The total cost \( C \) of renting a jet ski for \( x \) hours can be expressed with the following linear equation:
\[ C = 40 + 50x \]
Here, \( 40 \) represents the flat fee for renting the jet ski for the day, and \( 50x \) represents the cost for \( x \) hours of use, where \( 50 \) is the hourly rate.