Riding a Jet Ski from NY to FL

[ShipOfFools]

Just an off the wall idea, but im wondering how feasible something like this would be. A jet ski goes pretty fast, probably 20 to 40 mph cruising. Conceivably, a person could cover 100 miles or more in a day and simply cruise along the coast from my town, NYC, down through NJ and along the intercoastal or hugging the shore the entire way, while holding gear or a packpack strapped to the back of the jet ski. Of course a trip like this would need to stop for gas many times and sleep in a tent or a sleeping bag, at night while the jet ski is moored slightly offshore or at a marina overnight. How feasible is an idea like this? assuming it would take 1 to 2 weeks total to get to miami. I am estimating the fuel cost at $300 to $500 of course more than a plane ticket would be.

[model 10]

Sounds like a lot of fun. I've imagined cruising parts of the ICW on a nice machine. Camp sites will be a problem. You will need to sleep on your jet ski somehow or spend a bunch on motels. How about a kayak you could blow up at night and sleep in?

[a64pilot]

Fuel is going to be an issue, you going to need to carry fuel, fuel can’t be had like on the highway with a station at every exit.
Then you can make easily 20+ kts or likely 200 miles a day, if and when the weather permits, and that is going to be your problem, I’d at least triple your time estimate based on many days waiting for weather.
Double or triple your fuel estimate as well.
Best plan is the ICW and tow a Jon Boat or something with supplies. Way back in my day the old Kawasaki jet ski could pull a skier, so I’m sure these boat things people call jet skis now could tow a Jon Boat on plane.

Forget a schedule, schedules and boats don’t mix and can often make people make unsafe decisions based on I have to be there by this time tomorrow.

[Alex_V]

Some parts of the ICW are very open. Alligator river felt more like a bay then a river. Albemarle Sound is no joke if the weather gets bad. Big boats can sink there. With some caution and preparation I think it can be done. I would not do this without a PLB beacon of some sort.

[model 10]

I met a guy in Isla Mujeres who was doing the Caribbean on a jet ski. He had like 6, 5 gal jugs onboard. Anywhere there is a fisherman there is gas so it's sounds possible.

[Richard5]

A guy I knew rode a jet ski from the headwaters of the Mississippi River to the Gulf. He wrote about it.
http://www.juddspittler.com/river.pdf

[Richard5]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Then you can make easily 20+ kts or likely 200 miles a day,

Did you just say a 200 mile day is possible let alone 'easily'?

[ShipOfFools]

Of course there would be a lot of leg work in making sure i was able to get to some town on each leg of the trip, if necessary i could walk or uber into town to get a tank of gas or two.

Of course gas would be a priority. id also look for a town with cell phone towers to make sure i could check in with whoever was checking up on me so they know im alive.

[VBsail]

https://www.amazon.com/Dreamrider-Ad.../dp/0978775007

Have you ever had a dream and followed it through? That's what Larry Harcum did. He found a dream and went for it. [br] Imagine driving round trip from New York City to Los Angeles. That's more than 5,000 miles. But Harcum traveled a distance of 5,805 miles alone on a jet ski. To add to the challenge, he decided to make the trip in just one summer - 87 days! [br] Despite months of agonizing planning and preparation, unforeseen challenges surfaced, often with comical results. [br] Larry circumnavigated the Eastern United States on the route known as the Great American Loop waterway starting in his home town of Virginia Beach, went up the Eastern seaboard, through the Great Lakes, down the Mississippi, out into the Gulf of Mexico and back around Florida and into the Atlantic to his home port.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Richard5

Did you just say a 200 mile day is possible let alone 'easily'?

Yes, think about it. I do 50+ a day in our sailboat at 6.5 kts and leave hours after sunrise and am at anchor well before sunset.
If you run 20 kts for 10 hours that is 200 miles, and you have what about 14 hours of daylight in a Summer day? These bigger “jet skis” can easily exceed 40 kts I think, so 20 cruise ought not be taxing one too hard? I know lots of no wake zones, but miles and miles of there not being too.
Yeah, your going to be an iron but to do it, but some are.

I do think it’s going to cost a lot more than he thinks though, in both money and time.

[Almost-There]

It's doable, we used to go to OC MD from Cape May once or twice a year. We've gone inside and out.
We had a wrecked Sea do that we butchered so that we didn't have to cut up my uncle's 3 seater. The seat was cut in order to carry extra fuel and the jerry can also became a back rest by using a old pfd seat cushion. I carried most of the junk on the 3up ski and in hindsight I'm not so sure about the safety lol.

We camped most of the way with a mix of stealth LNT and actual camp grounds and only had 2 problems. The one time we setup camp on a massive private property. We thought it was state property but it turning out to be owned by a investment banker. Their security held us and called the cops. But the owner who saw us realized we were pickingpolice was quite surprised. So instead of trespassing charges he gave us the option to stay for dinner and sleep in the guest house if we agreed to finish cleaning the shoreline lol. A honest mistake turned into good friend. The other mishap was we assumed we could get a taxi to the campground but there weren't any so the marina security turned a blind eye and let us string up our hammocks behind the shop. The problem was he didn't tell anyone else and we surprised the car tech in the morning lol. Now with Uber and Lyft it should be easier getting to places though. Also Google sat images should help keep you out of front yard's too.lol

I'm sure I'm forgetting stuff but if you decide to do it,I'd make a rack for the front of the ski. Definitely get dry bags for gear,I got most of mine from a REI garage sale cheap.
If you've done some backpacking or canoe/kayaking etc you'll be ahead of the curve. If you haven't and plan on camping then definitely go for a gear test locally before setting off. It might take a trip or three but it could be a trip/life saver. I've gone for years and I still go shakedown new gear
Last is the most important thing that we overlooked ,water. You'll need to carry lots of water.

Good luck and I say go for it,especially if you're able to rope someone else in on it. We used ours like motor cycles and its amazing. I don't know why more don't do it. Especially with the 4 strokes of today. The no wake areas were tougher on 2 smoker's.

[ShoreFun]

ICW in the south Jersey coast has a lot of no wake zones. Not so sure I would bet on the higher speed average in all the places.

[valhalla360]

Most modern jet ski's can comfortably run at 40-50mph...20mph might be a good average figuring in no-wake zones. If you get a stretch with no wake zones, a 200mile day if very much doable.

As long as you are doing it in season, gas needs a little planning but should be easy.

You'll want a way to mount a chart plotting device as some areas get tricky finding the channel...but a mount that will hold a waterproof case for a large cell phone would do the trick (with ability to charge under way)

You might be able to camp in some areas but probably better to plan on hotels. If you hit it had, a week is possible but 2 weeks if more realistic to wait out a bit of bad weather.

Your fuel assumption is a bit low. Assuming 5 MPG, that's only around 500-800 mile range.

Also, how will you get the jetski home?

[Dymaxion]

Met a guy in Newfoundland doing a circumnavigation of the island. Just heading out in full flotation suit, 5-6 jerricans secured around the seafood. Small chartplotter etc etc. Cold water there in the summer, a few icebergs around. He was pretty fatigued when we chatted. I think the novelty of the quest was well worn off by then.

[Dymaxion]

Seafood was seadoo.