What Happens If You Flip A Jet Ski The Wrong Way? Guide

This article will examine all of What Happens If You Flip A Jet Ski The Wrong Way? Personal watercraft, or PWC, or jet skis, are a common option for adrenaline junkies, weekend warriors, and recreation seekers to experience speed and agility on the water without investing in an expensive leisure vessel or speed boat.

Jet skis are extraordinarily quick, portable, and entertaining. Even small sedans may tow up to three or four jet skis simultaneously. Despite their speed and agility, the issue is that they are easily capsized due to their inherently top-heavy design.

They may capsize due to an unsuccessful trick or stunt attempt, operator inexperience on a narrow ski moving slowly, or both. In either case, water might get inside the engine if they flip. That is when problems and pricey repairs can occur.

What Happens If You Flip A Jet Ski The Wrong Way?

If you don’t follow these instructions carefully, water may enter the Jet Ski’s internal workings and prevent the engine from reoccurring. In the worst-case scenario, damage to the engine from water infiltration could be irreversible. What to do if your jet ski flips over?

How Can Flip Jet Ski Cause Damage?

Most frequently, when using a jet ski, water enters the hull. This occurs as you travel on a watercraft with air intakes for the engine compartment. The Jet Ski’s hull fills with water as it waits to be turned over if you were to flip it.

There are proper and improper techniques to flip the Jet Ski back over. If you flip it the proper way, you’ll be alright; if you flip it the opposite way, water will pour into your carburetors or intake system, potentially causing your engine to hydro lock and leaving you stranded.

On the back of most jet skis is a picture that shows how to flip your craft properly. Check your owner’s manual if you need help with it. When the engine is turned on or running, and the intake has water in it, suction is created that may cause water to be drawn into the engine.

In most circumstances, the engine will shut down before damage occurs, but forcing the engine’s starter to cycle could result in permanent harm.

Once the water has entered the engine in any way, it needs to be removed as soon as possible. Any time water is allowed to remain in the engine can result in serious and expensive damage, including engine replacement.

Even a short period can cause the crank and bearings to rust, the piston rings to grip the cylinder wall, and the engine to seize beyond repair.

It is crucial to flip your jet ski carefully and safely right side up and get to shore so you can start draining the water from the engine, even if there looks to be more damage, such as if it was flipped after a collision or accident.

What To Do If A Jet Ski Was Submerged?

• When on shore, drain the bilge and remove the drain plugs.
• Use a garden hose to spray fresh water into the engine compartment of a jet ski that has been submerged in salt water.
• Anti-corrosion spray coats the Jet Ski’s unpainted metal and electrical parts.
• Remove the dipstick and examine the oil’s color. If your engine has water and the oil has a chocolate milk appearance or is unusually runny, you should take your jet ski in for repairs.

What To Do If Jet Ski Engine Took On Water?

If your jet ski’s engine has water, DO NOT start it. To remove the water from the Jet Ski, you must transport it to your dealer or nearby repair facility. Time is of the essence, particularly if you submerge it in saltwater. Tell the dealership the engine is hydro locked rather than telling a fib so they will know what to do.

Towing A Jet Ski

Avoid exceeding 20 mph (32 km/h) when towing a jet ski back to land. Overshooting this speed will surely hydro-lock the engine by forcing water into it. Additionally, it’s better to tow around 20 MPH because towing too quickly can cause the Jet Ski to bounce around unpredictably.

Why Is Flipping A Jet Ski Bad?

Flipping a jet ski is problematic because the engine compartment is not sealed. Since the engine needs oxygen to enter some way, it cannot be. Water will enter the engine compartment when the Jet Ski is turned over because the seats are submerged.

If enough water is present or if you upright the jet ski incorrectly, there is a strong probability that water will enter the engine if it gets into the engine compartment. Having water in your engine is hazardous for two main reasons.

• Starting an engine with water in the cylinders can destroy the engine since water doesn’t compress like air. We refer to this as a hydro-locked engine.
• Water, particularly saltwater, is extremely corrosive, and the longer water is allowed to remain in the engine, the more difficult and expensive repairs will be.

When it comes to saltwater, you should get it out as quickly as possible, preferably on the same day. Although the water in lakes and rivers is more forgiving, you should still be prompt.

Does Flipping A Jet Ski Break It?

If you flip a 4-stroke jet ski in the wrong direction, you risk breaking the vehicle and harming the engine. A sticker on the rear of the Jet Ski instructs you how to flip it over to avoid harming the engine.

When turning the Jet Ski back over, you must stick to the sticker’s instructions; otherwise, you risk damaging the engine and having trouble getting it to start again. Even though you can get the Jet Ski mended if you flip it incorrectly, it’s essential to flip it correctly.

How Can You Tell A Jet Ski Has Been Flipped Before?

Flipping a jet ski is not the world’s end if done correctly. But before purchasing a used jet ski, many people like to know if one has been flipped recently. You never know; they might be selling it since it broke down soon after being flipped. The seat weight is the strongest indicator of whether a jet ski has been flipped.

I’ve observed a variety of things that can cause a Jet Ski seat to become soggy and heavy. Thus, the source of heavy seats is sometimes someone flipping a jet ski.

However, if the seat was soggy, it was usually because it had been turned upside down. A soggy Jet Ski seat is also relatively easy to completely dry. A large sponge serves as the seat, and vinyl surrounds it. The vinyl traps the water as the sponge absorbs it.

The best advice for drying out a wet Jet Ski seat is to position it in the sun and up against a wall. Even then, it would take weeks to make a dent because the water will slowly drain away due to gravity and heat. A Jet Ski seat will typically be wet for a considerable time.

How Much Does It Cost To Fix A Hydro Locked Jet Ski?

Depending on the damage, the cost to remove water from a Jet Ski engine can range from $500 to $3,000. If you seriously damage the engine, it can even increase in value. You must tell the dealership right away that you hydro-locked the engine.

Please inform the repair business that it is hydro locked from the beginning rather than saying it “doesn’t start”. The water will be removed from the intake, the cylinders, and any other places that require it.

The following action will be several oil changes. It’s ideal if they remove it all because the water in the oil might eventually harm an engine. Multiple oil changes will be necessary since the water can persist. This repair is expensive because there have been numerous oil changes. If you’re lucky, you’ll only need two oil changes; otherwise, it can take four or even more.

Do Jet Skis Sink Completely?

You might be wondering if your jet ski will entirely sink if you flip it but, for some reason, did not flip it back over correctly or quickly enough.

Even when totally submerged in water, jet skis remain upright. Styrofoam may be visible when you look inside your jet ski, especially at the PWC’s nose.

If your jet ski sinks, the styrofoam will just about keep the nose aloft. It is amazing to witness a jet ski that has sunk with only the nose standing up and being hauled in by a boat towing firm.

It won’t be easy to load it into a trailer because of how heavy it will be. I’ve only had to do it a few times, but I can attest that most jet skis won’t submerge entirely.

How Can I Avoid Damaging My Jet Ski During A Flip?

The right way to flip a jet ski or other personal watercraft back over will be described on a sticker that will be attached to the stern of the vehicle, close to the exhaust, as required by safety labelling.

This sticker will instruct you on how to position yourself on the back of the Jet Ski, where to place your handhold and foot to brace, and which way to rotate the Jet Ski to avoid an accident.

Conclusion

As a result, it’s crucial to know What Happens If You Flip A Jet Ski The Wrong Way? Jet skis only have one hull, unlike some watercraft like the hydro bike, which has two. Flipping over is a typical occurrence when riding a jet ski due to this design and other variables.

Unfortunately, there are dangers connected to jet skis tipping over as well. Because of this, you must always wear a life jacket when jet skiing.

You must also confirm that the safety lanyard is securely fastened. It’s crucial to keep in mind that you can capsize or fall off your jet ski at any time while riding.

Frequently Asked Questions