Fastest Jet Ski Vs Fastest Waverunner And Sea-Doo In 2022 - JetDrift

When it comes down to it, the very fastest Jet Ski, Waverunner, and Sea-Doo models are all custom-built and modified watercrafts.

Most buyers, though, are looking for stock models with the highest possible top speed straight off the shelf.

With 59 models on the market from the four manufacturers alone (Yamaha, Kawasaki, Sea-Doo, and Krash Industries), it’s a challenge to compare all of these machines by performance data and other specs.

In order to make things clearer for you, we’ve informative compilation charts with

• Purchase price
• Performance
• Gas consumption
• PWC & trailer weight
• Factory weight limit
• Hull dimensions
• Purpose of use
• Storage

and many more specs using data provided by manufacturers.

Unfortunately, manufacturers don’t provide numbers like top speed publicly, so we are not able to give our readers official numbers for these specs.

The information we can use to compare the models is thus based on data accrued from tests performed by journalists and industry experts.

In order to make this easier for you to understand, we at JetDrift have compiled all the available information right here in the chart below.

Table of Contents

• 2025 Sea-Doo, WaveRunner, and Jet Ski Top Speed Chart
• The World’s fastest Jet Ski, Sea-Doo and Waverunner
• Speed Limiters in the Fastest Jet Skis
  • U.S. Coast Guard Tests
• The Fastest Jet Ski, Waverunner, and Sea-Doo in stock condition
• Acceleration Comes to the Forefront
• Ideal Conditions for the Fastest Jet Ski Rides
• Modifications – How to Build the Fastest Jet Ski 
• FAQs – What Are The Fastest Jet Skis on the Market?
• Conclusion

2025 Sea-Doo, WaveRunner, and Jet Ski Top Speed Chart

A few tips: If you would like to sort the rows, click on the header. To find out more information about a particular model, click on the name.  Doing so will lead you to additional specs, pictures, videos, and head-to-head comparisons. Don’t hesitate to discover more!

* Disclaimer: The numbers provided here are for information purposes only. They are not official manufacturer specifications.

The World’s fastest Jet Ski, Sea-Doo and Waverunner

The top speed record for watercraft was held by Uva Perez for many years, who hit a whopping 127.7 mph on a modified Yamaha Waverunner in 2017.

On the event Hydrodrags 2024, the Nationals World Championship, a new world record was set by a 1.8L Yamaha turbo engine with 1500HP that reached an amazing top speed of 141 mph without nitro! 

Most powerful and fastest Waverunner models are known for their capacity to be modified to reach incredible speeds, and the above mentioned models were certainly no exception!

If you are interested in the world’s fastest Sea-Doo, it is owned by Carlito del Valle. He first broke the (IJSBA-certified) world record in 2016 with a speed of 113.7 mph.

Carlito has since broken his own record on the same watercraft with a speed of 118 mph!

Unfortunately, there are no reliable sources for the world’s fastest Jet Ski but it’s probably one of the modified racing models.

Okay, we know you’re likely looking for a model straight off the shelf, so let’s get back on track.

What is the fastest PWC on the market you purchase at your nearest dealership?

Well…unfortunately you won’t find a stock model that can top much more than 65 – 67 mph and it’s not because manufacturers are unable to produce them.

Why is there such a large top speed gap then between modified and stock models?

Speed Limiters in the Fastest Jet Skis

Watercraft speed limits weren’t always set to 65 mph. Prior to 1999, there were no regulations on PWC speeds.

As you might imagine, this led to many riders putting themselves and others at risk by riding their watercraft faster than they could truly handle.

Not only this but since the late 1980s, manufacturers were in a race to see who could create a machine with the greatest horsepower. Unsurprisingly, this led to some very dangerous waters.

PWC users who couldn’t safely handle top speeds were purchasing or renting machines with incredible power.

The US Coast guard took control of the situation, putting in place a speed limit that newly manufactured watercraft could not top speeds of 65 mph.

Manufacturers were required to install speed limiter units into the models which would limit the power of the engine. Hence, tops speeds were artificially capped.

Even if it’s not the best news for many performance-minded buyers, we should thank the Coast Guard for making PWC riding safer for everyone.

U.S. Coast Guard Tests

Due to the artificial limits, it’s extremely challenging to compare the performance of models from different manufacturers. Tests done can often be unconvincing because all models are set to reach 65 mph only.

There are, however, always minor differences in top speeds due to factors like weather conditions, rider weight, and PWC curb weight or riding style.

The US Coast Guard tests are made in salt water with a 200-pound rider and a full tank of fuel. The highest performance models have 16-21 gallons fuel capacity, which translates to 100-130 pounds of additional weight.

If we had just a few gallons in the tank, you could easily see how the same machine with the same limitations could reach a higher speed.

Luckily the USCG allows for an extra 2 mph tolerance. In this circumstance, you could reach even 67-70 mph with a top performance stock watercraft.

The Fastest Jet Ski, Waverunner, and Sea-Doo in stock condition

As you can see in the compilation chart above, there are several models that can easily reach the 65 mph, or even 67-70 mph depending on the weather conditions.

The fastest PWCs are typically manufacturer’s most powerful flagship models in the Performance and Luxury categories. (Please note, these are not the best watercrafts for beginners!)

If you would like to learn more about these amazing watercrafts, don’t hesitate to read on.