Jet skis?

I just did a search on here and found nothing about them. How practical or impractical would it be to use one like a dinghy?

Only you can determine that.

Carrying things like groceries, bicycles, friends, setting a kedge, etc could be done...but worth it to you?

There are a few prior dingy threads, see what people see in dingies and apply to a jet ski if you are familiar with jet skis.

A PWC wouldn't work for us as a dinghy. We tow a 13' Whaler and, while it sometimes is a PITA when we're docking, a PWC would be pretty much the same PITA.


It would be much harder to carry stuff on a PWC than just about any other kind of dinghy.

Semi-Retired said:

I just did a search on here and found nothing about them. How practical or impractical would it be to use one like a dinghy?

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I've not really seen them used in place of a dinghy. Larger boats often carry them but in addition to tenders of other types.

If just wanting to explore, they would work fine. However, carrying things not so good. Also, one thing to keep in mind, is that more and more places are restricting and/or banning them.

We don't carry them but carry jet RIB's. Jet ski's aren't small and compared to most dinghies carried by members here, weigh more. A Yamaha EX Deluxe, among their smaller models, is 10'3" by 3'7" and weighs 599 pounds. You can have a very nice RIB that weighs that or less, same length, and not that much wider.

Is there anything more annoying?

A Jet ski would be like like any other water toy, fun but not really functional as a dinghy. I would put them in the same class as a kayak, paddle board, and even sailing dinghies only heavier, louder, more expensive, smellier, and a whole lot faster.

Nothing wrong with toys. I have carried kayaks on my boats and I have a sailing dinghy complete with the sailing rig on my boat. Sure I have tried to justify my sailing dinghy be being able to row it, put my outboard on it, and it can hold a few people, but it really is a toy.

Yes....
In their element they are fun....

Wrong place or wrong time, annoying.

But so can many things in life be if at the wrong place or wrong time.

Don't believe they would work well as a substitute for a normal dinghy.

About three years ago 5 guys rode jet skis from Washington to Sitka in just a few days time. No need for a dinghy.

jet skis are not really that practical for use as a tender. For a number of years we alternately carried a jet ski or a moderate sized RIB and the jet ski was pretty limited. For the most part you get wet, cold and have limited passenger capacity, the ski is tippy and not suitable for pets, groceries, going slow or just drifting. They are great at going fast and the 3 place 4 stroke units can tow a skier , a tube and are pretty quiet without smoke or slicks on the water.
The Ribs are much more universal in what they can do....

My boat had two when I bought it. Never rode them. Groceries and supply runs are hard enough in a dingy. I'm in the PNW. Maybe it doesn't rain in Florida?

Thank goodness they are banned in the San Juan Islands.

Old deckhand said:

About three years ago 5 guys rode jet skis from Washington to Sitka in just a few days time. No need for a dinghy.

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Rather, no need for a trawler?

I am considering a canoe. more stable than a kayak, can carry wife, dog and groceries. places that moor are close to shore so I shouldn't need power. outboards can be a pain if neglected, need attention and are popular with thieves. nobody is stealing a canoe.

I have seen jet skis being used for fishing with pretty good sized coolers on them.

Certainly large enough for a couple days to week of groceries for a couple.

They can be very stable depending on model but are heavy compared to an inflatable of similar size.

Good dingy? Definitely depends on your needs...out of the question? Surely not, unless you just hate them like some.

Supercharged jet ski is the best fun an over 50 yo male can have with his pants on

gaston said:

Supercharged jet ski is the best fun an over 50 yo male can have with his pants on

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...and driving a fire truck!

I've owned PWC's continuously for well over two decades.
We are on our second set of PWC's in fact. The current ones have 150+ HP engines, are five or six years old, and have maybe 10 hours on them.
We keep ours at our home, which is on a lake.

In our 30's we rode the heck out of them.
In our 40's we rode them occasionally
In our 50's we ride them maybe three times a year.

And remember that we live on a lake. The PWC's sit at our dock not 40 feet from our house all summer long so access is not an issue.

For most boats under say 65' you have a choice, PWC(s) or a skiff.

The problem is that when you get to a stage in life that you can afford a large cruiser, you're probably over the "pwc age".

We prefer a nice stable skiff for going to shore, but thats just part of being older I suppose.

"nobody is stealing a canoe"

nobody steals an aluminum skiff which can be drug on a shore

or left at a dink dock with out worry a condom dink will survive big wakes in the dinghy pack crush..

FF said:

"nobody is stealing a canoe"

nobody steals an aluminum skiff which can be drug on a shore

or left at a dink dock with out worry a condom dink will survive big wakes in the dinghy pack crush..

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Huh?

FF said:

"nobody is stealing a canoe"

nobody steals an aluminum skiff which can be drug on a shore

or left at a dink dock with out worry a condom dink will survive big wakes in the dinghy pack crush..

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very true, I was more concerned with the outboard disappearing. plus the canoe can be stored in the side racks I have for kayaks or paddle boards

I wish Honda had not gotten out of the Jetski market. They had a solid product and fast too. The "trunk" in the front would hold some groceries but not enough to supply the boat for long. Nothing like zipping along at 70+ mph on smooth water. First time the ex-wife got on hers, she ran it into the dock. 5 minutes in the water and fresh dock rash.

They were lots of fun once she learned the ropes. We also carried the dog on the back for a few trips...

stubones99 said:

I wish Honda had not gotten out of the Jetski market. They had a solid product and fast too. The "trunk" in the front would hold some groceries but not enough to supply the boat for long. Nothing like zipping along at 70+ mph on smooth water. First time the ex-wife got on hers, she ran it into the dock. 5 minutes in the water and fresh dock rash.

They were lots of fun once she learned the ropes. We also carried the dog on the back for a few trips...

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Our Seadoo PWC's have a huge watertight storage "trunk" in the bow, so thats not the issue

smitty477 said:

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Smithy, That gazebo at the end of the dock is where I met my wife. Thanks for the memory!

Simi 60 said:

Is there anything more annoying?

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I favor them being used underwater, they have no place above it. How can the rider maintain interest after the first 10 minutes.
Here they are becoming the waterborne province of "motor cycle enthusiasts". Noisy, unpredictable, one was recently filmed attacking an osprey nest using the wake to break up the nest and drown the chicks.
A while back someone posted a youtube vid(mock up) of an Exocet missile used to take one out.

The best use of jet skis is to annoy other boaters, and they do.

BruceK said:

I favor them being used underwater, they have no place above it. How can the rider maintain interest after the first 10 minutes.
Here they are becoming the waterborne province of "motor cycle enthusiasts". Noisy, unpredictable.

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Sailboaters probably say the same thing about any powerboat that goes over 6 knots.

Ted