Jet skiing has become a new trend in outdoor fitness and leisure.

　　Blue skies, white clouds, sunshine, sandy beaches, and clear river water... There's the thrill of speed and the serenity of calm. When it comes to water sports, the most popular and widely recognized is undoubtedly jet skiing. Easy to learn, versatile in maneuvers, safe, and highly competitive, it can easily ignite the most passionate enthusiasm within people, encouraging them to challenge their limits and combine the innate human desire to "fly" with a natural affinity for water. Riding a jet ski has become a new trend in outdoor fitness and leisure in recent years.

　　In Guangzhou, Brother Qing might be among the first to ride a jet ski. He says, "Not for anything else, just for the deep-seated need for freedom. Also, underwater, the world looks different from how it does from the air or the shore—because you’re part of the scenery."

　　As early as the late 1990s, Brother Qing often went to Thailand and Hainan Island to ride jet skis. "Most people rent for just five or ten minutes, at around 100 to 150 yuan at the time. I’d rent for half an hour, spending five or six hundred yuan, with one requirement—I wanted to drive myself." Talking about his past jet skiing experiences, Brother Qing would squint his eyes, looking thoroughly content. "The feeling of speeding across the water, cutting through waves without restraint—it was irresistible."

　　"Because I got addicted to jet skiing, I thought, since it’s so expensive, why not buy one myself?" In 2002, through a friend in Hong Kong, he found a dealer selling jet skis in Sai Kung’s White Sand Bay. He ordered a used Canadian Sea-Doo for 30,000 yuan, spent nearly 25,000 yuan more on taxes and shipping, and started showing off. "I couldn’t even wait for weekends—I’d go out anytime I was free, searching for clear waters to ride in."

　　Humans not only have a natural affinity for water but also an innate desire to "fly." Jet skiing effortlessly combines both. Among the three major types of outdoor sports—land, sea, and air—paragliding is too restricted by location, off-road vehicles require extensive paperwork and modifications, while jet skiing needs no licenses or permits, is easy to learn, and allows you to freely "go wild" on any open body of water.

　　How easy is it to ride a jet ski? Just put on a life jacket, hop on the jet ski, turn the ignition, throttle up, and you’ll instantly accelerate, skimming the water’s surface at speeds over 60 km/h. Most jet skis can reach 70–80 km/h, and larger ones that fit two or three people can hit 100 km/h. Brother Qing says the latest Sea-Doo model he bought last year cost as much as 150,000 yuan, with a top speed of 130 km/h and a 0–60 km/h acceleration time of just 3 seconds—faster than a Ferrari. Don’t worry about falling off—the ignition key is attached to the driver’s wrist with a strong plastic cable. If you fall, the cable detaches, the engine automatically shuts off, and the jet ski stops to ensure your safety.

　　Ease of control, high speed, and strong adaptability to water surfaces are the fundamental reasons why jet skiing outperforms other water sports like kayaking, sailing, or windsurfing.

　　"To be honest, I got hooked because of Brother Qing," Brother Aqiang says when talking about jet skiing. "There aren’t many people riding jet skis in downtown Guangzhou—there are probably no more than five you could find." Brother Aqiang is a partner of Brother Qing, and he was the first person Brother Qing “infected” with the jet ski bug.

　　In 2002, Brother Qing took Brother Aqiang to the Beijiang River in Lubao Town, Sanshui. With blue skies, white clouds, clear water, and green grass, sometimes they sped across the water, sometimes drifted quietly—everything felt serene. Occasionally, splashing waves would hit your chest, and you’d squint through the mist, gazing ahead leisurely. "Imagine that scene—it’s truly captivating."

　　But right after this idyllic moment, Brother Qing suddenly accelerated, doing a sharp wheelie and spin, and Brother Aqiang, sitting behind, was thrown hard into the water. "Revenge—that’s all I could think of at the time—I had to throw him into the water once too," Brother Aqiang says with a laugh. After climbing out of the water, he asked Brother Qing where he could buy a jet ski.

　　"In 2003, I bought a Yamaha jet ski and started going out with Brother Qing," Brother Aqiang says. The cost of the jet ski wasn’t high, but maintenance wasn’t cheap—and it was troublesome. "Jet ski maintenance is far more demanding than car maintenance. The oil and spark plugs are specialized. Cars need servicing every 5,000 km, but jet skis are timed by hours—new ones need servicing after 10 hours on the water, then every 30 hours. The oil alone costs twice as much as car oil, and the spark plugs are 50% more expensive."

　　The biggest issue is the lack of maintenance points in China. "At first, I couldn’t find any mechanics at all, so I had to do it myself. If something broke and I couldn’t fix it, I had to go to Hong Kong to find a technician—it wasn’t cheap." Brother Aqiang’s Yamaha was manageable, but Brother Qing’s Sea-Doo once had the wrong oil added, causing cylinder scoring. It couldn’t be repaired in Hong Kong, so the entire engine had to be shipped to Canada for repairs and sent back—costing 20,000 yuan.

　　"If you ask me, a jet ski is just a man’s leisure toy," Brother Aqiang says. In Guangzhou, you can only ride for about eight months a year, from April to November. The rest of the time, it just sits in the garage being maintained—taken apart, cleaned, oiled, and cared for—like how a kid treats their favorite toy.

　　"Don’t think it’s simple—riding well isn’t easy either." Even for casual riding, there are many techniques, such as wave jumping, sharp turns, and riding against the wind. Mastering these isn’t a walk in the park. "Got your revenge yet?" the reporter asks. "Of course—not getting revenge would’ve been a waste of him ‘getting me hooked’," Brother Aqiang says with a competitive grin.

　　Mr. Yan, who looks rather gentle and refined, shows no obvious signs of being an outdoor sports enthusiast. As the boss of a mortgage company, he’s called BOSS. "I started riding jet skis pretty late, around 2007."

　　Jet skiing is a high-speed water sport with modern characteristics. Its competitions are spectacular, intense, and thrilling, and it’s recognized as one of the more influential and highly viewed competitive sports. But recreational jet skiing turns the human dream of flying over water into reality, becoming a new trend in outdoor fitness and leisure for young people.

　　"But I don’t ride jet skis for the thrill. I actually prefer its serene, carefree style—like a heron gliding above the waves." More often, BOSS loads canoes, banana boats, or inflatable rafts on the roof of his car, tows a jet ski behind, and heads out to play with family or friends. He also rewards his employees with jet ski outings. "I want them to know there’s another way to live. But the prerequisite is—you have to work hard."

　　BOSS says that jet skiing is a full-body workout. When you ride a jet ski, all your muscle groups and internal organs are engaged, which enhances the function of various organs and systems and provides comprehensive physical exercise. For example, it greatly benefits heart muscle function—consuming a lot of energy, accelerating blood flow, increasing heart rate, making the heart stronger. Also, falling into the water is common when riding a jet ski. Since the body loses heat faster in water and burns more energy, it speeds up metabolism, boosts hormone levels, and strengthens immunity and disease resistance.

　　There should be quite a few jet ski enthusiasts in Guangzhou. Mr. Yan once saw many jet skis moored in a small river behind houses in Nansha. "That river leads straight to the estuary—there must be plenty of riders there." Jet skiing is a relatively easy sport to pick up. "It’s not hard—just throttle up and speed off. On wide water, you can turn however you like." As for tricks, they’re not hard to learn either—suddenly throttling up from a standstill will make the jet ski lift its nose, and turning the wheel sharply while going straight will make it spin in place.

　　"I’m currently in talks with civil affairs authorities to form a civilian rescue team, using off-road vehicles and jet skis to help disaster victims in affected areas."

　　Just like drunk driving is prohibited, jet skiing is fast and somewhat dangerous—drunk riding is not allowed. Even if you’re thrown off due to excessive speed or a sharp turn, don’t panic—your life jacket will keep you afloat.

　　Beginners should pay special attention to one thing: don’t ride too close or too far from the shore. Keep a distance of at least 150 meters. Because jet skis are fast, beginners who misjudge distance or speed might crash straight into the shore, injuring themselves or damaging the jet ski.

　　One particularly important point to note is that jet skis are propelled and steered by jetting water. Therefore, when approaching the shore, you should gradually slow down rather than shutting off the engine abruptly. If the engine dies, you lose steering control, and inertia will send the jet ski straight toward the shore.

　　When starting or returning the jet ski, to avoid damaging it, be sure to operate at low speed.

　　When the jet ski is traveling at high speed on the water, to prevent capsizing, be careful not to make sharp turns.

　　If the jet ski has capsized, do not restart the engine immediately in order to prevent engine damage.

　　If you plan to ride a jet ski yourself, you must buy an off-road vehicle and install a towing hitch at the rear, as you’ll need the vehicle to transport the jet ski and reverse it into the water.

　　A life jacket is a must—something around one or two hundred yuan is decent. It’s also best to wear a helmet, which can range from tens to hundreds of yuan. Additionally, a trailer is needed, with domestic models costing around 5,000 yuan and imported ones about 20,000 yuan.

　　Imported jet ski brands mainly include SEADOO, YAMAHA, and KAWASAKI, with prices ranging from 70,000 to 200,000 yuan. Domestic brands come from places like Weifang in Shandong, Zhumadian in Henan, Sanjiang in Hubei, and Jiujiang in Jiangxi, typically priced between 40,000 and 60,000 yuan.

　　Since riding a jet ski often involves falling into the water, clear and unpolluted water is essential. Currently, around Guangzhou, there are three suitable spots for jet skiing: the Beijiang River in Lubao, Sanshui; Xiangang Reservoir in Luofu Mountain; and Feilaixia in Qingyuan.