Personal watercraft (AKA PWC) is well known for its speed and the HP it has. Although comparing a personal watercraft with a boat may not be fair. But we will now see which ones are faster; personal watercraft (PWC) or boats?
Personal watercraft (PWCs) are usually faster than normal boats (Pontoon, Jon, Bass, Bay boats, etc.), but if you compare a PWC with cigarette boats, which can get speed close to 150 mph, and racing boats, which can get speed up to 200 mph, you can clearly tell that boats are faster than PWCs.
A PWC can go at 50 mph on average. However, the slowest one can go at around 40 mph, while the fastest one can go at 67 mph these days. And sure, some of them can reach 70 mph with added mechanics, but nowadays, it’s about who can get to 70 mph the quickest (more horsepower).
We will now see some of the popular boat speeds (both average speed and top speed). By looking at those values, you will get some idea about some of the popular boat top and average speeds. These are just average (approximate values); sometimes, a boat can exceed that speed and may not.
| Type of boat | Average speed | Top speed |
| Sailboat | 8 mph | 12 mph |
| Pontoon | 15mph – 30mph | 35 mph |
| Jetboat | 30 mph – 50 mph | 50 mph |
| Bass boats | 30 mph – 40 mph | 55 mph |
| Personal watercraft | 40 mph – 60 mph | 70 mph |
| Jon boats | 15 mph – 35 mph | 45 mph |
| Deck boats | 30 mph – 50 mph | 60 mph |
| Cruiser | 16 mph – 30 mph | 50 mph |
| Cigarette boats | 100 mph – 150 mph | 150 mph |
| Racing boats | 150 mph – 200 mph | 200 mph |
Even though if you look at the average speed of a personal watercraft, which is 40 mph – 60 mph greater than most of the normal boat average speeds. The top speed of personal watercraft is 67 mph (close to 70 mph), which is greater than most of the normal boat top speeds.
NOTE – Terminology used in the post.
Normal boats – The boats that are used by the majority of the people, such as pontoon boats, Jon boats, Deck boats, Jet boats, Bass boats, Skiff boats, etc., which are commonly used by many people.
High-performance boats – The boats that are not used by the majority of the people, such as cigarette boats, racing boats, etc., which are not commonly used by many people.
So, let’s talk about the average recreational (normal) boat speed statistics that are a bit more practical rather than high-performance boats because that’s what the majority of the people will be using (normal boats).
Generally, most people would be using a normal boat (Pontoon, Jon, Bass, Bay boat, etc.) rather than high-performance boats (cigarette boats and racing boats that are capable of going at 150 mph – 200 mph).
The fastest boat speed record ever was 317.6 MPH and was achieved by a man named Ken Warby, who was using a speedboat called the Spirit of Australia. The world record was set back in 1978 with a jet-powered boat not powered by a propeller.
Wikipedia
Motorboats designed primarily for speed—known as rum-runners in decades past, often called cigarette boats (due to their slender shape) or simply go-fast boats today—can achieve speeds up to 150 MPH with relative ease over calm, flat waters.
Even that’s quite a bit faster than the average boat speed, and unless you’re considering a career in smuggling, it’s probably quite a bit faster than you need to travel over the water, anyway.
The World Record for the fastest PWC or jet ski was a top speed of 123.2mph recorded by Uva Perez in 2017.
Before going into the actual speed values for each type, you need to know some of the terminologies. And these are just marketing names for each manufacturer.
- Jet Ski = Kawasaki
- Waverunner = Yamaha
- Sea-Doo = BRP (Bombardier recreational products)
Small note: When I say jet ski (which is a trademark of Kawasaki), I am also referring to all PWCs types (Jet Ski, WaveRunner, and Sea-Doo) and will use the two names interchangeably. We will see all three basic types of PWCs speeds (Jet Ski, WaveRunner, and Sea-Doo).
Are jet skis faster than boats?
We will now see whether jet skis are faster than boats or not?
Jet skis are faster than a boat. The average speed of a jet ski is around 50 mph, whereas the average speed of a normal boat (Pontoon, Jon, Bass, deck boats, etc.) is about 35 mph, which is 15 miles less than a jet ski. But if you compare a jet ski with high-performance boats, jet skis may lose.
The average speed of a jet ski is around 50 mph, but depending upon the jet ski model, a lower one can reach a speed of 54 mph, and a higher one can reach a speed of 67 mph. Generally, a jet ski with 50 mph is considered quite fast.
By that, you can clearly tell that jets skis are faster than a typical boat (excluding high-performance boats). We will now see some of the jet ski model’s top speeds and horsepower.
| Jet ski model | Horsepower (HP) | Top speed (mph) |
| Kawasaki ULTRA LX | 160 hp | 54 mph |
| Kawasaki STX-15F | 160 hp | 62 mph |
| Kawasaki STX 160 | 160 hp | 62 mph |
| Kawasaki ULTRA 310X | 310 hp | 67 mph |
| Kawasaki ULTRA 310X SE | 310 hp | 67 mph |
Check this video on a jet ski reaching a whopping 135 mph with a 1200 HP engine.
Are Wave runners faster than boats?
We will now see whether wave runners are faster than boats are not?
WaveRunners are faster than a boat. The avg speed of a WaveRunner is around 45 mph – 55 mph, whereas a normal boat (Pontoon, Jon, Bass, deck boats, etc.) avg speed is about 35 mph, which is less than a WaveRunner. But if you compare a WaveRunner with high-performance boats, WaveRunners may lose.
The average speed of a wave runner is around 45 – 55 mph, but depending upon the wave runner model, a lower one can reach a 45 mph speed, and a higher one can reach a speed of 67 mph. Generally, a wave runner with 50 mph is considered quite fast.
By that, you can clearly tell that wave runners are faster than a typical boat (excluding high-performance boats). We will now see some of the wave runner model’s top speeds and horsepower.
| Wave Runner model | Horsepower (HP) | Top speed (mph) |
| Yamaha superjet | 73 hp | 45 mph |
| Yamaha EX | 100 hp | 50 mph |
| Yamaha VX-C | 125 hp | 53 mph |
| Yamaha EXR | 110 hp | 54 mph |
| Yamaha FX HO | 180 hp | 63 mph |
| Yamaha FX Limited SVHO | 265 hp | 67 mph |
Check this video on a Yamaha GP 1800 wave runner top speed.
Are Sea-Doos faster than boats?
We will now see whether sea doos are faster than boats or not?
Sea-Doos are faster than a boat. The average speed of a Sea-Doo is around 50 mph, whereas a normal boat (Pontoon, Jon, Bass, deck boats, etc.) average speed is about 35 mph, which is less than a Sea-Doo. But if you compare a Sea-Doo with high-performance boats, Sea-Doo may lose.
The average speed of a sea doo is around 50 mph, but depending upon the sea doo model, a lower one can reach a speed of 42 mph, and a higher one can reach a speed of 67 mph. Generally, a sea doo with 50 mph is considered quite fast.
By that, you can clearly tell that sea doos are faster than a typical boat (excluding high-performance boats). We will now see some of the sea doo model’s top speeds and horsepower.
| Sea-Doo model | Horsepower (HP) | Top speed (mph) |
| Sea-Doo GTI 90 | 90 hp | 42 mph |
| Sea-Doo SPARK 2up | 90 hp | 50 mph |
| Sea-Doo GTI 130 | 130 hp | 52 mph |
| Sea-Doo GTI SE 170 | 170 hp | 55 mph |
| Sea-Doo GTR 230 | 230 hp | 67 mph |
| Sea-Doo RXT-R 300 | 300 hp | 67 mph |
Check this video on a Sea-Doo vs. Wave runner race.
Reasons why PWCs (Jet Ski, WaveRunner, Sea-Doo) are faster than boats?
Now it’s time to see some of the reasons why boats are slower than PWCs? Or why PWCs are faster than boats?
The PWCs are faster than boats because a PWC weighs less compared to a boat and hull dimensions also help a PWC to give a good boost at the beginning. Due to the rigid design and the weight, boats are slower than most PWCs; the only exception is high-performance boats, which go faster than PWCs.
However, we do not consider high-performance boats, such as cigarette boats and racing boats, since most people won’t be using them for casual boating purposes. That being said, we will now see some of the reasons why boats are slower than PWCs in a detailed way.
- Weight – After keeping a boat or PWC in the water, it displaces the same amount of space in the water, which is equivalent to its weight. So, if the boat or PWC’s weight is more, it displaces more space in the water, and it needs to push more water out of its way.
- They (boat and PWC) need to push the same amount of water, which is equivalent to its weight out of its way to move in the water. Since the PWC weighs less than a boat, so PWCs can go faster than boats. Weight is one of the major reasons why PWCs are faster than boats.
- Hull design – The displacement hull boats go slower than a planing hull boat because the planing boat have planes at the bottom of the hull, and they lift the front end of the boat (bow) in the air, and it allows the boat to go fast similar to a PWC.
- The PWC draft is also less (since the weight of a PWC is less), which decreases the wetted surface of the PWC. Along with the draft, the PWC’s streamlined design takes advantage by cutting through the water on its way more comfortably compared to a boat.
Weight and hull design are the main reasons why boats are slower than personal watercraft. Check my article on Essential factors that effects the boat speed (link opens in a new tab) to know 5 other things that slow down the boat speed.
Check the video below on Sea-Doo vs. boat race to see how a sea doo defeated the boat.
The takeaway
PWCs are faster than boats (Pontoon, Jon, Bass, Bay boats, etc.), but if you compare a PWC with cigarette boats, which can get speed close to 150 mph, and racing boats, which can get speed up to 200 mph, you can clearly tell that boats are faster than PWCs.
A PWC can go at 50 mph on average. However, the slowest one can go at around 40 mph, while the fastest one can go at 67 mph these days. And sure, some of them can reach 70 mph with added mechanics.
But the average speed of a boat is around 35 mph – 40 mph, which is close to the lower end PWC model (less than a PWC average speed). By that, you can clearly tell that boats are slower than PWCs. As I mentioned earlier, nowadays, it’s about who can get to 70 mph the quickest (more horsepower), not the top speeds for PWCs.