There are many different brands and models of jet skis, each designed in different ways. Some are built for speed, while others are built for comfort, tricks, fishing, etc.
Jet skis can reach speeds of 42-72 mph depending on the specific jet ski. However, some people who have heavily modified their jet skis have reached speeds of over 125 mph. The fastest jet ski in production right now is the Yamaha GP1800R SVHO which is limited to a top speed of 67-69 mph.
Stand-up jet skis can reach speeds of 40-62 mph, with the Kawasaki SX-R 1500 being the fastest one in production right now.
The US Coast Guard and jet ski manufacturers have a “gentlemen’s agreement” that jet skis should not go any faster than 65 mph (it looks like manufacturers are pushing that a bit). Some non-U.S. models of the jet skis mentioned in this article can reach speeds of up to 80 mph.
Along with that, many people have been able to disable the electronic speed limiter installed by these jet ski manufacturers and reach higher speeds. For example, GreenHulk Garage on YouTube did this on his Yamaha GP1800R SVHO and was able to reach speeds of 79 mph. Note that this is very dangerous and will void your warranty.
How fast are jet skis based on specific make and models?
To do this, let’s use the top three jet ski manufacturers Sea-Doo, Yamaha, and Kawasaki, and take their slowest model, fastest model, and a few other popular models in between.
Sea-Doo
| Jet ski model | Top speed |
|---|---|
| Spark (base model) | 42 mph |
| GTI 130 | 52 mph |
| Fish Pro Scout | 52 mph |
| Wake 170 | 57 mph |
| RXP-X | 67 mph (limited) |
Yamaha
| Jet ski model | Top speed |
|---|---|
| EX | 51 mph |
| VX | 53 mph |
| FX HO | 63 mph |
| GP1800R SVHO | 67-69 mph (limited) |
Kawasaki
| Jet ski model | Top speed |
|---|---|
| Ultra LX | 54 mph |
| STX-160 | 62 mph |
| Ultra 310X | 67 mph (limited) |
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What speed is best for you?
Almost all jet skis made today can push pretty extreme speeds. 50 mph may not seem like that much when your in a car, but its a whole different world when on a jet ski. Remember that there are no doors or high sides on a jet ski, meaning if you were to hit a wave or turn to hard, your going to fall out.
Falling out going any faster than 35 mph is going to hurt bad (I know from experience). With my Sea-Doo Fish Pro Scout, it maxes out at around 52 mph. This is plenty fast for me and everyone who has ever driven it and we’ve had it for a couple years now.
So, if your new to jet skis, trust me that 50 mph is plenty fast, and even the base Sea-Doo spark that reaches 42 mph will feel extremely fast. I wouldn’t recommend anything faster unless your an experienced rider and belive you need those speeds for what you want to do.
How to make a jet ski faster?
It is very common for people to modify there jet skis to make them faster. There are many aftermarket parts available on websites such as rivaracing.com and ebay.com. However, modifying your jet ski will generally require you to have good mechanical ability.
You need to also realize that modifying a jet ski can void the warranty and dealerships are very good at spotting out aftermarket parts even if you replaced them with stock parts afterwords.
Some of the most popular jet ski modifications to make them faster include:
- ECU Reflash. This will remove any limiter on your jet ski and tune it correctly for reaching hire RPMs.
- Engine upgrades. If you know what your doing mechanically, you could easily pump out 50 to hundreds of more horsepower by modding and upgrading the engine.
- Impeller upgrade. There are many different aftermarket impellers available for jet skis. Some are built for a higher top speed and some are built for quicker acceleration.
- Air Intake upgrade. Jet skis engine bays are notoriously cramped, so feeding the engine more air is a great way to push some more power out of it.
Related Article: Jet Skis: Everything you Need to Know
FAQ
Yes, some of the top end jet skis from Sea-Doo, Yamaha, and Kawasaki have speed limiters that wont let them go any faster than 67-69 mph. However, most jet skis do not have a speed limiter and the ones that due can be overode. However, some non-U.S. models may not have this speed limiter as it is an agreement between the U.S. Coast Gaurd and jet ski manufacturers.
Right now, the fastest jet ski in production is proboboly the Yamaha GP1800R SVHO as it seems to reach 69 mph consistently. However, the Yamaha GP1800R SVHO, Sea-Doo RXP-X 300, and the Kawasaki Ultra 310 series all top out at around the same speed of 67-69 mph.
Yes, 50 mph on a jet ski feels extremely fast especially if you have never rode a jet ski before. Speed feels much faster on a jet ski compared to a boat and especially a car because of how connected you are to the water and wind blowing in your face.
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