7 Best Ways to Get Rid of an Old Jet Ski [Video]

What do you do with old jet skis?  This is a typical question of many owners who don’t need their machines anymore.Generally speaking, the 7 best ways to get rid of an old jet ski are as follows:

1. Restoration (and sell)
2. Sell it “as is”
3. Sell it for parts
4. Donation
5. Put it in a boat salvage yard
6. Recycle it
7. Trash it

If you want to learn more about these solutions, this post is for you.

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

What do You do With Old Jet Skis?

Restoration

Before you donate or even trash your jet ski, do a quick online search for that model.

It may worth much more than you might think! Certain vintage 2-stroke models stand out in a crowd as there is still a significant demand for these machines. Why?

Simply put, 2-stroke jet skis are not manufactured anymore, which is why the aged Yamaha WaveBlaster, Sea-Doo XP, and Yamaha GP1200 are still popular models on the used market.

What’s more, 4-seater jet skis like the Sea-Doo LRV, or Yamaha SUV have long since gone out of production as well. And to the greatest regret of many buyers, there are currently no manufacturers offering jet skis of this size. Consequently, many buyers are looking for these vintage models.

This means it would be wise to do some research as the first step. If you find it’s worth the investment, you may want to restore your jet ski before you sell it.

Who knows, you may end up keeping it for yourself!

Restoring a jet ski can be a great side project for you, but you can also get it done by professionals. (However, the labor could be costly, so you have to do the math.)

If the jet ski is destroyed, of course, this would not be an option for you.

Sell It “As Is”

If you don’t want to spend the time or money on the jet ski, you could always sell “as is.” You can sell your jet ski on Craigslist, eBay, Facebook, PWC Trader, or other dedicated jet ski selling sites.

The main advantage of selling it is that you can get back some of the value of its price. On the other hand, selling your jet ski uses up your time as you have to deal with the ads and the buyers.

Therefore, you have to figure out if this is worth your time. If the ski is in a really bad condition, it could be more effort than it’s worth.

You can also ask local dealerships or smaller shops, and if you are lucky they might buy the machine for parts.

Selling it for Parts

If you want to make more money from your old jet ski, you should consider selling it for parts. However, keep in mind that it could be more time-consuming than selling it in one piece.

This option makes sense if some parts are still in good condition.

For instance, if the hull is heavily damaged but the engine runs well, it may be worth selling the engine separately then scraping the hull. The engine is always the most expensive part of any jet ski, so you can make some money by selling it.

Believe it or not, many vintage jet ski owners are looking for parts or even entire engines, as many of these items are already out of production.

Donating Your Jet Ski

If you don’t want to bother with selling it, the best practice is to give your jet ski away for free. You can find a free section on Craigslist, but many great organizations can help you with this as well. The most well-known boat and jet ski donating services are as follows:

• Boat Switch Causes
• Online Boat Donation
• Boat Angel
• CharityBoats.org

The main pros of these services are that they typically accept jet skis of any size and age, and offer free transport. On top of that, if you donate your jet ski you’re eligible for a tax deduction based on the market value of the machine.

As a rule of thumb, donating a jet ski is always much faster and easier than selling it!

Consider a Boat Salvage Yard

If selling or donating is not an option for any reason, the best you can do is to take your jet ski to a boat salvage yard or a used part dealer.

Salvagers typically make money selling the viable parts of the vessels, so you might even make some money on the deal, but it’s unlikely.

This is because these services charge you for disassembling the machine and disposing (or recycling if available) the wastes.

Just google for the closest boat salvage yards in your area and make sure you contact them for the terms and conditions.

Recycling the Jet Ski if Possible

Keeping the environment in mind, when selecting a salvage yard (or another service) make sure it recycles as many of the parts of your jet ski as possible.

The biggest challenge to recycling jet skis is that their hulls are made of fiberglass. And unfortunately, the majority of these old fiberglass hulls end up in landfills. Why?

The answer is simple: this solution is much cheaper than recycling. And most states have enough space to dump old jet ski and boat hulls, so they are not interested in recycling them.

Another problem is that the market for recycled fiberglass doesn’t really exist yet. Hence, many landfills don’t invest in fiberglass grinders to make these hulls recyclable.

Finally, the policy and the conditions vary from company to company, so you have to make sure that all parts of your jet ski will be handled properly.

If it’s not possible to recycle each part of your jet ski, make sure the wastes will be deposed of safely and legally.

Trash It

If you can’t find any company that will resell or recycle your old jet ski, you can simply trash it. Please consider this as your last option! Before you take your jet ski to your local trash dump, always ask them if they are willing to accept it.

Some of them can’t accept the whole machine, meaning that you have to remove the engine.

If you can’t haul the jet ski, the local waste company might help you to take it to the dump, but not necessarily. That’s why it’s recommended that you call them and ask for details.

How NOT Get Rid of Your Jet Ski

When it comes to disposing of your old jet ski, make sure to do it legally and properly. This means never trying to get rid of your jet ski by abandoning or sinking it!

This is not only against the law but harmful for the environment in many ways. What’s more, it’s a lesser-known fact that jet skis are virtually unsinkable thanks to flotation foams inside their hulls.

It’s also a bad idea to cut the hull into pieces and simply trash the pieces.

Because of these risks, you won’t want to scrap your jet ski illegally!

Conclusion

What do you do with your old jet ski?

First, you have to find out whether you can make money from it.

If so, you can try to sell the jet ski in one piece, or parts of it. If it’s a popular vintage model, it might make sense to restore it before selling.

Keep in mind that all of these options could be quite time-consuming, so they aren’t necessarily worth the effort.

If you don’t want to make money out of it, the best practice is that you give it away for free. Donating is the fastest and easiest way to get rid of an old jet ski!

You can find many nonprofit organizations, specializing in donating jet skis and boats, but you can also find a free section on Craigslist.

If none of these solutions work, your only option is to scrap your jet ski.

How do you dispose of an old jet ski? The best practice to dispose of it at a boat salvage yard, as they can sell out the usable parts of the machine. Make sure to choose a service that recycles or disposes of hazardous wastes properly and legally. As the last option, you can dispose of your jet ski at the local trash dump.

Before you take it to the dump or a salvage yard, you may want to ask if they are willing to accept the machine, and if so, under what conditions.