Booking choice: The Maunalua Bay jet ski ride, solo or tandem, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Book this Compare the options below
The question "how much is a jet ski in Hawaii" usually means one thing for a visitor: what does a half hour on the water cost, and what does that include. On Oahu there are two jet ski listings on GetYourGuide, both in Maunalua Bay, both run by the same operator. Their prices change, and a figure printed here would be out of date by the time you read it.
So this guide does the other half of the job. It shows exactly what each listing says is included and what is extra, so that when you see the live price on the booking page you know what you are paying for.
The quick answer
The live price is on each listing, and this site prints no figures because they change. On the flagship ride the price covers 30 minutes on the water, the jet ski, instruction, safety equipment, hotel pickup and drop-off and gratuities; goggles and photo or video packages are extra. On the tandem listing each rider needs a ticket, solo drivers pay a higher rate, and goggles are included. Both allow free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
How much does jet skiing cost in Hawaii?
The current price is shown on each listing's booking page. This site does not print figures, because they change with the date and the season.
Rates for guided jet ski rides on Oahu are set by the operator and can differ by day, by season and between platforms. A number on this page would be a guess the moment it was written. What does not change from week to week is what each listing says it includes, and that is the useful comparison.
Both Oahu listings on GetYourGuide are run by H2O Sports Hawaii in Maunalua Bay, both give 30 minutes on the water, and both allow free cancellation up to 24 hours before. The differences are in how they price riders and what they bundle, which the next sections set out.
What does the price of a jet ski ride include?
On the flagship listing: 30 minutes on the water, the jet ski, safety equipment, instruction, hotel pickup and drop-off, and gratuities.
The flagship ride, the Maunalua Bay ride with an instructor, lists safety equipment, the jet ski, hotel pickup and drop-off and gratuities as included. It runs about 90 minutes in all with check-in, of which 30 are riding. It is limited to 10 participants and can be ridden solo or tandem.
The tandem listing includes instruction, life vests, the water taxi to the launch point, hotel pickup and drop-off, and goggle rental. Pickup is the item visitors most often forget to value: Hawaii Kai is roughly 20 to 30 minutes by road from Waikiki, and a taxi both ways would be a cost of its own.
| Ride | Included per the listing | Extras per the listing | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flagship ride with an instructor (solo or tandem) | Jet ski, safety equipment, instruction, hotel pickup and drop-off, gratuities | Goggles (rental), photo and video packages | Monday to Friday except holidays |
| Tandem WaveRunner adventure | Instruction, life vests, water taxi, hotel pickup and drop-off, goggle rental | Higher rate for solo drivers | Weekdays, per the bay rules |
Is the jet ski price per person or per ski?
On the tandem listing it is per rider: each person on the ski needs a separate ticket, per the listing.
The tandem listing states that each rider needs a separate ticket, so two people sharing one WaveRunner pay for two places. It also states that solo drivers are charged higher rates, which reflects one person occupying a ski that would otherwise carry two. If your group has an odd number, that surcharge is worth checking before you book.
The flagship listing can be booked solo or tandem, and the booking page shows how it prices each option on your date. Compare the two listings on a like-for-like basis: the same number of riders, the same number of skis.
What costs extra on a jet ski ride?
On the flagship listing, goggles (a rental) and photo or video packages. On the tandem listing, riding solo costs more.
Goggles are the small extra most riders notice. Spray in the eyes is part of riding a ski, and the flagship listing names goggles as a rental, not an inclusion; the tandem listing includes goggle rental. Photo and video packages are not included on the flagship listing.
Gratuities are included on the flagship listing, so there is no tip to budget for on that ride. Everything else, from the life vest to the pickup, is in the listed price. If you plan to buy photos, decide before the ride rather than at the counter afterwards.
Goggles, water taxi and pickup are written into the tandem listing, so the price on the page is the price of the morning.
Book thisHow do the two jet ski listings compare on value?
On inclusions rather than on headline price: the same 30 minutes, different bundles.
Both rides use the same bay, the same operator and the same 30 minutes on the water. The flagship bundles gratuities and leaves goggles and photos as extras. The tandem listing bundles goggles and the water taxi explicitly and prices per rider, with a solo surcharge. On the booking page, add up what your group would actually pay on each for the same riders, then add any extras you want.
- Count riders, not skis.
- Add goggles on the flagship if you want them.
- Check the solo rate on the tandem listing if anyone rides alone.
- Confirm the slot time; the flagship lists slots from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Can you cancel a jet ski booking for free?
Yes. Both jet ski listings offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before the ride.
Weather matters on the water, and free cancellation is part of the value. Both listings allow it up to 24 hours ahead, which means you can book a weekday early in your trip and move it if the wind picks up or plans change. Because the bay's commercial rides run Monday to Friday only, booking early gives you room to reschedule within the same week.
The Kewalo Basin parasail listings work differently: one states that a missed boat is not refunded and that rescheduling carries a per-person fee. Read the terms on any water activity before you book. The weekday rule explains why weekends are not an option for the ski.
Thirty minutes solo or tandem, pickup and gratuities included, free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Book thisWhat is a normal price for a jet ski rental?
There is no single normal price, and owning or renting a ski elsewhere is a different product from a guided half hour in a Hawaii zone.
Prices quoted online for jet ski rentals cover very different things: an hour on open water in another state, a ski hired without a guide, or a package with boat transfers. In Maunalua Bay the commercial ride is a permitted, supervised 30 minutes on a buoyed course, weekday only, with instruction and pickup. Compare it with other guided rides, not with a beach rental somewhere else.
The fairest test is what you would otherwise pay to get the same morning: transport to Hawaii Kai and back, the ski, the vest, the guide and the tip. The flagship listing includes all of those.
What else could the same budget go on?
A parasail flight over the same bay, a Waikiki parasail from Kewalo Basin, or a small-group speedboat snorkel with the turtles.
The same operator sells a six-minute tandem parasail flight over Maunalua Bay from the same marina, with hotel pickup, weekdays only. From Kewalo Basin, the Waikiki parasail runs about an hour from check-in to return with a choice of three line lengths. The turtle snorkel speedboat takes up to six people to Turtle Canyon for about an hour in the water, with snacks and pickup included.
Each listing shows its live price. Jet ski or parasail sets out which suits whom.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a jet ski in Hawaii for 30 minutes?
The live price is on each listing. Both Maunalua Bay rides give 30 minutes on the water; this site prints no figures because they change.
Is hotel pickup included in the jet ski price?
Yes, on both jet ski listings: hotel pickup and drop-off is listed as included.
Do you need to tip on the jet ski ride?
Gratuities are included on the flagship listing, per the listing.
Are goggles included?
On the tandem listing, goggle rental is included. On the flagship listing, goggles are a rental extra.
Ready to book
Choose your ride
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Rides booked on GetYourGuide.
Maunalua Bay Jet Ski Ride with an Instructor
- Jet ski for 30 minutes, solo or tandem, with safety equipment and instruction
- Hotel pickup and drop-off from Waikiki, per the listing
- Listed as limited to 10 participants; runs Monday to Friday except holidays
Tandem Jet Ski Adventure on Maunalua Bay
- Tandem WaveRunner for 30 minutes; each rider needs a separate ticket, per the listing
- Instruction, life vests, water taxi to the launch platform and goggle rental
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
