Inflatable Boat vs Jet Ski: Which Is the Better Buy in Australia?

A jet ski is a toy that can tow. An inflatable catamaran is a boat you can fish from, dive from, camp from and take the kids out in. Same money, very different weekends.

Plenty of Australian buyers land on this comparison because both sit in the same A$10,000-and-under bracket once you count a used ski. Here is the honest breakdown.

Cost of ownership over three years

Jet ski

• Purchase: A$12,000–A$25,000 new, A$6,000–A$12,000 used
• Trailer and registration: required
• Servicing: annual impeller, oil and pump service
• Fuel: high burn, typically 20–35 L/hr at cruise
• Storage: needs a driveway or paid storage

Inflatable catamaran

• Purchase: from A$4,680, freight included
• Trailer: not required
• Servicing: rinse, dry, check valves; outboard service annually
• Fuel: a 15 hp four-stroke uses roughly 4–6 L/hr
• Storage: two bags in the garage

What each one is actually good at

The jet ski wins on

Speed, thrill, towing a biscuit, and getting out for 40 minutes on a whim if it is already on the trailer behind the car.

The inflatable catamaran wins on

Fishing, crabbing, diving, carrying a family plus gear, staying out for a day, beach launching, camping trips to islands, and fitting in a garage. It is also stable enough to stand and cast from — a jet ski is not.

Fishing from a jet ski vs a catamaran

A jet ski with a fishing rack is a compromise: limited rod storage, no shade, nowhere to put an esky, and no stable platform to fight a fish from. An Aerowave Viper 365 Open Bow at A$5,595 gives you an open casting bow, a Bimini for shade, dry storage bags and space for four people.

Safety and conditions

Our catamarans are CE certified to ISO 6185-3 and EU Directive 2013/53/EU, with multiple sealed chambers and a 1.2 mm VALMEX Heavy Plus hull (1500 GSM). Twin hulls sit flat at rest, which matters when you are hauling a crab pot or helping a child back aboard. A jet ski capsizes and rights — fine solo, less fine with two kids and gear.

The boats we would buy instead of a jet ski

• Aerowave WaveRunner 380 Series 3 — A$4,680. Full package: Bimini, pump, wheel kit, seats.
• Aerowave Viper 330 — A$5,195. The compact all-rounder: light, garage-friendly, still 4-person rated.
• Aerowave Viper 400 Sovereign — A$6,970. The full family and offshore-capable inshore package.

Every boat includes free delivery Australia-wide, a 7-year hull warranty, and finance through AMMF if you want to spread it. Browse the full range.

Resale reality

Jet skis depreciate hard and buyers scrutinise hours and service history. A well-kept inflatable catamaran holds value because the hull fabric — not an engine — is the asset, and a 10–12 year fabric life means a three-year-old boat is barely started.

The verdict

If your weekends are about adrenaline and you already own a tow vehicle and somewhere to keep a trailer, a jet ski is fun. If your weekends are about fishing, family, islands, crab pots and diving — and you want to launch off sand without a ramp — the catamaran is a better boat and a cheaper one to own.

Still deciding on size? See the size guide or the 2026 buying guide.