Should you buy a Sea-Doo, Yamaha or Kawasaki jet ski?

Should you buy a Sea-Doo, Yamaha WaveRunner or Kawasaki jet ski, and what are the main differences across the three major brands?

There are more than 50 models to choose from across a range of sizes, prices and performance. Here are 10 things to consider before you buy.

If the popularity contest sways your thinking, consider this: Sea-Doo represents about 70 per cent of jet ski and personal watercraft sales in Australia, buoyed by the broadest line-up of models across the broadest price range.

The Sea-Doo line-up kicks off with the basic Sea-Doo Spark from $9999 (ski only) before stepping up to mid-size models around $20,000 and then hitting top gear with a range of recreational models such as the Fish Pro and Explorer Pro for between $25,000 and $30,000.

Sea-Doo performance fans are well catered for in the $30,000 to $35,000 price bracket (though there is a sub-$25K supercharged model called the GTR230 that's quite popular too).

Meantime, the Yamaha WaveRunner – which also stretches from $9999 to $35,000 but with fewer models – represents about 25 per cent of the personal watercraft market, with the second-biggest range in the segment.

Kawasaki accounts for about five per cent of sales in Australia.

In Australia, Kawasaki has industry-leading five-year coverage.

Yamaha WaveRunner has a two-plus-one year warranty – the third year only applying to skis serviced within the Yamaha Australia dealer network.

Sea-Doo has a two-year warranty as standard, though Sea-Doo Australia offers three-year coverage from time to time during special promotions.

Most jet skis require routine maintenance every 100 hours of operation or 12 months – whichever comes first – although some supercharged models require maintenance every 50 hours or six months.

In our experience, Yamaha WaveRunners are slightly cheaper to service than Sea-Doos which often require extra labour to remove panelling for engine access – even for routine maintenance. Sea-Doo also requires more time-consuming checks of the carbon seal (which Yamaha and Kawasaki do not have) and the alignment of the drive shaft to the jet pump.

Kawasakis are generally expensive to service because, with just five per cent market share, dealers rely on profits from the workshop to keep the showroom doors open.

As a guide, routine maintenance costs between $350 and $700 for an oil, filter and spark plug change. Be sure to check with your Sea-Doo, Yamaha or Kawasaki dealer before you buy a new ski so you can compare costs.

To prevent corrosion, you need to connect a hose when the engine is running to flush key components with fresh water, especially if the craft has been used in salt water.

In the case of Sea-Doo, make sure you don’t run the hose for longer than about 90 seconds to two minutes (as per Sea-Doo’s advice).

On Sea-Doo watercraft, the fresh water flushes the exhaust system because it uses a closed loop cooling system which effectively uses the ride plate under the ski as a radiator. That means when a Sea-Doo is sitting out of the water on a trailer, it will run hot very quickly.

Sea-Doo watercraft have a carbon seal which can get too hot if the engine is run for too long out of the water. And if a carbon seal wears prematurely, the craft can take on water next time you go for a ride.

Most Yamaha and Kawasaki models are easier to flush with the engine running – up to 3-5 minutes – because, unlike Sea-Doo models, they are not equipped with a carbon seal.

One exception: supercharged Kawasaki jet skis are time-consuming to flush, as there are two ports – the engine flushing port and the intercooler port – which need to be done one after the other. And then, separately, you need to apply fogging oil to protect the supercharger lobes.

Kawasaki supercharged jet skis require the most maintenance. They’re a blast to ride but they do require more care than supercharged models from Sea-Doo and Yamaha.

Sea-Doo, Yamaha and Kawasaki have supercharged and non-supercharged engines, with a range of power, capacity and efficiency.

Sea-Doo runs three-cylinder engines – 900cc in the smaller skis and 1630cc in medium to large skis.

Overall, the most fuel-efficient skis in the segment are the non-supercharged three-cylinder models from Sea-Doo and the non-supercharged three-cylinder models from Yamaha.

The four-cylinder models in the Yamaha and Kawasaki line-ups are all (roughly) 10 per cent thirstier than the three-cylinder equivalents from Sea-Doo based on our testing.

All supercharged models across the spectrum will hit your hip pocket – power comes at the cost of fuel.

Most medium-size and full-size jet skis have 70-litre fuel tanks. However, Kawasaki has 80-litre fuel tanks to compensate for heavier and thirstier skis than Sea-Doo and Yamaha. Some mid-size Sea-Doo models have a 60-litre tank.

If riding range is important, be sure to check what size fuel tank your ski comes with.

Sea-Doo offers specially designed detachable fuel ‘caddies’ (or box-shaped ‘jerry cans’ about the size of a slab of beer) that clip into its Linq accessory system if you need to go further between refills.

Extra fuel options are not as straightforward for Yamaha and Kawasaki, requiring personalised solutions.

Smaller jet skis have smaller fuel tanks. The Sea-Doo Spark only has a 30-litre tank whereas its main rival, the Yamaha JetBlaster, has a 50-litre tank.

We reckon the Sea-Doo Spark tank is on the small side, but the Yamaha JetBlaster should be able to run all day considering its fuel capacity and light weight.

One of the most efficient craft, with the longest riding range on a standard tank, is the three-cylinder mid-size Yamaha VX. It combines a super-efficient 1050cc three-cylinder engine with a 70-litre fuel tank.

The 1630cc three-cylinder powered Sea-Doo Fish Pro Sport and Trophy – and standard Sea-Doo GTX 170 – also have excellent engine efficiency and fuel range for a full-size ski.

Across all three brands, there are four main types of material used for hulls and three main types of material used for the top deck.

While some hulls are stronger than others, we strongly advise against riding your ski up onto the beach, even though you may see it in promotional material.

Sand and grit can severely damage your ski, so consider bringing a small anchor with you and using it in waist-deep water so the ski doesn’t suck up debris when you restart the engine.

Sea-Doo uses a strengthened lightweight plastic it calls Polytec for the hull material on its cheaper models (such as the Spark, GTI, GTR and GTR-X) and come in a standard matte black finish.

The hull material for Sea-Doo’s larger models is a closed mould, polyester resin with a thermo film finish (which Sea-Doo calls CM-Tec).

Sea-Doo says both hull materials are hard-wearing but we would still treat them with care.

While Yamaha and Kawasaki hulls need to be painted, Sea-Doo’s CM-Tec has the colour embedded into it during the moulding process.

Yamaha uses SMC fibreglass for the hull material on most models, and lightweight NanoXcel fibreglass on its performance models.

Yamaha’s SMC fibreglass is durable, but we have seen – and experienced – cracking and separation of NanoXcel hulls on skis that have been ridden in choppy water conditions.

Kawasaki has the strongest hulls in the jet ski market, using heavy-duty fibreglass across both the STX and Ultra models – which also makes them easier to repair if needed. The downside? Kawasaki jet skis are heavy (and therefore thirsty).

As for the top deck (which is the bodywork above the bond line) up to three types of materials are used across the three brands.

Sea-Doo and Yamaha use Polytec for the top decks of their smallest and cheapest models: the Sea-Doo Spark and the 2025-onwards Yamaha JetBlaster.

All other Sea-Doos use the CM-Tec material for the top deck.

While most Yamahas use SMC fibreglass for their top decks, the bodywork of Yamaha’s performance models are made from lightweight NanoXcel.

Kawasaki uses old-school heavy-duty fibreglass on the top deck as well as the hull, which explains why these things are just so strong – and heavy.

Sea-Doo has 23 different variants across nine model lines and three sizes of jet skis – small, medium and large. The Spark is the fun one and the most affordable model, starting at $9999.

The Spark Trixx (about $13,000 ski only) is the model that rides on its tail and points its nose in the air at the press of a button.

Moving up in the Sea-Doo range is the mid-size GTI series (about $20,000 ski only) before we get to the full size GTX 170 (about $25,000).

Sea-Doo also has the biggest range of lifestyle skis, such as the Fish Pro and Explorer Pro, which come ready to go as a turn-key solution with all accessories already fitted.

Related: 2025-26 fishing jet ski buyer's guide

Sea-Doo also has by far the biggest range of high-performance supercharged jet skis, starting with the GTR 230 – the most affordable supercharged ski on the market (about $23,000), and one of Sea-Doo’s most popular models.

The Sea-Doo supercharged range then steps up to the GTR-X 300 – which is effectively a 300hp version of the GTR 230 – priced about $27,000.

From that point, Sea-Doo’s supercharged splits in three directions: the GTX 325 Limited luxury model, the RXT-X 325 performance touring model, and the race-bred RXP-X 325, both about $35,000 each.

If you’re new to jet skis we would recommend starting out with a non-supercharged model – which are more than fast enough – before graduating to one of these machines.

Yamaha has 20 different variants across four model lines. In 2025 Yamaha has closed gaps in its range by introducing the all-new JetBlaster series (starting from $9999 ski only) which is a direct rival to the Sea-Doo Spark line-up.

Unlike the previous JetBlaster, the new JetBlaster Pro can ride on its tail and point its nose in the air for longer – and almost as vertically as the Sea-Doo Spark Trixx. Its more powerful engine, sharper handling and larger fuel tank will give it the edge over the Spark for some buyers.

The middle of the Yamaha line-up is the mid-size VX series (about $20,000), which offers the choice of three-cylinder or four-cylinder power, delivers a great hull, and a massive fuel tank so there’s plenty of range.

Our only wish for the VX is for Yamaha to add adjustable trim, which raises or lowers the bow to stop it from shovelling water with its nose.

The flagship of the Yamaha WaveRunner line-up is the full-size FX series, available with either a non-supercharged 1.9-litre four-cylinder engine or a supercharged 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine (which is expected to be replaced by a supercharged 1.9 in the coming years). These models range from $27,000 to $35,000 ski only.

The Yamaha FX is one of the best skis in choppy conditions, it has the largest bow storage in the full-size three-seater segment, and the biggest glovebox.

It's worth noting Yamaha's new 1.9-litre four-cylinder non-supercharged engine, and the 1.8-litre four-cylinder supercharged engine are nearly as thirsty as each other.

The race-bred mid-size Yamaha GP SVHO (about $32,000 ski only) is a multiple championship-winning ski, so this one is for experienced riders only.

Kawasaki might have introduced the jet ski moniker – which is now widely used across the industry to describe personal watercraft – but it has the smallest model range.

Kawasaki currently has nine variants across two model lines: the STX mid-size ski and the Ultra full-size ski.

The STX 160 (starting at about $18,000) is powered by a non-supercharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine with 160hp.

This is a sturdy ski with a good hull, but it has a lower top speed than its rivals (topping out at about 80kmh, which is 10 to 15 per cent slower than equivalent Sea-Doo and Yamaha models).

It also lacks trim adjustment – so you can’t adjust the bow depending on conditions – and has an old-school reverse lever that pulls up like a hand brake on a car. Both shortcomings are addressed when the 2026 model of the STX eventually arrives (though no timing has been given).

In comparison, Yamaha and Sea-Doo models have a user-friendly reverse trigger on the left handlebar (opposite the accelerator trigger on the right).

The other option in the Kawasaki range is the full-size Ultra series (ranging from $26,000 to $32,000 ski only), available with the same non-supercharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine as the STX, or a supercharged version of this engine, with 310hp.

While the Kawasaki Ultra 160 and 310 have a reverse trigger (albeit thumb-activated on the right handlebar as part of the throttle trigger) trim adjustment, and a super stable and super strong hull that can handle choppy conditions, the Ultra 310 is one of the thirstiest skis on the market, has a small bow storage opening, and has a more complicated flushing routine compared to other supercharged models.

All three brands have their own strengths and weaknesses, and it is easy to be confused when taking in so much information.

Be patient, ask questions, and visit as many jet ski showrooms as possible before you sign on the dotted line.