Buying a jetski, important question?

Para1

Hey folks, i am looking at buying a jetski and im just wondering is there anything important i should look out for when buying? are there any important questions i should be asking before i buy? dont know much so any advice would be welcome.
cheers in advance.

supermilk1

How ya,buy from a dealer and make sure you get a warranty. make sure you take it for a test run because an outboard or ski can sound like its ticking over nicely when hooked up to a hose but can have serious mechanical problems. you have to remember these are high performance machines and will have the bag driven out of them and if they havent been maintained by their previous owner you are garanteed to be buying trouble. for good value you could be better off buying one with a recently professional rebuilt engine(with reciets and warranty) as most jetskis are meant to have a rebuild after a certain ammount of hours of use and you will save yourself the bother and costs of this. its all about the engine with pwc's.
Supermilk

Am considering buying one myself, they seem great value at the moment.

Im looking at spending around 2.5k, which looks like it will get me something decent.

Do you need to pay harbour fees etc when you go launch it, or is it a case of going to Dun Loaire and putting it into the water? I know there are by-laws that need to be read.

maintenance wise are they hard work? Is petrol really expensive on them (id imagine so).

alexlyons

Before you buy, get some decent training. knowing how to handle and prevent engine failure, other emergencies, minor right up to major, can not only save your own life but also the lives of others. Know the waters you will be using the machine in, know the bye-laws and be well aware of other water users.

All to often I've seen jet ski's being towed in after being flipped and the user having no way of righting it, or lacks the knowledge of how to fix any minor problems. I've helped a few rescues and you can easily tell those that are genuinely in trouble an those that haven't a clue.

Knowing how and what to do in any situation can prevent you needing assistance, and if you do need assistance, being able to liaise with the emergency services effectively can save time, effort and money for all parties.

Do as much training as you can afford, you will never know enough. You may not need navigation etc in every day use, but knowing a few very minor basics can help hugely, having a VHF radio with you and knowing exactly how to operate it, in terms of what to say etc will save your live, no questions. Although all radios and operators technically by law should be licensed, as long as you're not messing and making hoax calls, the authorities generally turn a blind eye as they prefer you to have it in case you need it. If you get one, do an operators course so you at least know how to use it.

I could go on forever, but use your common sense, they're good fun, but don't be stupid about it and obey the rules. I don't want to see the lads going out after you. Oh, and always make sure someone knows where you're going and when you'll be back, and tell them when you do return. This can be done through the coast guard if you've no mates :P

jetski

Quick quide to buying a jetski...

A. Buy a compression tester for about 35 euro, do a compression test on all cylinders they should be within 5-10 psi of each other and also as close as possible to their original build pressure.

B. while you have the spark plugs out, leave them connected to the HT leads and earth the plugs against the cylinder head and turn the ski over by the starter button and make sure all spark plugs have a bright strong blue spark and the plug itself should be a nice chocolate brown colour.

C. Look up the pump and see how close the impeller is to the wall of the pump itself should be nice and tight / uniform....

D. Put it in the water and drive it for 20 mins when your finished and if your happy with it see how much water comes out when you open the bungs.

Any questions just ask