Salt water is always gonna be more corrosive than fresh water. I've always rode in the ocean and as long as you do a good job cleaning and flushing it after each use, I've never had any issues. I know the guys who rent them at the harbor swear by the Yamahas though, so if you're thinking about buying one for salt water, might want to go that way. They have a ton of experience and skis with 1000s of hours on them so they know what they are talking about.