Best new jet skis priced below $20,000

Riding a jet ski doesn’t have to leave you high and dry financially if you know where to look.

Although there has been record price rises in recent years – with some top-end jet skis nudging $40,000 by the time they’re on a trailer and in the water – there are still some great options below the $20,000 threshold.

There are a couple of jet skis priced about $10,000 (plus trailer), however one of them doesn’t make our list because it is missing a vital component.

The 2025 Yamaha JetBlaster base model, priced from $9999, does not have a reverse trigger – even though every other personal craft has a reverse trigger or lever (including, as of 2025, its direct rival the Sea-Doo Spark base model).

A jet ski without a reverse trigger is not a great place to start for novice riders because without brakes you have very little control during low-speed manoeuvres.

Related: Why winter is a great time to buy a jet ski
Related: Top 10 tips for buying a jet ski
Related: What type of jet ski should I buy?

We have selected models that are easy to ride, affordable and – most of all – are a heap of fun.

We reckon the sweet spot in the sub-$20,000 category is priced between $13,000 and $17,000 (plus you need to budget on an additional $3000 or so to cover the cost of a trailer and registration, whichever ski you choose).

Here are our top five picks priced below or close to $20,000:

Even in its most basic guise, the Sea-Doo Spark base model is a heap of fun. It’s the cheapest ticket into a new Sea-Doo and will soon be the equal cheapest ticket into a new jet ski or personal watercraft in Australia.

That’s because although the 2025 model is currently listed at $11,899 on the Sea-Doo Australia website (or $10,889 until October 31, 2025 during a promotional period), the model will start from $9999 when the 2026 edition arrives.

So be sure to negotiate the 2026 price on the 2025 model – or wait for the updated model to arrive with the same features, fresh colours and a sharper price tag.

Highlights: lightweight scratch resistant bodywork, easy to manoeuvre, economical to run.

And, unlike the Yamaha for the same price, the base model Sea-Doo Spark has a reverse trigger.

The previous generation base-model Sea-Doo Spark did not have a reverse trigger, but Sea-Doo has addressed that for the 2025 edition and beyond.

This makes the Sea-Doo Spark a great way to learn basic skills on the water and easy to ride.

Another thing to note: because of its open design, you will get drenched on one of these. But you could argue that’s part of the fun.

One downside: the 30-litre fuel tank is small, but there is a handy attachment on the rear deck to carry a spare fuel caddy using Sea-Doo’s patented LINQ design. Just be warned: the price of the spare fuel caddy is astronomical.

Although the Sea-Doo Spark base model is listed as a two-seater, it’s better suited to riding solo.

This is the model that can ride on its tail at the press of a button.

The jet pump nozzle on the Sea-Doo Spark Trixx is designed to pivot further than normal when in ‘Trixx’ mode.

Simply press the ‘Trixx’ button, shift your weight over the rear of the craft – then balance your body on the rear step wedges – and give it a blast of throttle, and next thing you know the nose of the craft is pointing in the air.

You will fall off. You will get wet. You laugh until you cramp. But you will eventually master this stunt mode after a few attempts and then won’t want to share the craft with anyone else.

We reckon the one-seater is the pick, but for $1000 more ($14,699 plus trailer and registration) you can opt for the Sea-Doo Spark Trixx three-seater.

Both Trixx models have the same economical three-cylinder engine as the normal Sea-Doo Spark, but the Trixx has a 90hp output versus 60hp on the base model. And it has the same easy-to-handle hull – and the benefit of accelerator and reverse triggers.

As with the regular Sea-Doo Spark, this is also a very wet ride, so fashionistas need not apply.

It has cool attachment points dotted around the craft to mount a GoPro action camera. And clip on rubber bumpers to save it getting scratched when tied to a dock.

An optional, detachable Bluetooth audio speaker system turns the Spark into a party machine.

Same warnings apply to this model as with the regular Spark: small fuel tank and an expensive spare fuel caddy option for the rear deck. But don’t let this put you off.

This is an all-new model for 2025 and, if you think it looks like a Sea-Doo Spark, you’d be right.

Yamaha WaveRunner has figured that if you can’t beat them, join them. Therefore, this all-new model has adopted similar plastic materials and manufacturing processes for the top-deck.

It creates an open, lightweight and scratch-resistant design.

The difference, however, is that Yamaha has opted for a fibreglass hull rather than the Sea-Doo Spark’s plastic hull.

The Yamaha hull design delivers sharper cornering.

The JetBlaster’s slightly larger and more powerful three-cylinder engine delivers better acceleration and a higher top speed.

The Yamaha also has a larger 50-litre fuel tank (versus the Sea-Doo’s 30-litre bladder). Which means you will likely run out of energy before you run out of fuel.

And, unlike the base model Yamaha JetBlaster, the JetBlaster Deluxe does come with a reverse trigger so you can get yourself out of trouble and manoeuvre at low speeds more easily.

This is a direct rival to the Sea-Doo Spark Trixx. And, as we mentioned earlier, if you can’t beat them, join them.

In addition to Yamaha using similar plastic materials for the top deck as the Sea-Doo Spark, Yamaha now has a model with a jet pump nozzle that pivots further than normal so the craft can ride on its tail at the press of a button.

The technique to get the Yamaha JetBlaster Pro (Pro being the key word to identify this model) is the same as it is for the Sea-Doo Spark Trixx.

Press the ‘stunt mode’ button (our words, not Yamaha’s), lean your bodyweight over the rear, stand on the rear step wedges, and give it a handful of throttle – and away you go.

By all accounts it is a little more difficult to get the Yamaha JetBlaster Pro’s nose as vertical as the Sea-Doo Spark Trixx – and for as long – but you will have plenty of fun trying.

If you can make the financial stretch from the Yamaha JetBlaster Deluxe to the JetBlaster Pro, we would strongly recommend it.

The next question is two-seater or three-seater? (The three-seater costs from $15,399, so $900 more).

We reckon both are better suited to riding solo, but there is one other important difference to note.

The two-seater has shorter sponsons (the large plastic fins bolted to the rear of the craft that help guide it in the water) than the three-seater.

The result: the two-seater is more forgiving and more fun as it slides more in corners. The longer and larger sponsons on the three-seater dig into the water more and make it turn more sharply.

Riders who tested both are divided. Some prefer the playfulness of the two-seater, while some prefer the precision of the three-seater. If you want fun, choose the two-seater.

The Sea-Doo GTI 130 sneaks into our list of models priced below $20,000 – even though at full retail it eclipses our price threshold.

That’s because this ski is regularly discounted. Currently you can pick up a 2024 model for $17,864 – but we have seen them limbo to $17,000 neat (plus about $3000 for trailer and registration).

On that basis, we have included it in our list because it’s worth a look if you want to spend up to $20,000.

It is powered by the 130hp version of Sea-Doo’s 1630cc three-cylinder Rotax engine, so it has a little more grunt than the Sea-Doo Spark series. Additionally, it’s also a medium-size ski – whereas the other craft listed above are all in the small category.

Being a bit bigger than the Sea-Doo Spark or Yamaha JetBlaster series, the Sea-Doo GTI 130 is more stable and is a more capable at carrying passengers (though we still prefer riding solo on this craft).

The Sea-Doo GTI 130 also has larger storage compartments than the smaller Jet skis (in this case it has an 8.8-litre glovebox and a generous 144 litres of bow storage) plus a bigger fuel tank.

With a fuel capacity of 70 litres and a super-efficient engine you’ll be able to run all day.

It’s also a very forgiving and very intuitive craft to ride. If the budget stretches this far and you prefer to get splashed rather than drenched, the Sea-Doo GTI 130 is a great option.

The 2025 Kawasaki STX 160 starts from $17,749 (plus about $3000 for trailer and registration). Kawasaki also charges a $1765 delivery fee, a levy that Sea-Doo and Yamaha do not impose on their customers.

This delivery fee is intended to cover the cost of unpacking and assembling the craft, a process that takes one to two hours depending on the skill of the technician and how busy the workshop is.

Rivals Sea-Doo and Yamaha generally absorb this cost in the profit margin of the recommended retail price, or give it away when they discount.

When this article was published, a 2024 Kawasaki STX 160 was available with a $1500 discount plus a $500 fuel card. That gets it under the $20,000 mark.

However, although the Kawasaki STX 160 is a stable and easy craft to ride – and it has the best warranty in the business at five years – there are two things that unfortunately weighed against it for this list.

The 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine is very thirsty, based on our tests, and it is the only craft remaining on sale in Australia with an old-school reverse level on the console (like a handbrake), which is not as intuitive as the reverse trigger favoured by the rest of the jet ski industry.

If you really want a Kawasaki STX 160 and you want a reverse trigger, wait until 2026 when the updated model gets this and other upgrades.