7 Best Jet Ski Manufacturers Compared [Video]

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It’s safe to say that the seven best jet ski manufacturers right now are as follows:

  1. BRP – Sea-Doo
  2. Yamaha – WaveRunner
  3. Kawasaki – Jet Ski
  4. Krash Industries
  5. Belassi – Burrasca
  6. Taiga – Orca
  7. Narke – Electrojet

If you want to find out more about these manufacturers and discover some discontinued jet ski brands, this post is for you.

We at JetDrift have compiled information on the best jet ski brands under one roof!

7 Best Jet Ski Manufacturers

1. Sea-Doo (BRP)

There’s no question that one of the most well-known jet ski brands is Sea-Doo, manufactured by Bombardier Recreational Products.

The first Sea-Doo was the lesser-known 1968 Bombardier Sea-Doo AquaScooter, but the company’s success was brought about by its 1988 Sea-Doo SP.

The Canadian jet ski brand is famous for its innovation, unique design, and advanced features. You can find many PWCs in the Sea-Doo fleet, which comes with countless bells and whistles.

Therefore, it’s no surprise that Sea-Doo has the largest share of the PWC market year-after-year.

Drawbacks?

Many riders say that Sea-Doos are like German luxury cars, as their complex systems (like iDF, Carbon Ring Seal, and Closed-Loop Cooling) require extra attention and care.

If you want to discover the latest Sea-Doo fleet, don’t hesitate to check the new lineup!

2. Yamaha WaveRunner

Besides Sea-Doo, another big player in the field is Yamaha.

The Japanese manufacturer entered the PWC market in 1986 when it introduced the first Yamaha WaveRunners, the WR500, and the WaveJammer.

WaveRunners are famous for their reliability and durability, which is why you can find WaveRunners in most jet ski rental shops.

These amazing skis offer the largest displacement engines in the industry, which are commonly used by racers.

Drawbacks?

Although WaveRunners are amazing machines, they have a slightly “classic” design and fewer features than Sea-Doos.

Beyond these, it’s safe to say that Yamaha WaveRunners are as popular in the U.S. as their Canadian rivals.

You can discover the latest WaveRunner fleet here!

3. Kawasaki Jet Ski

The third large jet ski brand in the marketplace right now is Kawasaki. These manufacturers (Kawasaki, Yamaha, Sea-Doo) are often referred to as the “Big Three,” as they almost cover the entire PWC market in the US.

In the ‘80s, Kawasaki jet skis were virtually the only commercially successful PWCs available. Thanks to the company’s thorough marketing campaign, these stand-up skis became extremely popular, making this sport known throughout world.

Over the decades, just like its competitors, Kawasaki moved towards the more popular runabout (sit-down) PWC segment.

For many years the Japanese company lagged behind the competition in design and innovation, but for the 2022 season, it surprised the market with the redesigned Ultra 310 series.

Kawasaki jet skis made their reputation by providing outstanding power and a unique deep-V hull design that does a good job on rough waters.

Drawbacks?

Although the latest flagship Kawasaki jet skis utilize many innovative features, they are still a step behind the innovative Sea-Doos and WaveRunners. Moreover, Kawasakis are also known for their large hulls and heavy weight, making them the heaviest skis in the marketplace.

These machines are relatively rare in the US due to a smaller dealer network and fan base.

4. Krash Industries

Compared to the big jet ski brands, Krash Industries is quite new to this marketplace. The Australian manufacturer was established in 2008 as an aftermarket PWC hull builder.

Today, Krash offers several “turn-key” freestyle and freeride PWCs, which are surprisingly still powered by 2-stroke engines. This is no accident since these special stand-up jet skis are primarily intended for racing purposes.

Krash jet skis are known for their outstanding power-to-weight ratio and unique freestyle hull design.

To the greatest delight of many stand-up riders, these skis have been available in the US market since 2018.

Drawbacks?

Riding Krash jet skis requires a lot of athletic skills and experience, so they are only recommended for racers and hardcore stand-up ski enthusiasts.

If you want to compare the latest Krash models head-to-head, don’t miss our comparison tool!

5. Belassi Burrasca

Belassi is a boutique European jet ski manufacturer that builds high-end runabout PWCs in small series.

Each Belassi Burrasca jet ski is carefully handcrafted in Austria, Europe. Its well-designed sporty hull, just like its amazing engine, is both developed and manufactured in-house.

What’s more, several parts of the ski are made of carbon fiber like the hull, top deck, air-intake, reverse gate, exhaust, and muffler.

The power source of the Belassi jet ski is a 1602cc, 4-stroke triple rated at 320 HP. The machines also comes with countless innovative features like dual displays, a compass, and even a G-force meter (yes, really).

Thanks to these features, the Belassi Burrasca handles like an Italian motorcycle on the water!

Drawbacks?

Belassi PWCs are known for their hefty price tags and limited availability, as the company does not have a dealer network in the US.

6. Taiga Orca

Taiga Motors is a Canadian manufacturer of electric jet skis and snowmobiles. The Montreal-based company started developing electric snowmobile prototypes in 2015 and later expanded its fleet to jet skis.

These amazing all-electric PWCs, known as Taiga Orcas, are available with different engine options. Compared to the big brands, Taiga jet skis are fairly new on the market.

7. Narke

Besides Taiga, another emerging electric jet ski manufacturer is the European-based Narke.

This startup unveiled its electric jet ski, known as the Narke Electrojet, in 2018. Unlike its Canadian rival, the Narke Electrojet has already gone into production.

This machine is a sit-down type PWC powered by an all-electric engine. This power source is fed by a Li-Ion battery pack and cooled by a water system.

The hull and the top deck feature an angular design with sharp edges, which are made of carbon fiber for the best power-to-weight ratio.

Both the body and the engine of Narke jet skis are engineered and manufactured in-house.

How Many Different Brands of Jet Skis Were Made?

Besides the companies above, many less successful jet ski manufacturers have appeared and disappeared in the marketplace in recent decades. Based on our research, no less than 13 different jet ski brands have existed over the years, including:

  1. Sea-Doo (BRP)
  2. Jet Ski (Kawasaki)
  3. WaveRunner (Yamaha)
  4. Krash (Krash Industries)
  5. Orca (Taiga)
  6. Narke Electrojet (Narke)
  7. Nikola WAV (Concept)
  8. AquaTrax (Honda)
  9. Sea-Lion (Polaris)
  10. Tigershark (Arctic Cat)
  11. Wetbike (Arctic Cat)
  12. Wet Jet (Mastercraft)
  13. Burrasca (Belassi) formerly: Hydrospace and Benelli

You can find out more about these manufacturers by following the links above!

Also, for your convenience, we’ve listed the major jet ski brands and their manufacturers on one chart:

Jet Ski Brand Comparison Chart

StartedEndedBrand nameManufacturer
1968-Sea-DooBombardier (BRP)
1972-Jet SkiKawasaki
19781992WetBikeArctic Cat
19851993Wet JetKoronis Part Inc. (Sold to MasterCraft)
1986-WaveRunnerYamaha
19922004SeaLionPolaris
19931999TigersharkArctic Cat
19941997Wet JetMasterCraft
20022009AquaTraxHonda
20042006HydrospaceHydrospace (sold to Benelli)
2006 -BurrascaBelassi
2008 -KrashKrash Industries
2018 -Narke ElectrojetNarke
2018 -OrcaTaiga

Takeaways – Which Companies Make Jet Skis?

As a takeaway, we’ve collected answers to the most common questions about the best jet ski manufacturers!

How Many Brands of Jet Skis Are There?

Based on our research, no less than 12 different jet ski brands have appeared over the decades. As expected, the majority of these brands belong to the major powersport or marine manufacturers.

Some of them have been successful in the long run, while the rest disappeared after only a couple of years of production.

Who Manufactures Jet Skis?

At present, the three major jet ski manufacturers include Sea-Doo, Yamaha, and Kawasaki. These companies mainly offer sit-down type runabouts, but a few stand-up skis also appear in their offerings.

Besides the “Big Three,” you can also find some boutique PWC manufacturers out there like Krash Industries, Benelli, Narke, and Taiga.

These companies offer unique small-series PWCs for special purposes.

Krash Industries has a fleet of turn-key freestyle and freeride stand-up skis, while Benelli produces high-end luxury performance runabouts.

Narke and Taiga are the newest players in the field; both of them manufacture all-electric jet skis.

Are Any Jet Skis Made in the USA?

Yes, according to the manufacturer Yamaha WaveRunners are made in the USA. These reliable machines are assembled in a 1.3 million-square-foot plant located in Newnan, Georgia.

Does Mercedes Make Jet Skis? 

Mercedes doesn’t manufacture jet skis or other powersport vehicles, to the greatest regret of many luxury German car fans.

Does BMW Make Jet Skis?

Although BMW doesn’t produce jet skis right now, it’s an interesting fact that the unique GIBBS Quadski was powered by a BMW engine.

So, if we look at it that way, BMW contributed to the PWC market as an external engine supplier.

This is not surprising, as BMW is closer to the powersport business than other car companies as the German manufacturer offers a wide range of high-end motorcycles.

Does Tesla Make Jet Skis?

Tesla is well-known for its innovative and well-designed electric cars. Despite this, the company doesn’t offer jet skis or other recreational vehicles as it focuses on the car industry.

Does KTM Make Jet Skis?

KTM is a well-known name in the powersport business. The European manufacturer offers a wide variety of ATVs, motorcycles, dirt bikes, and small race cars but has not yet entered the PWC market.

If you are a KTM fan, you may be interested in this amazing KTM jet ski concept designed by the Knack Design Studio.

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