Jet Skis vs. WaveRunners

When you’re looking to have fun in the surf, there are a lot of options. Two popular choices are Jet Skis and WaveRunners—but what is the difference between the two?

Here is some information about Jet Skis vs. WaveRunners that you may find interesting.

Personal watercraft

Did you know that both Jet Skis and WaveRunners are both just different brand names for what is essentially the same type of product? Both are classified as personal watercraft (PWC) or water scooters.

Though all of these craft are often referred to as jet skis, a Jet Ski is a brand name of personal watercraft. Like Rollerblades (in-line skates), Band-Aids (medical adhesive strips) or Kleenex (tissues), Jet Skis are a brand of a larger category of products.

They’re made by Kawasaki, and they were the first commercially successful type of this product, which is one reason why the type of craft is colloquially known as their brand name—but there are other types of personal watercraft you should know about, too.

WaveRunner is another brand name of personal watercraft. These are made by Yamaha and were introduced in the mid 1980s after Kawasaki saw success with the Jet Ski. This type of personal watercraft made a splash in the water sports world because it had a notable difference: Users could sit down when using the craft.

Comparing Jet Skis vs. WaveRunners

At that point, there were two popular types of watercraft on the market. The main difference when it comes to Jet Skis versus WaveRunners is that, on a Jet Ski, users have to stand up to ride it; on a WaveRunner, users can sit down.

Just like the Jet Ski became a generic term for personal watercraft, the Yamaha WaveRunner became a generic term for a seated personal watercraft. Kawasaki has since introduced sit-down models of personal watercraft as well.

Another difference between Jet Skis and WaveRunners is that the WaveRunner allows for multiple riders at once. This allows for couples or parents and children to ride together.

Another difference between the Jet Skis and WaveRunners is the companies that make them. Yamaha makes the WaveRunner and has also introduced a host of other personal watercraft. This includes competitors to the Kawasaki Jet Ski that are ridden standing up.

How to choose

When you’re looking for a Jet Ski rental, you may be really wondering what type of personal watercraft you are looking for. The answer boils down to a few different factors.

First, do you want to stand up or sit down? This will go a long way toward determining what type of experience you can have on the craft. Stand-up craft (or Jet Ski–style craft) focus on performance and power. Sit-down craft (or WaveRunner-style craft) are still powerful but provide a different type of experience. When you need Jet Ski rental or other types of water-based fun, get in touch with Cool Breeze Boats & Jet Ski Rentals or pay us a visit. We look forward to helping you enjoy your experience to the fullest!

Categorised in: Jet Ski Tours, WaveRunner Tours

This post was written by Writer