How to Build a Jet Ski Stand [DIY Jet Ski Dolly Ideas]

When the season is over, it’s time to properly store your jet ski for the winter months.

But if you want to store it in your garage for the winter, the trailer will take up a lot of garage space.

Another issue could be if you have two jet skis on a double trailer and it won’t fit in your garage. This is where a jet ski stand can really come in handy!

If you are looking for a jet ski stand, you can choose from several factory-built models, or you can even build one yourself based on your needs.

For your convenience, we at JetDrift have compiled the best DIY jet ski stand ideas and included them in this post!

What is a Jet Ski Stand?

A jet ski stand, also known as ‘jet ski dolly’ or ‘jet ski cart’ is a small cart that is used to store a jet ski if space is an issue. As a bonus, you can move the jet ski around much easier in your garage on a stand, as they usually have small castors. Keep in mind that unlike trailers, stands can’t be used for transporting jet skis on the road!

Moreover, you can do the maintenance on your jet ski much easier when it’s sitting on a stand.

Although there are many different jet ski dollies on the market, in many cases it makes sense to build one. This is not just the cheapest solution, but you can also be sure that the bunks will be the same height on your trailer.

Thus, if you want a jet ski stand that fits your jet ski and trailer perfectly you can consider building one yourself.

If you like building things it could be a great project for you to undertake next weekend!

How to Build a Jet Ski Stand

First things first, you have to plan things out. When you’re designing a jet ski stand, you should take these factors into account:

Frame

When it comes to building a jet ski cart, the most important factor is always the weight of your jet ski.

Depending on their age and type, the weight of jet skis vary widely.

Vintage 2-stroke sit-down jet skis and stand-ups are much lighter, around 300-500 pounds, while the weight of the newest 4-stroke sit-downs range from 400 pounds to more than 1000+ pounds!

Obviously, the heavier the jet ski the stronger the stand it needs. When you’re designing the frame, make sure it’s strong enough to properly hold your jet ski.

As far as jet ski cart dimensions, again they depend on the size of your jet ski. The average dimensions for a jet ski cart for larger sit-down jet skis are:

Length: 50-60 inches
Width: 25-35 inches
Height: 18-22 inches (with the wheels)

But again, it depends on your jet ski’s size, the height of your trailer bunks and your individual preferences.

Bunks for Jet Ski Stands

Beyond the frame, the bunks are no less important. Best practice is to make the bunks exactly the same height as the trailer bunks.

This way it’s easier for you to move the jet ski onto the stand from the trailer and back!

Regarding shape, sit-down jet skis require wider bunks, while narrow vertical bunks work well for stand-up jet skis.

The bunks should be long enough to properly support the hull. You may also want to cover them with carpet or plastic to avoid scratches and attach them to the frame with swivel brackets.

Jet Ski Stand Wheels

Although you can find some DIY jet ski stand ideas without casters, they are always a good addition to any stand.

You will probably be moving your jet ski in and out of the garage many times, so it’s highly recommended that you install four good quality casters.

You can’t go wrong if you oversize them, since cheap wheels do more harm than good. Best practice is to invest in heavy-duty casters rated at least 500-600 pounds each.

Also, make sure that all casters are “swivel” types, like the ones you see on shopping carts.

These casters are considered the best wheels for jet ski carts as they allow you to easily move the jet ski in any direction.

DIY Jet Ski Dolly Made of Steel

DIY jet ski stands are typically made of steel, wood, or PVC pipes.

If you are looking for something heavy-duty and you are familiar with welding, it’s best if you build the frame out of steel.

It’s much stronger and durable than any other material. But keep in mind that even if you build the frame from steel, you have to make the bunks out of wood.

If you can’t weld but want a custom steel jet ski cart, you can still pay a professional who can do it for a few bucks. Let’s be realistic, this is not a complicated structure at all.

Wooden Jet Ski Stands

The most commonly used material for building DIY jet ski stands is probably wood.

Why? It’s cheap, available, lightweight, environmental-friendly, and easy to work with.

You will just need some basic tools for the job and won’t have to fear electrical shocks or injuries from the grinder.

All you need is:

– Lumber
– Lag screws
– Bolts, nuts, and washers
– Long eye hooks
– 4 Swivel brackets for the bunks
– 4 Casters
– Carpet (outdoor or trailer carpet)

You can see the whole process in this video:

If you do some online research, you can see many DIY jet ski carts that are built based on furniture carts.

Although at first glance this seems like a good idea, we don’t recommend it, as they usually feature lower-quality wheels and lead to too many compromises.

It is best if you build your jet ski dolly from scratch, so that fits your craft perfectly.

How to Make a PVC Jet Ski Stand

The third most popular jet ski cart material is PVC, especially for lightweight jet skis.

However, unless you have a stand-up or vintage 2-stroke jet ski, it would be better to build your cart from wood or steel.

This is because PVC jet ski stands are not just too weak for larger sit-down jet skis, but they are prone to aging. This means they tend to get brittle over time, which can be accelerated by the sun’s rays.

Because of these concerns, PVC pipes haven’t proven to be a sufficiently durable material for jet ski stands. But if you decide to stick with PVC, here are some factors to consider:

How to Make a PVC Jet Ski Stand

To make a PVC jet ski stand you will need PVC pipes and some fittings, like: 4x Tees, 4x 90 elbows, and 4x caps. The main advantage of PVC is that it’s really easy to work with, since you can cut the pipes without any power tools and you can stick the parts together with some PVC glue. You can also consider installing casters on it if you want a movable dolly.

For further guidance we recommend this informative tutorial video:

Takeaways – How to Make a Jet Ski Dolly

Although there are many ways to store a jet ski, the most common solution is still storing them in a garage.

But the main problem with this solution is that the trailer takes up too much garage space. But not if you have a jet ski stand (known as jet ski cart or jet ski dolly)!

There are many benefits to owning one, since it not only saves space, but it also allows you to move your jet ski around much easier.

Moreover, doing the yearly maintenance on the jet ski is much more comfortable when it’s on a stand.

You can choose from several good quality jet ski stands on the market, or you can consider building one from scratch.

Although this takes some work, if you build your own DIY jet ski dolly you can customize it based on your needs. This allows you to build the bunks, so they are the same height as the bunks on your trailer, enabling you to move the jet ski on and off the dolly much easier.

You can also be sure that the dolly fits to your jet ski perfectly and support the hull properly.

How do you make a jet ski dolly? As you already know you can make a jet ski dolly from steel, wood or even PVC.

The strongest and most durable DIY jet ski stands are made of steel, but you will need some skills and tools to build one.

Wood probably is the most commonly used material for building a jet ski dolly. It’s not just easier to work with but really strong, so it’s boldly recommended for bigger 4-stroke sit-down jet skis.

PVC pipes are also commonly used for building jet ski dollies.

But as we’ve discussed above, although the PVC jet ski stands would work for stand-ups and vintage 2-stroke jet skis.

If you have a larger 4-stroke model you may want to something more sturdy, made of either steel or wood!