Do Jet Skis Have Cruise Control? How Does It Work? [Video]

Home/News/Do Jet Skis Have Cruise Control? How Does It Work? [Video]

While flagship and many mid-range jet skis come standard with cruise control, base models still lack this convenience feature. The cruise control on a jet ski works more like a speed limiter since it requires that you pull the throttle lever to maintain a pre-set speed.

If you want to learn more about jet ski cruise control and how it operates, this post is for you.

We at JetDrift have compiled all you need to know under one roof.

Do Jet Skis Have Cruise Control?

Cruise control on jet skis became more prevalent in the 2010s. This is no surprise since older models were manufactured with outdated wire throttle systems.

The first jet skis with cruise control were the high-end Sea-Doos with iControl, which began production in 2011.

Since then, cruise control has become more prevalent on the more advanced jet ski models across all major manufacturers.

It’s good to know that the cruise control on a jet ski is more like a speed limiter than a real cruise control. Because of this, it often referred to as a “cruise assist” or “speed limiter.”

It comes in handy in no-wake zones or on long tours when you have to maintain a specified speed for long periods.

Thanks to cruise control, you don’t have to keep your eyes on the speedometer and play with the throttle all the time.

Instead, you just fully depress the throttle lever, which is more relaxing for your hand.

How Does the Cruise Control on a Jet Ski Work?

In a nutshell, a jet ski’s cruise control lets you set a maximum speed that the machine can’t exceed. Since it’s just a speed limiter, you still need to pull the throttle lever to maintain the speed. Once the ski reaches the pre-set speed, the computer restricts the flow of air and gas to the engine.

This is very convenient since the ski won’t exceed the pre-set speed even if you keep the throttle lever fully depressed.

On the other hand, releasing the throttle lever causes the ski to decelerate, even with activated cruise control.

How do You Use Cruise Control on a Jet Ski?

You can use a jet ski’s cruise control in two ways. You can set your desired speed or you can choose among a variety of riding modes, which are intended for different riding conditions. Some of the most well-known modes on jet skis are arguably the No-Wake, ECO, Sport, and Tow modes, which often have dedicated handlebar buttons as well.

You can expect the slowest (2-5 mph) speed in a No-Wake mode, while the ECO mode ensures the best cruise speed for maximum fuel efficiency.

If you want to ride your jet ski with a custom pre-determined top speed, you have to activate the cruise control mode and adjust the speed limit to the desired level.

Once the speed limit is set and cruise control is activated, you just need the keep the throttle lever depressed.

The exact process may vary from one model to the next, but on most jet skis it can be controlled by handlebar buttons. The exact process is clearly stated in each jet ski operator’s manual.

Takeaways

High-end and many mid-range jet skis come standard with cruise control, which works as a speed limiter in cars.

The system allows you to pre-set your desired speed, which the machine can’t exceed even with the throttle lever fully depressed.

This comes in handy on long tours, no-wake zones, on when doing tow sports.

The easiest way to use the cruise control on a jet ski is by using the riding mode buttons, which offer different pre-set speed limits.

If you want to set a custom speed limit, you have to activate the cruise control mode and manually set a custom top speed in the system.

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