7 Best Ways to Remove Water from a Jet Ski Hull [Video]

Water is prone to accumulating in the hull of jet skis, which should be removed after each ride. Are you wondering how to do it?

Without further ado, the seven best tools and methods for draining water from a jet ski are as follows:

1. Bailer system
2. Drain plugs
3. Bilge pump
4. Boat Bailer
5. Shop vac
6. Towel or Sponge
7. Air dry

If you want to drill into the details, keep reading. We at JetDrift have compiled all you need to know under one roof!

7 Best Ways to Get the Water Out of a Jet Ski Hull

1. Bailer System

Interestingly, one of the easiest ways to remove water from your jet ski is to ride it for a while.

Most jet skis come with a built-in bailer system as standard, which uses the suction of the jet pump to remove bilge water. The faster you ride, the more water the bailer sucks out of the hull.

If you want to remove water after your rides, you have to look for other solutions.

2. Drain Plugs

Each stock jet ski features drain plugs designed to drain water from the bilge while the ski is sitting on the trailer.

Drain plugs are small plastic screws located on the stern below the waterline. In most cases, you can find two of these screws on each side of the pump.

To drain bilge water, all you need to do is remove these plugs and tilt the trailer all the way up.

After all the water has drained out, don’t forget to replace the plugs. Missing drain plugs is the main reason why so many jet skis sink!

Unfortunately, the drain plugs are positioned too high on a lot of jet skis. If your ski has this design flaw, you probably won’t be able to tilt the trailer high enough to drain all the water out.

In this case, you will need a bilge pump or a shop vac to remove the remaining water.

Let’s take a closer look at these options.

3. Bilge Pump

If your jet ski doesn’t feature an electric bilge pump, it’s highly recommended that you install one.A bilge pump is not only a great device for removing bilge water after your rides, but it also works as cheap insurance. If water is starting to flood into your engine compartment while you’re away from the dock, this little pump can keep you afloat until you get back.

The bilge pump should be installed on the lowest part of the hull where the water usually accumulates.

These spots are typically in the rear portion of the bilge, beside the pump assembly.

Many jet skis only come with an automatic bilge pump from the factory, which only works when the engine is running. Therefore, it can’t be used while the ski is sitting on the trailer.

If your jet ski is equipped with an automatic bilge pump, you may want to install a manual one. It can be used for removing water from the bilge after your rides and acts as a second layer of security.

You never know when you will need it out on open waters!

4. Boat Bailer

Though access is somewhat limited in the engine compartment, you can also use a boat bailer to remove excessive amounts of bilge water.

Regular plastic bailers come in many shapes and sizes, but you can also easily make one from an empty bottle.

What’s more, the bucket in the emergency kit is also designed to be used as a bailer.

Drawbacks?

These plastic bailers allow you to manually scoop out the water, which can be pretty tiring and time-consuming.

Are you looking for a faster and more convenient solution?

Keep reading!

5. Shop Vac

Although the methods above can drain most of the water from the bilge, they usually can’t completely dry it.

A small amount of water is usually left in the bottom, which seems impossible to remove.

This is where shop vac comes into play.

Believe it or not, many riders use a shop vac to empty the remained water from the bilge!

6. Towels

If there’s no shop vac nearby, you can still use a sponge or towels to wipe up the last drops of water.

Leave the front of the trailer tilted up and wait until the water deposit flows to the rear end of the hull.

Place the towels around the pump assembly and deep down below the engine.

7. Air Dry

After removing the water, the inside of the hull will still be wet, which can be easily dried out.

Just open the front hood and remove the seat (and the rear storage bin if present) and leave the machine under the sun for a few hours.

This trick allows  air to flow through the hull, resulting in a completely dry bilge and engine.

Thanks to this careful care, you don’t have to be afraid of moisture, which can damage the engine and the systems.

Completely drying out your jet ski is especially important before winterizing or long-term storage. It’s also wise to place some moisture absorbers (e.g. DampRid containers) inside the hull for the winter months.

Conclusion

There are many tools and methods for draining water from a jet ski’s engine compartment, but the best ones are arguable as follows:

1. Bailer system
2. Drain plugs
3. Bilge pump
4. Boat bailer
5. Shop vac
6. Towel or sponge
7. Air dry

If there’s a lot of water in the hull of your jet ski, you should remove the drain plugs first. You can remove the remaining water deposit with a bilge pump, by using a shop vac or a simple plastic bailer.

If you want to make the bilge completely dry, you should wipe up the last drops with a sponge or towel.

As the last step, it’s recommended that you open the front hood, remove the seat and let the ski sit under the sun for a couple of hours.

This process dries your jet ski hull completely, which is a key to keeping moisture away from your engine.