How Fast Does a Jet Ski Accelerate? [0-30 and 0-60 Times!] | (2024)

Jet skis offer amazing acceleration, as the flagship models can hit 0-30 mph in 1,5 seconds and hit 0-60 mph in about 3.5 seconds! In contrast, jet skis’ 0-30 times in the entry-level class are about 2.3-3.6 seconds depending on the make and model. Beyond their amazing acceleration, the fastest jet ski models can reach an amazing top speed of 65-70 mph!

Would you like to see jet ski acceleration times in one comparison chart? Keep reading!

Jet Ski Acceleration Chart

For your convenience, we at PowerSportsGuide have compiled some popular jet skis’ 0-30 times into one chart:

Let’s drill into the details and take a closer look at these jet skis by category!

How Fast Does a Jet Ski Accelerate?

Entry-Level Jet Skis’ Acceleration Times

Entry-level jet skis are known as Rec-Lites. These machines come with 900-1,000 cc engines, which produce around 60-110 HP depending on the model.

The most affordable models in this category are arguably the Spark family. Regarding the acceleration of Sea-Doo Sparks, even the 60 HP model can hit 0-30 mph in 3.6-3.8 seconds.

If you are looking for something more powerful, Sparks with 90 HP engines are for you. These jet skis can do the 0-30 mph run in about 2.4-2.5 seconds.

You can expect much the same acceleration on the competitor Yamaha EX WaveRunner as well.

Acceleration Times of the Average Jet Ski

When it comes to the acceleration time of the average jet ski, these models can typically reach 30 mph in 2.0-2.5 seconds.

For example, you can expect it to take about 2.4-2.5 seconds on a Yamaha VX WaveRunner, and it should take 2 seconds on the Kawasaki STX-15F.

In general, the Recreation models are considered to be “average” jet skis, as they come with non-supercharged 90-180 HP engines.

The Fastest Accelerating Jet Skis

The fastest accelerating jet skis can hit 0-30 mph in about 1.5 seconds and hit 0-60 mph in an amazing 3-4 seconds. Yes, this means that the most powerful jet skis accelerate like high-performance sports cars!

Are you wondering which jet skis are the fastest accelerating on the market? Without further ado, the quickest machines are as follows:

• Yamaha GP1800R SVHO
• Sea-Doo RXP-X 300
• Sea-Doo RXT-X 300
• Kawasaki Ultra 310R

These models are considered to be “Performance” jet skis, and as their category implies, they come with the most powerful engines. If you want to be the fastest on the lake, you can’t go wrong with one of these models!

The power sources of these high-performance machines are typically 1,600-1,800cc, 4-stroke, supercharged engines that put out 250-310 HP depending on the model.

Although the top speed of these jet skis is electronically limited, all of them can reach a whopping 65-70 mph.

How to Make Your Jet Ski Accelerate Faster

You can make your jet ski accelerate faster by reducing its weight or installing aftermarket performance parts. It’s good to know that the geometry of the impeller also affects a jet ski’s acceleration and top speed.

Reducing its weight seems to be the easiest trick to make a jet ski accelerate faster, but in many cases, it’s not an easy task! Even if you can shave a couple of pounds off by installing some aftermarket accessories, you can’t significantly reduce a jet ski’s weight.

If you want to keep the curb weight of your craft low, the best you can do is not to load the storage compartments up with a lot of unnecessary gear!

The most common way to increase a jet ski’s acceleration is arguably by boosting its performance with some modifications. Aftermarket performance parts can add more HP to the engine, which results in faster acceleration.

Replacing the impeller is also a common modification on jet skis. Some impellers are designed to reach a higher top speed, while others can increase the acceleration of the jet ski.

Conclusion

Jet ski acceleration times range from 3.6 seconds to an amazing 1.5 seconds on the 0-30 mph run. When it comes to the fastest jet skis’ 0-60 time, you can expect a whopping 3-4 seconds to reach a top speed of 65-70 mph!

If you want a jet ski to accelerate faster, your options are to reduce its weight, or increase its performance with aftermarket parts.