Unfortunately, owning a jet ski is not all fun and games.
There is a lot of maintenance and upkeep that goes into being a jet ski owner.
If you live in a colder climate where there is potential for freezing temperatures in the winter, you will need to winterize your jet ski.
The price of winterizing a jet ski may come as a surprise to some people.
It is best to be prepared and understand all costs associated with jet ski ownership.
How Much Does It Cost to Winterize a Jet Ski?
It is going to cost about $700 to have your jet ski winterized.
The price will change depending on where you live and the services you are requesting.
This is an average price you will pay, and of course, there will be other factors which could play into the price.
If your jet ski turns out to have a problem or if there is some damage from a season of use, you will probably see some additional charges.
Let’s take a more in-depth look at why jet skis are so expensive to winterize and how important it is to winterize your jet ski.
Why Is It Expensive to Winterize a Jet Ski?
It is expensive to winterize a jet ski for several reasons.
For starters, this is a process most people are not going to take on themselves.
Ensuring the winterization process is done correctly will make or break the winter season for your jet ski.
If there are issues in how the winterization was done, you could end up spending thousands of dollars on jet ski repair.
Since this is something we would all like to avoid, the pricing of winterization goes up.
Another reason winterizing a jet ski is expensive is that it is time consuming.
Anytime you will be taking the time of a mechanic, you will pay an hourly rate on top of the rate of any materials or supplies.
There are lots of cleaning and engine repair and checking steps involved in winterization.
Not only does a person need to know what they are doing, but they are going to have to spend a great deal of time with your jet ski.
The thing about winterizing is that, expensive as it is, you will still want to get it done.
What Are the Steps in Winterizing a Jet Ski?
Each mechanic is going to have his or her own way of winterizing.
They will likely have a procedure they follow, and it will include all of the following steps at some point during the process.
1. Draining
The first step that needs to happen when winterizing a jet ski is the draining of the jet ski.
There is water in the cooling system which needs to be emptied entirely.
Any water or fluids left in the engine are going to potentially freeze over the course of the winter.
If fluids freeze, they will do severe damage to the inside of your jet ski.
Some of that damage will not be capable of repair.
Once the cooling system is emptied, it will also be cleaned.
Usually, there is some leftover dirt left in there, and the mechanic wants this all removed before moving to the next steps in the process.
2. Cleaning
When you pay for a winterization, you are also going to get some nice, detailed work done to your jet ski.
The mechanic will do a full wash down of the inside and the outside of the jet ski.
You should check to see if waxing is also part of the service you paid for.
This is a great thing to do at the end of the season because it gives you a good look at the entire jet ski.
Are there areas that are starting to deteriorate?
Does anything need to be repainted, replaced, or repaired?
Having a good handle on the entire jet ski and any potential issues is undoubtedly easier than when you are dealing with a boat.
This is a practice all jet ski owners should do regardless of whether they are getting the jet ski winterized.
Remember that it is always best to find problems when they are small problems as they will be much cheaper to fix.
If your jet ski is at a great mechanic, then they will probably wax the outside of the jet ski for you as well.
This is an important step to protect your jet ski throughout the entire season.
3. Fluid Top-Off
When you drain all the water and fluids out of the jet ski, there are a few things which still need to be done as far as fluids are concerned.
The gas tank needs to be filled with a stabilizer.
The stabilizer will help to keep it clean.
When the stabilizer is put in with the gas, the engine will be run for a few seconds just to make sure all of the gas is mixed with the stabilizer.
Then the jet ski will be shut down.
4. Lubrication
During the course of the season, some of the seals and cables are going to get worn out in your jet ski.
Each seal and cable needs to be well lubricated so that it does not experience any damage.
A well lubricated jet ski will perform and steer much better than one that lacks the proper lubrication.
The lubrication also works as a protectant.
5. Oil
Just as you protect the outside of the jet ski with wax, you need to make sure the inside of the jet ski is protected for the winter as well.
The mechanic will spray the carburetor and the cylinders with something called fogging oil.
The fogging oil helps to prevent corrosion while the jet ski is sitting throughout the winter.
6. Final Steps
The lasts steps of the jet ski winterization process include taking the battery out.
When you remove the battery for the winter, you can help make sure it does not lose its life throughout the winter months.
When your battery is out, you need to connect it to a trickle charger to make sure it does not drain entirely through the winter.
When a battery drains completely, it will end up losing its overall capacity, and this will be a problem for your next season.
Once your jet ski is completely winterized, you will need to find a location to store it for the winter.
Although this process is not cheap, it is the only true way to make sure you don’t do severe damage to your jet ski.
Some mechanics will estimate that not winterizing your jet ski could end up costing you thousands of dollars as opposed to hundreds of dollars.
Can I Winterize a Jet Ski Myself?
A jet ski can absolutely be winterized yourself.
If you understand how a jet ski works and you know where all of the connections are, you can easily complete this process on your own.
You will want to watch a guide or two to make sure you don’t forget a step.
When you are winterizing any outdoor product, the last thing you want to do is forget a step and risk some damage due to freezing.
When water freezes, it expands.
Any type of water that is left inside a jet ski could freeze, expand, and then start cracking pieces of the jet ski.
Of course, this is a serious problem which will likely make the start of your jet ski season a bit more of a headache.
Where to Store a Jet Ski in the Winter
Once your jet ski is winterized and ready to be stored, you must tackle the next obstacle of finding a great place to store your jet ski.
If you trailer your jet ski, you should leave it on the trailer and keep it in your temperature-controlled garage.
This is the easiest solution, and you can make sure your jet ski stays secure and without damage.
The problem many jet ski owners have is that they don’t have the room to store both the jet ski and the trailer.
This makes it so you have to move the jet ski to indoor storage but leave the trailer outdoors.
If you decide to do this, you will need to build or purchase a jet ski rack.
Putting your jet ski directly on the floor is going to cause damage and cost you some money.
A rack does not have to be complicated, but it does need to be strong.
Jet skis often weigh between 500 and 1000 pounds.
Before you put your rack together, make sure you know exactly how heavy your jet ski model is.
The next tricky part is getting your jet ski onto the rack.
You are going to need the help of several strong people to get this project completed.
Make sure you have even support on all sides of the jet ski so that it does not tip or slip out of a person’s hands.
The other way to complete this project would be using a forklift.
A small forklift could quickly get your jet ski on a rack, and this is what you will often see used at a marina location.
If you don’t have any room to store your jet ski for the winter, we strongly recommend looking for an indoor storage rental close to you.
Although this is going to come with a price tag, it may be worth it to maintain the condition of your jet ski.
The local storage facility may even handle the winterization of the jet ski and put it on a rack for you without you having to be involved.
Again, these are all services that will come at a cost, but the cost would be well worth it.
Considering you spent thousands of dollars to purchase your jet ski, you are likely not going to want to spend thousands more to fix it.
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