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8 rental companies, real prices, where to ride, and the rules nobody tells you.
Last updated
Where can you rent jet skis in San Diego? Jet ski rentals cluster on Mission Bay, with additional operators on San Diego Bay and in Coronado. Rates run about $100-$180 per hour, riders must be 18 or older to drive, and anyone born after 1982 needs a California Boater Card or the operator's temporary certificate.
Source: Sandi Spots — Last updated
Cheapest legit rental: Mission Bay Sportcenter at $99/hr weekday. Best fleet: Seaforth ($139/hr). Best scenic ride: Coronado's Glorietta Bay under-the-bridge loop. Book weekday mornings for calmest water and lowest prices. 18+ to rent solo, no formal license needed.
Mission Bay + Coronado
$139/hr single · $169/hr double · 2-hr min weekends
Age: 18+ to rent, 16+ with parent, kids ride as passengers
Best for: The default pick with the biggest fleet
Newest Yamaha WaveRunners in the county. Mission Bay for calmer water and beginners, Coronado for a bay + open-ocean loop. Book online 1–2 weeks ahead for summer weekends. Free helmet and life jacket rentals included.
Coronado (Loews Marina) + Mission Bay
$119/hr single · $139/hr double
Age: 18+ (or 16+ with parent)
Best for: Best price on the bay
Consistently cheapest at $119/hr and no fuel surcharge. Newer Yamaha lineup. Their Coronado Loews Marina location has direct access to the calmer south bay — ideal for first-timers.
Mission Bay (Santa Clara Point)
$99/hr weekday · $129/hr weekend
Age: 18+
Best for: Weekday deal-hunters
Nonprofit-adjacent (owned by MB Sportcenter). Weekday prices are the cheapest legit rental in the county. Waverunners are 2–3 years older than the pros but well-maintained. Small fleet — book ahead.
Mission Bay
$135/hr · packages with tubing or wakeboarding
Age: 18+
Best for: Adding wakeboarding/tubing to your jet ski day
Bundles jet skis with tow tubes, wakeboards, and skis. Great for groups that want to mix it up — $200 for two hours + a tube tow behind the ski.
Mission Bay (Vacation Isle)
$130/hr single · $160/hr double
Age: 18+
Best for: Guided tours
The only operator running guided jet ski tours — 90-minute Mission Bay loop with a lead guide, $175/person including ski rental. Best for tourists who want a route rather than freestyle.
Glorietta Bay, Coronado
$149/hr single · $179/hr double
Age: 18+
Best for: The Coronado Bay loop
Direct launch onto the Coronado bay. The 45-minute loop around Coronado Cays and under the Coronado Bridge is one of the best jet-ski runs in the county. Small operator with newer 2024 skis.
Mission Bay via Boatsetter / GetMyBoat
$85–$120/hr often
Age: Set by owner (usually 18+)
Best for: Cheapest option if you're flexible
Owner-listed jet skis through Boatsetter and GetMyBoat. 20–30% cheaper than pro rentals, insurance built in. Read reviews carefully. Best for groups that want 3+ skis for a discount.
Mission Bay
$185/person for a 2-hour guided tour
Age: 18+
Best for: Sunset guided jet ski tours
Sunset guided jet ski tour is the best experience if you've never been on one. Includes a stop at Mariner's Basin for photos. Runs May–October.
The main jet ski zone. 4,600 acres of calm protected water. Fiesta Island loop is the classic route (5 miles, 20 min at cruising speed). No open ocean, no swells — perfect for beginners.
Launch from Loews or Glorietta Bay. Loop around Coronado Cays and under the Coronado Bridge. More scenic than Mission Bay. Some pro rentals let you ride out to the ocean off Silver Strand.
Rarely rented from — too much shipping traffic and Navy activity. Not recommended for jet skis.
Not a rental option — the closest ocean access is off Silver Strand from Coronado. If you're an experienced owner, launching from Oceanside Harbor gets you into open ocean legally.
Single jet ski: $99–$149/hr. Double (2 riders): $129–$179/hr. Most companies have a 2-hour minimum on weekends. Guided tours run $175–$200 per person for 90 minutes to 2 hours.
No formal license — the rental company's orientation qualifies as your temporary boater card. California requires a Boater Card for anyone born on or after January 1, 1990, but this is waived for the day of the rental.
18+ to rent solo at every major company. 16–17-year-olds can operate with a parent co-signing and physically present. Kids of any age can ride as passengers with a parent.
Mission Bay is the primary zone — 4,600 acres of calm water, most rental companies. Coronado (Glorietta Bay and Loews Marina) is the second option with a scenic bridge loop. San Diego Bay downtown is not a rental option due to shipping traffic.
Not from Mission Bay rentals — the agreement restricts you to the bay. Some Coronado rentals allow limited ocean access off Silver Strand. For open-ocean riding, you need to own your own ski or launch from Oceanside Harbor.
Rental jet skis (Yamaha WaveRunner FX HO or SeaDoo GTX 170) top out at 55–65 mph. In Mission Bay, the speed limit is 5 mph within 200 feet of shore — so you can only hit top speed in the middle of the bay.
Not really. Modern jet skis have automatic learning modes that cap speed until you release a trigger. The rental orientation covers everything. Most first-timers are comfortable cruising within 5 minutes.
May–October for warm water and long daylight. Peak season is June–August (also priciest). September has the best weather and lower prices. Winter is possible with a wetsuit — water drops to 58°F.
Summer weekends: 1–2 weeks. July 4 and Labor Day weekends: 3–4 weeks. Off-season weekdays: same day is usually fine.
Yes — launch from Loews Coronado Bay Resort marina (Action Sport, Seaforth) or Glorietta Bay. The Coronado Bay + Cays loop is the best ride in the county for scenery.
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Written and fact-checked by the Sandi Spots Editorial team — San Diego residents publishing under Sleep Coast LLC. Every place we recommend has been visited in person or verified against an official source, and no business can pay for inclusion or a higher ranking. Last updated .