Jet Ski waiting times in Australia are about to be slashed – after two years of chronic delays triggered by the global pandemic come to an end for at least one major brand.
Sales slowdowns in the lead-up to winter in North America – the world’s largest Jet Ski market – and a return to normal in production and shipping means Jet Skis are starting to become more readily available in Australia.
Market leader Sea-Doo has the highest stock levels of Jet Skis locally – according to dealers in Australia across all three brands canvassed by Watercraft Zone – while supply of Yamaha WaveRunners and Kawasaki Jet Skis remain patchy.
“The bubble has burst, wait times are over,” a leading Sea-Doo dealer told Watercraft Zone this week.
“Most Sea-Doo dealers now have good stock levels of most models across the entire range.
“We are now back to pre-pandemic stock levels.
“With the exception of the Apex (the limited edition of the performance flagship Sea-Doo RXP-X300) and GTX 300 Limited, both of which are still trickling through, most Sea-Doo dealers have stock of every model in the range.”
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Sea-Doo is the first of the three major personal watercraft brands in Australia to return to limited-time offers in an attempt to clear stock.
Sea-Doo has recently re-introduced three-year warranty (up from the standard two-year coverage) for a limited time on non-supercharged 2022 models. The promotion runs to the end of January 2023.
Sea-Doo is also offering a $700 voucher to go towards in-store accessories to anyone who buys a Sea-Doo Fish Pro Scout (pictured below).
While Sea-Doo dealers in Australia are trying to clear stock, Yamaha WaveRunner and Kawasaki Jet Ski dealers are still trying to secure stock.
Yamaha WaveRunner dealers recently received a modest final shipment of 2022 model-year Jet Skis.
Although most examples were already spoken for, some 2022 Yamaha WaveRunners became available after a number of customers cancelled their orders.
“If you ring around you could get lucky and pick up a cancelled order,” a leading Yamaha WaveRunner dealer told Watercraft Zone.
“All the 2022 (model-year Yamaha WaveRunners) have arrived, we’re now waiting for the 2023s to turn up, but they’re not expected until March or April (2023).”
Kawasaki dealers say there is patchy supply of the entry-level STX160 Jet Ski, however the three newest models – the flagship 2022 Kawasaki Ultra 310 range – remain scarce.
Because of the long lead times, Kawasaki has not made any colour and trim changes from the 2022 model-year to the 2023 model-year examples of the Kawasaki Ultra 310 series.
Kawasaki dealers remain hopeful of securing more stock in the first half of 2023, as Jet Skis are redirected to Australia amid the dip in sales in the middle of the US winter.
Kevin Shaw, the editor-in-chief of The Watercraft Journal, the world’s largest Jet Ski website, said in his recent YouTube broadcast:
“Dealers are now sitting on inventory. They’re starting to see a precipitous drop in purchases. There is a nosedive happening,” said Shaw, who noted the downturn was not only due to the North American winter.
“The nosedive is happening because people are starting to get real nervous about their work. They’re starting to get real nervous about their paycheck. They’re starting to get real nervous about their monthly bills going way high.
“The cost of groceries is going up, the cost of (fuel) is going back up. Mortgage rates are pretty high.
“What does that mean for next year? What that means is we’re gonna start seeing a decline in the US (Jet Ski) market,” which, Shaw noted, could lead to a return to sharper prices.
Meantime, in Australia, Sea-Doo dealers say they already have good stock levels of most models across their range.
“We have stock in showrooms and at warehouses, so we can get people on the water within a few days of them placing an order,” said a leading Sea-Doo dealer.
“We haven’t been in that position for a long time. Over the past two years, most people have had to wait six to 12 months before taking delivery. It’s great to be back to normal.”
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