What to Wear on a Queenstown Jet Boat
You get spray, not a soaking — and on the Shotover canyon run your phone is not allowed on board at all. What to wear and bring, by season and by operator.
Two questions come up before a Queenstown jet boat ride more than any others, and both have short answers.
Do you get wet, and can you take your phone?
You get spray, particularly during the spins. You do not get soaked, you stay in your own clothes, and there is no wetsuit. That is the clear line between a jet boat ride and the rafting trips on the same rivers, where you are issued a wetsuit, booties and a helmet and you finish the day genuinely wet.
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The phone is the harder one. On the Shotover canyon run the answer is no, and it catches people out at the counter.
The rule nobody expects
Shotover Jet does not permit handheld cameras, phones or loose items on board at all. The only camera allowed is a forehead-mounted, hands-free GoPro or similar. Everything else goes into a locker at the base, which is why the lockers are there.
What to wear, by season
Summer, December to February
- Whatever you would wear walking around Queenstown, plus a layer. You are travelling at up to 95 km/h in the open, and the apparent wind is cold even on a warm day.
- Sunglasses. Recommended year-round by the operators, and in summer they are doing two jobs at once — spray and glare off pale water.
- Sunscreen. The gorge is shaded in places but the lake and the Kawarau are not.
- A hat you can hold on to, or none at all.
Winter, June to August
- Hat, gloves and warm layers, which is what the operators specifically recommend. The Shotover and KJet boats carry heated handrails, so your hands are the part that is looked after; the rest is up to you.
- A windproof outer layer is worth more than a thick one.
- Eyewear still applies. Cold spray at speed is the thing people remember.
Spring and autumn
Treat these as winter for clothing and summer for sun. Spring also brings the one seasonal rule with teeth: Shotover Jet’s minimum height rises from 1.0 m to 1.2 m when the river is running high, which is most likely during snowmelt.
What each operator allows on board
The camera rule is the one point where the boats differ sharply, and it is worth checking against the ride you have booked rather than assuming.
- Shotover Jet — forehead-mounted, hands-free GoPro only. No phones, no handheld cameras, nothing loose. Lockers at the Arthurs Point base.
- KJet — your own camera or GoPro is welcome, with the sensible caveat that you hold it tightly. Photos and video of your run are also sold at the pier.
- Thunder Jet — a camera at your own risk, and a locker provided at Steamer Wharf for everything else.
- Skippers Canyon Jet — the operator suggests bringing a camera along with a hat, sunglasses, insect repellent and water for the road section.
If filming the ride yourself matters to you, that difference is worth more than any other point of comparison between the boats — and it is the reason some people book the hour on the lake rather than the canyon run.
What to leave behind
- Anything loose in your pockets. It will not survive a 360-degree spin, and on the canyon run it is not allowed on board anyway.
- Valuables generally. Lockers are provided at Arthurs Point and by Thunder Jet at Steamer Wharf.
- On the rafting trips specifically, the operator asks you to leave valuables at your accommodation rather than bring them to the base at all.
If you are doing a rafting combination instead
Different kit entirely. The Kawarau and Shotover rafting trips issue a wetsuit, wetsuit jacket, spray jacket, helmet, booties and life jacket, and there are hot showers afterwards. What you bring is swimwear, a towel and a change of clothes, and you should expect to be properly wet rather than sprayed.
Those trips also carry far stricter limits than the jet boats: minimum age thirteen, between 40 kg and 120 kg, and you must be water-confident and able to swim in moving water.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you get wet on the Shotover Jet?
You get spray, mostly during the spins, and it is nothing like rafting. You wear your own clothes and there is no wetsuit. Sunglasses help more than a raincoat does, and in winter the boats have heated handrails.
Can I take my phone on a Queenstown jet boat?
Not on the Shotover canyon run. Handheld cameras, phones and loose items are not permitted on board; only a forehead-mounted hands-free GoPro is allowed, and there are lockers at the base. KJet and Thunder Jet do let you carry your own camera at your own risk.
Do I need a change of clothes?
Not for a jet boat ride — spray dries quickly and you are only out for twenty-five minutes to an hour. For the rafting trips, yes: bring swimwear, a towel and dry clothes, and expect to use the showers at the base afterwards.
What should children wear?
The same as adults, with more attention to warmth, since they feel the apparent wind more. Check the height rule first: Shotover Jet needs a metre and sometimes 1.2 metres, while KJet has no height restriction and takes children from age two.
Are life jackets provided?
Yes, on every ride listed here, and they are mandatory. KJet notes that it sets no weight limit as such: what matters is fitting a life jacket, and the largest it carries is a 4XL. Shotover Jet provides life jackets and requires them for everyone on board.
Ride the Shotover Canyons
Twenty-five minutes between rock walls, at speeds the river was never meant to allow. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before you go.
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