The most common misunderstanding by new owners is how shallow they can run their jet skis.
Many of these new jet ski owners were once or still are boat owners and think that since jet skis don’t have an outdrive it can travel in shallow water, which is not true.
There is a process of operating your jet ski in shallow water and a certain depth you must stay above to avoid sucking things up. We’ll go over all this and more in this post.
How Shallow Will A Standard Jet Ski Run?
You can safely run a jet ski in just 3 feet of shallow water, roughly waist height for most people. It’s important to understand that jet skis are very powerful vacuums and will suck up anything into the pump if you run in too shallow of water.
Many people think that since jet skis don’t have an outdrive that they can go in shallow water, and this is not true. It’s a good reminder to know that a jet ski in shallow water will suck up rocks, sand, and push up other debris into the pump if you’re not careful.
Why 3 Feet?
You should not run or start jet skis in shallow water that is no less than 3 feet because you’re riding very powerful vacuum.
By drawing in water and pushing it out through the pump, the jet ski creates propulsion. Anything near the pump’s intake gets pulled in along with the water.
The super powerful pump can draw in anything below 3 feet, such as sand, rocks, or tree branches, along with the water into the system.
The intake grate blocks large debris, but smaller items like sand, seashells, and rocks will still get through jet skis.
Why don’t they put a protective mesh in front of the intake? – I have an article on why manufacturers don’t put a protective cover over the intake here.
How to Start a Jet Ski In Shallow Water
You can not run a jet ski into shallow water that is less than 3 feet of water. Keep in mind, when the engine is running, the impeller is moving as it’s a direct drive system. The reverse and neutral are not the same as it is on boats, this post explains how it works.
I like telling people to be at least waist-deep before they run their engines. One trick I do when I’m waist-deep is that I put my foot on the reboarding ladder and then push off with my other foot to get me in deeper water before starting the jet ski.
I’ve been at the boat launch before seeing people hop on their craft with it in less than a foot of water, and before I get to them, they fire up the engine and suck up stuff. It ruins their day because now you got to take the ski in and get the debris removed from the pump.
Luckily, many manufacturers, like Sea-Doo, have a wear ring that protects the pump in case you suck something up. But it’s not perfect and once it’s damaged it needs to be replaced.
Beaching
When beaching jet skis into shallow waters, you can and should turn the engine off before you reach the shoreline.
If you see the bottom, it’s usually too late.
Head toward the beach and move in that direction. When you’re about 5 jet ski lengths away, turn off the engine and coast in. Your momentum will gently carry you to the shore.
Even if you come up short, you’re often close enough to hop off the jet ski and beach it yourself.
An even better idea is to not beach the ski and instead keep it floating and use a screw anchor to keep it in place.
Will You Suck Up Debris If You Go Fast?
Yes, even if you can do 60 mph on jet skis over shallow water areas, you still got the risk of sucking stuff up.
When on a jet ski, it’s best if you can avoid shallow marker areas at all costs. Also, be aware of when the water level is down, many boat ramps will let you know, or it will be obvious the ramps are way down.
You might get lucky a few times, but eventually, you can suck something up if you run jet skis over shallow areas, no matter how fast you go.
I Didn’t Drive Through Shallow Areas But Still Sucked Something Up?!
This is a very common response I get from people.
They don’t remember sucking something up, and some even go as far as to say I’m lying to them.
I cannot blame them because sucking something up is not always obvious on a jet ski. Sometimes when you suck something up, the engine shuts off, and clearly, something is wrong. Other times you don’t hear or feel anything, but the next time you try to start the engine, nothing happens.
If the rock is big enough, it will jam the impeller and stop the engine. If the rock is not big enough, then it will get stuck and ride with the impeller cutting a groove in the wear ring. And sometimes the rock bounces around in the impeller and gets spit out the rear, only leaving a trace of a damaged wear ring in the jet ski.
You don’t always realize it because an engine is loud, and everything is happening underwater, so the sound of the rock destroying the wear ring is not apparent.
Tree bark or sticks are the worst about being quiet, and they are often the ones that are spit out and leave no groove in the wear ring. The worst part about sticks is that they will float, and they blend in. This is why I tell people to wait 24 hours before riding after a bad rainstorm. The wind does knock all the sticks loose, and they float out in the water, waiting to destroy your wear ring.
How To Unclog a Jet Ski
There is no good way to say this, but if you sucked something up, then you need to take the jet ski in and get it fixed.
If it’s rocks or anything similarly hard, you have the chance it damaged the impeller, wear ring and possible the whole jet pump housing.
If it was some sticks, then it more than likely only damaged the wear ring.
I’ve even seen people suck up snakes and maps before, below is a jet pump that sucked up a map.
The best thing to do is run it to a repair shop because the jet pump needs to come off, and a few things need to be fixed.
Switching the jet skis into reverse won’t unclog the jet pump.
You need to take the jet ski in and get it fixed. Fixing something stuck in the jet pump is not something that most people should be messing with due to the sharp blades on the impeller.
Sometimes you will get lucky and turn the engine off, rock the jet ski back and forth and dislodge the object that is stuck. Most often what gets stuck gets really stuck due to the power of the engine and the jet ski needs to be taken in for repair.
Is Sucking Something Up Covered Under Warranty?
No, sucking something up is NOT covered under your jet ski warranty.
It’s not the manufacturer’s defect, so it cannot be covered under jet ski’s warranty.
Is Sucking Stuff Up Covered Under My Insurance?
Generally, no, but I’ve rare cases of insurance companies covering it.
I wouldn’t expect your jet ski insurance company to pay for it, especially if it means your rates will increase, but there are some circumstances that they might cover, and it might be worth it.
How Much Does It Cost To Fix?
You might be wondering how much it would cost you to fix a PWC after sucking something up?
The answer is not so simple.
The cost will depend on what damage was done.
New wear ring like the kind for Sea-Doo will run anywhere from $50 to $200.
New impeller, if it was damaged, will run you $100 to $400.
If you plan on doing it yourself, you’ll need the impeller removal tool along with the mechanic set of tools to take the pump apart.
Labor wise, you can be looking at an hour, if not run it up to 2 hours, depending on the jet ski and the shop you take it to. It’s not unheard of a repair shop to charge $150 per hour, if not more.
After all is said and done, you could see anywhere from $400 to $1000 to fix a jet ski after sucking debris up at a repair shop. It could be more or less depending on many factors, but this is only to give you an idea.
Won’t Take Off Or Is Sluggish
If it won’t take off or feels like it’s slipping, your jet ski has likely sucked something up.
I have a post here that can help you with that.
Is Sucking Stuff Up A Huge Problem For Jet Skis?
After reading this, I’m sure I have a few people freaked out, thinking they’ll suck something up with their jet ski every time they take it out.
If you can always start and run a jet ski in at least 3 feet of water, avoid shallow areas when riding, and be aware of ropes and your surroundings, the chances of you sucking something up is rare.
I’ve driven a lot of different jet skis and owned a few, and I’ve only ever sucked something up once. Yes, only once, and the only reason I sucked something up is because of bad luck. It happens, but it’s not a common thing, so I fixed it and moved on.
I had to write this post because I see people saying jet skis and jet boats will go in shallow water because they lack a prop, which is false. They will float better in shallow water, but jet skis don’t do well in shallow water. It only takes a few inches of water for a jet ski to float, but floating is very different from running.
