated decision on what the dollar amount should be, for the after market parts. Also don’t forget to discount for the damages or any parts that look like they are worn and will need replacing. Don’t get. Sucked in the I’m buying a new ski syndrome. It really doesn’t matter how much $$ he put in the ski. The ski is still only worth so much. Then add a little for the after market stuff. If the guy isn’t willing to deal on stuff he knows is not right then let the ski go. Remember he is the one who has the limited buyers. You have unlimited sellers and purchasing options. Also remember a ski is a luxury not a necessity. Don’t forget to figure out the cost of ownership on the ski.
Now pop the hood or the seat and look at the motor itself. What do you see? Is the engine compartment a disaster that looks like swamp thing had a party in or is it something you would cook your dinner on. Do you see paint blisters or discoloration on the motor or exhaust? Is there a white powdery substance on the motor? No it’s not coke but it is salt or calcium deposits. Nothing wrong with salt riding. Don’t let anyone tell you different. As long as a ski is properly maintained salt shouldn't be a factor ( more on that later).
Quick check. Put your hand on the pipe or cylinders. Are they cold or warm. Warm means the ski may have a starting problem when cold, the owner knows about it and started the ski before you got there to make sure it starts.
Blisters mean the aluminum of the motor is corroding under the paint. It also means the bolts are most likely frozen and when it comes time for rebuilding be careful so you don’t snap bolts. ( believe me its not fun drilling and easy out a stainless steel bolt)
Discoloration could mean overheating, but in my case it was a unsuccessful attempt to strip the paint off the head.
How do the hoses look? Are they a mismatched spaghetti mess with hoses going all over the place or nicely routed and zip tied? Is the ski premix or oil injected? If the owner converted to pre mix does he still have the oil injection system? Some people like the oil injection. Convenience is a big seller. I personally don’t mind premixing but to each his own. If he does not have the old injection parts then that could be bad because it can cost a lot to convert back to oil injection if you’re one of the people who like to gas up oil up and go. How do the battery connections look? Are they corroded? The corrosion could also be in the wire under the jacket. If the wire is brown or black then you have corrosion in the wire strands. The wire should be the clean copper color or close to it.
Ok now shine the flashlight on the interior of the hull. Look at the Styrofoam in the ski. It may be dirty but if it looks melted then the guy had a engine fire. Some Styrofoam is impossible to remove and replace without pulling the motor. Look at the fiberglass inside. It should be the same color all over. Whatever the color what you’re really looking for is signs of repair. Either you’ll see a different patch color or a bump in the fiberglass. Most of the time shops can’t duplicate the color inside the hull. And in most cases they wont remove the motor to repaint the inside of the hull If the repair was done wrong or badly then the hull strength is compromised.
Ok time to check the motor. Pull off the wires and do a dry crank. Ground the plug wires on the appropriate terminals on Sea Doo’s and other skis that have them ( ultra 150 and some others). Does the motor crank slowly or strong? If its slow it could be anything from a loose electrical connection to a bad battery to a bad starter.
Ok we are going to assume the ski is good so far. Pull off one of the plugs and thread your compression gauge on there. Pull the throttle all the way open and then crank the ski. Watch to see how high the gauge gets. Stop cranking and check reading. As a rule of thumb you’re looking for about 150 PSI for a two cylinder motor and about 120-130 for a triple cylinder. Anything less than 10% ( I prefer 6% but 10 % is a accepted basic guideline) between the cylinders could mean a new top end is in your future. If the ski has a after market head then the compression will read higher but you DON’T want anything higher than 170 for a twin and 150 for a triple. Anything higher could mean running a high octane gas/ race gas or the ski is on the edge and you want something reliable not some basket case ski. I’ve seen plenty of High compression skis broken down and the guys are wrenching on them while I’m in the water playing. You want to be the guy in the water playing not the guy wrenching.
Ok lets say the compression looks good on both cylinders. Look at the plug tips. If the guy rode the ski the plugs may give you a idea of how it’s running. Look for a chocolate brown color. Whitish color it’s lean and black is rich or the plug is fouling. The fouling could be caused from using the wrong heat range plug , incorrect gap or a ignition problem. Were not done yet. Look at the gas tank straps. Are they cracked or rotting away? Most if not all skis have zerk fittings to add grease to various areas. On Sea Doo skis the fittings are under the plastic PTO cover at the back of the ski. Pop the cover off and look at the rubber boot. See if its split or there is a nice line of flung grease on the bottom of the gray cover. If the rubber boot is small and shrunk down that means the guy never added any grease to the zerks. On some models there are 2 zerks ( early Sea-Doo) the newer models have one zerk. On Yamaha’s they tend to be near the head or air box and usually are covered by a black cap but most get lost so its not big deal.
See that exhaust pipe coming off the motor? Grab it and try moving it. Some movement is ok and when I say some I mean just slight movement as in barely able to move. but excessive movement is unacceptable cause it means a motor mount is loose or broken. Most likely you will see that when you do a compression check but not always.
So far, so good. Now it’s the time to do a final check put everything back and then start the ski. You won’t get a good feel of how it’s running because the pump isn’t under load, but you should get a good idea. Does it idle fairly smoothly. It will idle higher than in water, but it starts running away then push the stop button or pull the chokes or flood it with the primer pump. Basically that means one of a few things. The pistons are loose in the bores, there is a intake leak, or a crank seal is cracked and sucking in air. Rev it lightly and see if the RPMs come back down or stay up. . Shut it down by using the stop switch. Start it back up and stop it by pulling the lanyard. It should stop. It wont do to find out the lanyard switch doesn’t work when you’re riding and fall off and see your new ski going away without you on the back. This is meant to be a staring guide on what to look for in a used ski. It’s by no means a professional outlook on purchasing. These are my opinions only.
