Fastest Boat in GTA 5 Story Mode: The Complete Ranking by Top Speed

The fastest boat in GTA 5 story mode is the Nagasaki Dinghy, which reaches 71.50 mph (115.07 km/h) in both its 2-seater and 4-seater versions. It narrowly beats the Shitzu Jetmax at 70.00 mph (112.65 km/h) and costs $166,250 from DockTease, once you own a boat slip.

Essentials

• Fastest boat overall: Nagasaki Dinghy, 71.50 mph (115.07 km/h), $166,250
• Best all-round speedboat: Shitzu Jetmax, 70.00 mph (112.65 km/h), $299,000
• This ranking covers boats that exist in story mode only - GTA Online later added much faster vessels like the Shitzu Longfin, which do not spawn in single player
• Every boat here is bought from the DockTease website on your in-game phone or laptop, but you need a boat slip at Puerto del Sol Marina first
• Several of these boats can also be found already docked around the map for free, with no purchase required

Fastest boats in GTA 5 story mode, ranked

Rank	Boat	Top speed	Price	How to get it
1	Nagasaki Dinghy	71.50 mph (115.07 km/h)	$166,250	DockTease or find docked
2	Shitzu Jetmax	70.00 mph (112.65 km/h)	$299,000	DockTease
3	Pegassi Speeder	68.25 mph (109.84 km/h)	$325,000	DockTease
4	Speedophile Seashark	67.00 mph (107.83 km/h)	$16,899	DockTease or find docked
5	Shitzu Squalo	65.75 mph (105.81 km/h)	$196,621	DockTease
6	Shitzu Tropic	63.25 mph (101.79 km/h)	$22,000	DockTease
7	Shitzu Suntrap	51.00 mph (82.08 km/h)	$25,160	DockTease
8	Police Predator	48.50 mph (78.05 km/h)	Not for sale	Found at police docks
9	Dinka Marquis	26.25 mph (42.25 km/h)	$413,990	DockTease

These are raw top speeds on open water, without mods. A boat's handling in choppy water and how quickly it plans out of a turn matter just as much as the number on paper, which is part of why the Jetmax stays the community's default pick over the technically-faster Dinghy.

Nagasaki Dinghy: the fastest boat on paper

The Dinghy is an odd winner. It looks like a basic inflatable runabout next to the sleek Jetmax or Speeder, but Rockstar's own tested top speed puts it a fraction ahead of every other boat in story mode. It seats either two or four depending on the variant, both share the same top-end speed, and it is cheap enough at $166,250 that most players can afford it early. You can also find Dinghies already docked at several marinas around Los Santos, including near Vespucci Beach, with zero purchase required.

Shitzu Jetmax: the practical top pick

The Jetmax is the boat most players actually think of as "the fast one" in GTA 5, and for good reason: it looks the part, handles cleanly at speed, and its 70.00 mph top end is close enough to the Dinghy that you will not notice the gap while driving. At $299,000 it is a mid-game purchase rather than a late-game trophy, and it remains a reliable choice for open-water sprints across the bay.

How to buy a boat in GTA 5 story mode

Buying a boat takes two steps. First, purchase a boat slip at Puerto del Sol Marina for whichever character you want to own it (Franklin, Michael and Trevor each need their own slip). Once you have a slip, open your phone's internet browser, go to the DockTease website, and pick a boat. It arrives at your slip a few in-game hours later, and you get a text confirming delivery. If you would rather skip the paperwork, several boats on this list also spawn docked and unowned around the coast, ready to take for a joyride.

For players still grinding toward that kind of cash, our heist gold medal guide covers every approach and objective needed to maximize your cut before you go boat shopping.

Is GTA Online's fastest boat the same as story mode's?

No. GTA Online has added dozens of vehicles since story mode's world was frozen, and boats are no exception. The Shitzu Longfin, added in the Cayo Perico Heist update, hits 122.00 mph (196.34 km/h) and leaves every story mode boat far behind. If you play GTA Online rather than (or in addition to) story mode, check our GTA Online fastest boat ranking for the full multiplayer leaderboard, including the Longfin, the Weaponized Dinghy and the Kurtz 31 Patrol Boat, none of which exist in single player.

Which boat should you actually buy?

For pure speed on a budget, the Seashark jet ski is hard to beat at $16,899, even though it caps out lower than the Dinghy or Jetmax. If you want a proper speedboat that looks the part in cutscenes and free roam alike, the Jetmax remains the best-rounded choice. And if you just want the fastest number on the spec sheet without spending much, the Dinghy is both cheap and technically the quickest boat in the game.

Speed on water matters most if you are chasing stunt jumps or exploring the coast for hidden content, like the shipwrecks and underwater treasures scattered around Los Santos' waters. A fast boat also makes short work of GTA 5's rarer vehicle spawns that sit near the coastline.

Does the fastest boat change with upgrades?

Unlike cars, boats in GTA 5 cannot be upgraded at Los Santos Customs. What you buy is what you get: no engine swaps, no armor, no visual customization beyond the options offered at purchase. That keeps this ranking simple and permanent, since there is no mod setup that can push one boat ahead of another.

Where did story mode's boats come from?

Los Santos launched in September 2013 with a handful of boats already in the world, including the Dinghy, the Jetmax, the Marquis and the Police Predator. The Speeder, Seashark, Squalo, Tropic and Suntrap arrived shortly after through Rockstar's early free title updates, which patched new content into both story mode and GTA Online at the same time. That is why this list feels complete even though the game is now well over a decade old: every boat here has been sitting in the world since those first months, long before GTA Online split off into its own separate vehicle roster with heist-specific unlocks.

Boats vs jet skis: does class matter for speed?

The Seashark is technically a personal watercraft rather than a boat, but Rockstar groups it under the same "Boats" class in the in-game menus and on DockTease, so it belongs on this list. Jet skis trade a little top speed for much sharper handling: they turn faster, plane out of a stop almost instantly, and are far easier to control at speed in choppy water than a full-size speedboat like the Squalo or Tropic. If your priority is racing tight courses along the coast rather than crossing open water in a straight line, the Seashark is worth a look even outside of this ranking.

Fastest boat FAQ

Is the Dinghy really faster than the Jetmax? Yes, by a small margin: 71.50 mph versus 70.00 mph. In practice the difference is barely noticeable while playing, and most players still prefer the Jetmax for its looks and handling.

Can I get a fast boat for free in GTA 5 story mode? Yes. Dinghies and Seasharks are commonly found docked and unowned around the coastline, no DockTease purchase required.

Are these speeds the same in GTA Online? No. GTA Online's freemode world has received several boats since 2015 that are far faster than anything in story mode, led by the Shitzu Longfin at 122.00 mph. Story mode's boat lineup has not changed since the base game's title updates.