Things to be aware of when buying a second-hand jet ski

Often, you have to take care of your family and there isn’t money to splurge on big gifts because you’re no longer your first priority.

You keep planning on buying yourself items but it never happens.

Whether you have dreamed about buying a boat or golf cart and couldn’t afford it, there is an alternative to using your savings to buy one.

You could research the process of applying for leisure finance which can help you purchase your own jet ski.

This allows you peace of mind. Knowing that instead of having to pay for your jet ski with money, you might not have at that moment, you can pay monthly repayments to your bank.

Now that the money issue has been sorted, here is a checklist. This checklist will help you buy the right jet ski.

Water test it

Even if you see a watercraft that you love, before anything else, water test the jet ski first. Check if the watercraft goes off instantly. Check the jet’s engine, you should get one which is over 7000 RPMS at full throttle.

Water testing before buying is important, regardless of whether it’s new or secondhand. It helps give you an actual feel of what you’re buying.

Check for damages

Make sure you check for damages, thoroughly. Ask a friend or someone who knows more about jet skis and go check it out. Things you need to look out for:

• Hull damage: Check for any damage. If it’s on either side of the ski, that shouldn’t be a problem, as most damage would come from docking. Just make sure that everything is fine at the bottom.

• Seat damage: Even though it may seem like nothing, check the seat damage, if the seat is torn really badly this could be an indicator of how it was looked after. It shows how the person looked after it as it should be covered.

• Rust and corrosion: When checking the jet ski, look for rust and corrosion around the engine and pump that could cause problems in the long run.

• Check if it has sunk: It’s best to see whether the jet ski has sunken before as it could cause problems. To do that, you need to feel how heavy the seat is once you’ve taken it off. If it feels heavy and you’re struggling to take it off, that means it has sunk before.

Check maintenance

Check the maintenance for the watercraft, this will help you find out more about the watercraft and whether it has been well looked for. If the owner still has receipts, that’s perfect as it will highlight what needed fixing or replacing.

If the owner doesn’t have the receipts, that’s not a problem. Just find out who did the maintenance, if it was a private seller or the dealership.

Find out which parts were replaced, be wary of big replacements, such as a damaged hull replacement.

Know your jet skis

Know what kind of jet ski you would like. There are jet skis with a shorter lifespan than others, for example, two-stroke engines and one with supercharged engines have a shorter lifespan. It’s important to know what you want and what they are selling you.

Do some research, find out more about different models and brands. Check the lifespan, if you have people who have owned those brands, find out from them or even ask for a test ride to see how it feels.

Also, keep in mind what size of jet ski you want, is it just for you or will it be for family activities. If you don’t need a big one, you might find a cheaper deal on smaller ones. It helps to know what you’re looking for.

Search other watercrafts being sold

Don’t settle for the first deal you get. Check and surf the internet for different deals. At times, you might find a better deal somewhere else, so it’s important to weigh up your options before deciding on one.

Find out how much second-hand jet skis cost in your area, it could be that the owner is selling it for more than it’s worth. Remember that, just like a car, a jet ski depreciates fast, so always keep that in mind.

Do your research because people can take advantage of others. If you have researched what you want, then you will be aware when you’re being fraudulent.

Insurance

Insurance is always a necessity, whether it’s a car, boat or jet ski. Once you have decided which jet ski you’re planning on buying, make sure you insure it. There are a number of things that could happen, such as:

• damages caused by fire, storms, floods or vandalism

• theft or attempted theft

• injury in cases of collision with other drivers