Boats and Watercraft

Overview

Grand Theft Auto VI features the most extensive selection of watercraft in the franchise's history, reflecting the game's Florida-inspired coastal setting. The state of Leonida is surrounded by ocean on multiple sides and features extensive inland waterways, swamps, rivers, and a freshwater lake, making boats and watercraft essential for exploration and transportation. Watercraft types confirmed through trailers and official screenshots include personal watercraft (jet skis), speedboats, airboats (fan boats), yachts, dinghies, dive boats, and recreational motorboats.

A new towing mechanic allows players to transport watercraft on trailers behind pickup trucks and SUVs. Trailer 2 shows a Bravado Bison towing a Speedophile Seashark jet ski on a road trailer, and Trailer 1 opens with a Vapid Bobcat XL pulling a recreational bow rider motorboat. This system ties watercraft into the broader vehicle ecosystem and allows players to bring boats to any body of water across the map.

Personal Watercraft

Speedophile Seashark

The Speedophile Seashark is a compact personal watercraft (jet ski) that returns in GTA VI with an updated design and improved water physics. It was first shown in Trailer 1 at Vice Beach and appears again in Trailer 2, where Jason and Lucia ride a two-seater variant together. The Seashark is designed for high-speed coastal travel and recreation. It is based on real-world jet ski designs and has appeared in every GTA game since GTA V.

Sea-Doo RXT-X Inspired PWC

An unnamed personal watercraft based on the real-world Sea-Doo RXT-X RS 300 was first spotted in Trailer 1 in the ocean near Vice Beach. The design features a more aggressive, performance-oriented profile compared to the Seashark, suggesting it may be a higher-end or racing-class jet ski. The real Sea-Doo RXT-X 300 is a premium personal watercraft known for its 300-horsepower Rotax engine.

Airboats and Fan Boats

Airboats are a brand-new vehicle category for the GTA franchise, purpose-built for navigating the shallow swamps and marshlands of the Grassrivers region. Multiple airboat models have been confirmed.

Panther-Style Airboat

The primary airboat was first revealed in Trailer 1, where it is shown traversing the Grassrivers with two passengers. The design is based on custom-built airboats by Panther Airboats, with the hull and propulsion layout closely resembling Panther's basic 16x8 model. The airboat features an elevated operator seat behind a large rear-mounted propeller fan, with passenger seating at the front. Airboats are critical for traversing the Everglades-inspired wetlands where conventional boats cannot operate due to shallow water and dense vegetation.

Airgator Airboat 09

The Airgator Airboat 09 is a second confirmed airboat model with a more utilitarian design. It features a large hull with multiple floor storage areas, an elevated single seat for the operator, and a double passenger seat ahead of the operator's position. The design suggests this variant may be used for heavier cargo transport or guided swamp tours.

Speedboats and Motorboats

Multiple speedboat and motorboat designs are visible across both trailers. The opening shot of Trailer 1 shows a Vapid Bobcat XL towing a recreational bow rider motorboat on a trailer, confirming that private motorboat ownership is part of the game. Additional speedboats are visible in harbor and marina scenes. These range from small fishing boats to larger center-console performance boats designed for offshore use.

Yachts and Luxury Vessels

Yachts appear in trailer footage as part of Vice City's coastal scenery. Large multi-deck luxury vessels are visible in harbor and marina shots. GTA V introduced purchasable super yachts through the Executives and Other Criminals update for GTA Online, and similar luxury watercraft are expected in GTA VI given the game's emphasis on Vice City's wealth and excess. Whether yachts are purchasable properties or simply appear as ambient vessels has not been confirmed.

Dinghies and Inflatable Boats

The Nagasaki Dinghy, a rigid inflatable boat (RIB), is confirmed to return in GTA VI. It appears in Trailer 2 in a coastal scene. The Dinghy is a compact, versatile watercraft often used by military, law enforcement, and divers in previous GTA titles. It can carry multiple passengers and is well-suited for approaching shorelines and shallow areas where larger boats cannot reach.

Other Confirmed Watercraft

Additional watercraft types spotted in trailers include hover boats (a new category featuring hovercraft-style vessels), dive boats associated with the scuba diving activity in the Leonida Keys, cargo ships and cruise liners visible in the VC Port area, and various NPC-operated fishing vessels and coast guard boats. The diversity of watercraft reflects the central role that water plays in Leonida's geography and culture.

Confirmed Watercraft Summary

Water Physics

GTA VI's RAGE engine features significantly improved water physics compared to GTA V. Trailer footage shows realistic wave patterns, dynamic reflections, wake effects behind moving boats, and water that responds to weather conditions. The Grassrivers swamps feature murky, shallow water with vegetation, while the Leonida Keys showcase crystal-clear tropical water with visible coral and marine life beneath the surface. These improvements make watercraft gameplay more visually immersive and mechanically nuanced.