Losing the key to your jet ski is a fear that many jet ski owners have.
Especially arriving at the beach and realizing your keys were nowhere to be found.
What if you are unable to find replacement keys immediately or you have not brought the spare key?
We do have some solutions for you in this situation.
Can You Use Any Jet Ski Key To Start It?
When you are on a trip and excited to get onto the water in your jet ski, you are not always thinking about the finer details.
Let us be honest; we have all been there. The only thing on your mind is having a good time.
Finding out that you have lost your jet ski keys is most definitely going to put a damper on the day and may cause some panic.
There are so many other people with jet skis, and you may be thinking, if only all jet ski keys could be universal, right?
Well, you should first know that the most recent jet skis have more than one key.
There is the key that is used specifically for the security system, and then there is the key for the kill-switch, which must be in the jet ski at all times for it to start and stay on.
On the other hand, older jet skis do have universal keys, which in this case will work in your favor if someone is willing to let you use theirs for a bit.
This, of course, may not always be a viable option as most people would probably have newer models.
How Jet Ski Keys Work
A magnetic component to a jet ski key allows the jet ski to turn on when it detects its presence.
Then there is also a ROM chip that has specific digits that are hard-coded into it.
This is the reason why it is impossible to copy a key or take in a spare key.
What Can You Do?
Bypass the Sea-Doo DESS key
If you have a Sea-Doo, you bypassing its DESS key is virtually impossible.
DESS stands for Digitally Encoded Security System that most Sea-Doo models have.
These types of keys have both the magnetic and ROM chip component, which has a combination of digits specific to your jet ski.
Your Sea-Doo jet ski will have two keys, the learning key and the fast key.
Both of which will have embedded digits.
This will make it impossible to get the key programmed for one to work instead of the other.
This means that the key data will ultimately be the reason why you cannot bypass this key.
In this case, you would have to take your Sea-Doo watercraft to your local dealer to buy the right key.
They would first have to cross-reference the VIN number on the stolen boat database to detect whether you are the correct owner of the craft.
Use a key from the same model jet ski
This may be one of the easiest ways to get your jet ski started. G
o to your local dealership and have them program a replacement key for you with a key from a jet ski of the same model as yours.
For instance, if you have lost your Sea-Doo key, you can get a Sea-Doo key replacement from your dealer.
If you have the normal key, it can be re-programmed to a normal or learning version.
Get a key replacement
When you take your jet ski to get it checked at your dealership, you can ask them to program you a replacement key or spare key while you are there.
This will ensure that you always have an extra one in case you lose the original one.
It can be quite expensive to do so, though, so an alternative option would be to go to a repair shop that has an aftermarket programmer who, most of the time, have similar key programmers.
If you have a Sea-Doo, for example, these repair shops will be the cheaper option to replace a lost Sea-Doo key.
They will also be knowledgeable on how a Sea-Doo key works.
Get a safety lanyard
If you are constantly losing your jet ski keys, it is probably for the best to get yourself a PWC safety lanyard.
Preferably one that is big, can float and is colorful. This way, you will have less trouble finding it if it does get lost.
It will be the perfect accessory to any Sea-Doo, Kawasaki jet ski, or a Tiger Shark!
You can find safety lanyards online or purchase them at any jet ski dealership.
Get a key tracker
You could also get yourself a tracker for your keys. These are receivers that you can attach to your keys so that you can find them easily.
Make sure to store them in a waterproof case or bag so that it does not get damaged.
Final Thoughts
Lost jet ski keys when wanting to use your watercraft is not ideal.
Finding a replacement key or purchasing a new key may not be an easy task.
Make sure that your keys are safe and on you at all times so that you do not have to worry about losing them.
Your on-the-water adventure should not be cut short or riddled with panic because of situations like these.