For most of the 90’s, seeing a Tigershark jet ski on the water was a pretty common occurrence. They were unlike any other waverunner out there, and best of all they were affordable. Fast forward 20 years and it’s almost impossible to find one. Honestly, most people probably haven’t even heard of them.
A lot of people who find a Tigershark jet ski on the used market don’t know if it’s a good buy or not. All they see is a funny looking jet ski with a weird name, and a cheap price. It’s pretty difficult to find out anything else.
For some reason there isn’t a lot of real information on Tigershark jet skis. It’s kind of like a company came out of nowhere, made thousands of jet ski’s for almost a decade, and then disappeared. Actually, that’s almost exactly what happened.
Before you buy a Tigershark jet ski, it’s good to know about them and why they’re no longer around.
Related: The used jet ski buyers guide
A brief history of Tigershark jet skis
Arctic Cat
For starters, Tigershark jet skis are just one of many action sports vehicles made by a company called Arctic Cat. Although they’re most famous for their snowmobiles, Arctic Cat has dabbled in a lot of other markets.
At one point or another they’ve made jet skis, snow blowers, generators, mini bikes, and two-wheel drive vehicles. Currently they stick to snowmobiles, ATV’s, and side-by-sides, but they’ve definitely experimented with their product line.
The Tigershark Jet Ski
From 1993-1999, Arctic Cat made Tigershark jet skis. Those years had several ups and downs, with limited success overall.
What attracted people to a Tigershark jet ski back then is what still attracts them today. Most of their models were small and agile, and came with an affordable price tag.
Unfortunately, what deterred people back then is what still deters them today. Often times Tigershark jet skis can come with much more maintenance issues than other models. By no means were they considered the most reliable, and that’s a reputation they held until the late 90’s.
Around 1997, Tigershark began to make some really good strides in the right direction. In an attempt to paint a new image for themselves, they made a lot of changes in the company. Models were no longer named after famous beaches, and their overall build was much better.
Sadly they started to figure things out a little too late. Even the improved models of the late 90’s were outperformed by competitors, and in 1999 they stopped production.
For the most part they went out of business due to lack of sales, but there are also rumors of a lawsuit brought on by Yamaha. Apparently Tigershark infringed on some of Yamaha’s patents, and the lawsuit was a determining factor in their decision to shut down.
It’s really unfortunate that they ended when they did, because it looked like the company was finally doing some good things in the industry.
The models made from 1997-1999 were fan favorites, and some people still ride them today. More often than not, a Tigershark jet ski that’s still on the water is going to be one of the later models.
Related: Is it worth it to buy a Honda jet ski?
Is it worth it to buy a Tigershark jet ski?
The decision to buy a tigershark jet ski shares a lot of parallels with the decision to buy a Honda jet ski. It’s tough to say if it’s worth it to buy a watercraft that’s dated, especially one that’s almost 20 years old.
Similar to Hondas, Tigershark jet skis aren’t going to be the most reliable. Even in their prime years of 97-99 Tigersharks had plenty of issues. Of course this varies depending on model, year, and owner history, but it generally holds true.
Reliability really becomes a problem when hunting for parts. All used jet skis come with problems, but when the company’s been out of business for 20 years parts can be extra scarce. It’s a lot hard to fix a jet ski when they don’t even make the replacement part anymore.
There are definitely a lot of cons to buying a Tigershark jet ski, but there are a few pro’s as well. They can be cool projects to work on, and they’re usually cheap to buy.
If you can somehow find a good running Tigershark, they’re great to ride. A Tigershark jet ski from the late 90’s can hit between 55-65 mph, and they ride much different than modern models. The small, lightweight bodies can be really fun, so long as they work properly.
Do you think it’s worth it to buy a Tigershark jet ski? Tell us why or why not in the comments section below.
Hahaha, I remember tigersharks. I’m surprised they survived as long as they did.
Yeah, they definitely fought to keep going for a while. They’re still really cool jet ski’s though!
Hi I have just bought a tigershark today will let you know what I think after the first outing
I have a TigerShark. It runs great and the only repair is having the starter rebuilt a few years ago.
Anyone know where I can find an oil pump for a tiger shark?
I have two 1000s they are fun!
Go on line put in tigershark tons of parts
Remember it was a “dry stable ride”. Rode 2 from 96 to 99. Have a project one now a 96, ready for the water. Only sold them before because I bought a 3 seater Kawasaki.
Any one can help me? Im not getting water inn to cool the engine?? Am considering a Electric water pump? Any ideas ard most welcome. Thanks
I have actic cat 98 770 and spare body an part if anyone’s interested email me kebab489@hotmail.com
We had two tigersharks no problems and love them. I would really like to find a couple more today. My children have blast on them oil and increase horsepower by 30%, but we also maintain them every year. We had a great mechanic that knew everything about him and kept on going with no issues. So for all you haters of tiger sharks oh well for you you didn’t have fun like we did.
I have had a barricuda since brand new. Aside from loose nuts and bolts from vibration it’s never let me down. I have even towed a couple of dead Seadoos in to shore as well. Just purchased a ts1000 hopefully it will be a reliable as the cuda. If you want to buy something that you don’t want to tinker with then buy new. But if you like to do a liitle wrenching keeping the vintage stuff out there I would say buy a shark
I’ll let you know just bought one had a little problem with the motor rebuilding it trying to fix it up
I found 2 Tigershark on duel tralier at a pawn shop in Cave City, At. Only wants $1000. Don’t know what year they are.
i have three tigersharks all are 1999s tsl770 and 2 tsl1100li’s fuel injected love them my 770 have 400 hrs on it only problem i have had was the pump bearings i always get comments on them
Any ideas where i can get the rubber coupler for ’95 900.? Alpha has the wrong one only…..smaller diameter
thnx
I have two 1000s they are fun!
Been trying to find a 96 Monte Carlo 900 but have had zero luck.
Hi David I have one but not the 900 think it’s the 640 three seater rode it yesterday Land O’ Lakes Fl
I just bought a 1996 Tigershark Montego.. The kids love it!! However we lost the vent on the hood and I can not find a replacement. Any ideas?
Anyone want to share the best place to get parts? Our water outlet plug part is missing.
Cherise,
Try Alpha-sports.com. They are in Maine.
I have a 1993 Tigershark that we bought new and still ride now. Had a great weekend playing on it.