If you’ve ever stood on the docks of Liyue Harbor staring out at the open sea, or gotten stuck on a riverbank in Sumeru with no way across without drowning, you’ve probably wondered about water travel options. If you’ve asked yourself are there boats in Genshin Impact, you’re not alone—thousands of new players search this question every month as they unlock more of Teyvat’s sprawling open world. This guide breaks down exactly what watercraft exist in the game, how to use them, workarounds when you don’t have access to a boat, and what we might see in future updates.
Are There Boats in Genshin Impact You Can Permanently Control?
The short answer is yes, but not the fully customizable, spawn-anywhere sailboat many players hope for when they ask this question. The closest thing to a permanent, controllable boat in the base game is the Waverider, a sleek, speedboat-style watercraft you unlock after completing the Ritou Escape Plan Archon Quest in Inazuma. Waveriders can be summoned at any Waverider Waypoint, which are scattered across coastal areas, large lakes, and open ocean regions across Teyvat.
You’ll also encounter scripted boat rides during story quests and limited-time events that feel more like traditional sailboats. For example, the first trip to Inazuma takes place on Beidou’s Crux Fleet, a massive sailing ship that you can walk around on during the quest, but you can’t steer or control its route. Limited-time events like the Summertime Odyssey series in the Golden Apple Archipelago have also featured fully controllable, customizable boats for event-specific challenges, though these are removed once the event ends.
There’s no option to own a permanent sailboat that you can spawn anywhere, customize with decorations, or bring your full party onto in the base game as of now. That’s a big part of why this question remains so common, even among players who have already unlocked the Waverider.
Key Limitations of Waveriders You Need to Know
Waveriders are incredibly useful for crossing long stretches of open water, but they come with a set of limitations that make them feel very different from traditional boats in other open world games. Waveriders can only be summoned at designated Waverider Waypoints, so if you’re stuck on a small river in the middle of Fontaine or a remote bay in Sumeru with no waypoint nearby, you won’t be able to call one. You also can’t summon a Waverider if you’re already standing in water—you have to interact with the waypoint from dry land first.
You can only have one character on a Waverider at a time, and you can’t use any of your character’s skills, bursts, or items while riding. The Waverider has its own set of cannons you can use to destroy floating debris, fight water-based enemies, and unlock hidden chests, but if your character is low on health when you board, you won’t be able to heal them until you get back to shore. I learned this the hard way after fighting a Hydro Hypostasis on a small island, and had to bail off the Waverider halfway back to shore to eat a chicken-mushroom skewer before I died.
Waveriders also have limited stamina, just like your character. If you boost for too long, you’ll have to wait a few seconds for the stamina bar to refill before you can boost again. For most trips across even the largest ocean stretches, this won’t be a problem, but it can be frustrating if you’re trying to outrun a floating enemy or beat an event time trial.
Alternative Water Travel Methods When No Boat Is Available
If you’re stuck somewhere without a Waverider Waypoint nearby, you don’t have to swim until you run out of stamina and drown. There are plenty of easy workarounds to get across even the longest stretches of water without a boat, and most of them use characters you probably already have in your party. I keep all of these methods in my back pocket for when I get distracted chasing a Seelie or a crystal fly out to sea and end up stranded.
- Ice bridge teams: Use Cryo characters like Kaeya, Qiqi, or Ganyu to freeze the water directly in front of you as you walk. This works for short to medium distances, though it takes more time than riding a Waverider. Kaeya is the best option for this, since his elemental skill has a short cooldown and covers a wide stretch of water.
- Wind glider skips: If you have a high enough vantage point near the water, you can glide across most narrow rivers and even some small bays without touching the water at all. Pair this with Anemo character boosts from Venti or Wanderer for extra distance, and you can cross nearly a kilometer of water without getting your feet wet.
- Hydro character stamina boosts: Characters like Barbara and Mona have passive talents that reduce stamina consumption while swimming by 20-30%, so you can travel much longer distances without stopping to rest. Pair this with stamina-boosting food like Sticky Honey Roast, and you can swim across even the gap between Liyue and Inazuma if you’re patient enough.
- Teleport waypoint hopping: Most coastal areas have teleport waypoints within a few hundred meters of each other, so you can hop between them to skip long stretches of water entirely. If you’re exploring a new region, always prioritize unlocking coastal waypoints first to make water travel way easier later on.
For very long distances, like crossing from the southern tip of Liyue to Inazuma without a Waverider, the ice bridge method works but takes 10-15 minutes of continuous freezing, so it’s only worth it if you’re doing it for a challenge. Most of the time, it’s faster to just teleport to the nearest Waverider Waypoint and grab a boat instead.
Future Boat Features We Might See in Upcoming Updates
HoYoverse has repeatedly teased expanded ocean content as we move into later regions of Teyvat, and many players expect more robust boat options to come with that content. Unverified leaks have hinted at fully customizable sailboats that players can own, decorate, and sail anywhere in Teyvat, no Waverider Waypoints required. These leaks also mention that players will be able to bring their full party on board, set up cooking stations, and even fight sea bosses from the deck of their boat.
Of course, leaks are never confirmed, and HoYoverse has not officially announced any permanent sailboat features as of now. But it makes sense that the team would add this feature eventually, given how large Teyvat’s open world is getting, and how much ocean content is already present in regions like Fontaine and Inazuma. Even if permanent sailboats don’t arrive in the next few patches, we’ll almost certainly get more event-exclusive boat content, like races, exploration challenges, and story quests centered around ocean travel.
In the meantime, if you’re craving more boat gameplay, you can always replay old event quests that featured customizable boats if you saved them, or test out Waverider time trials scattered across coastal regions. Most of these time trials reward Primogems and upgrade materials, so they’re worth doing even if you’re not just looking for boat gameplay.
So, to wrap it up, if you were asking are there boats in Genshin Impact, the answer is a qualified yes. You have the Waverider for regular controllable water travel, scripted story boat rides, and occasional event boats to use for limited-time challenges. If you’re waiting for a fully customizable open-world sailboat you can own and use anywhere, you might have to wait a little longer, but there are plenty of easy workarounds to get across Teyvat’s water right now without one. Next time you’re exploring the coast, take a minute to test out the Waverider if you haven’t already—it’s way faster than swimming, and the cannons are surprisingly fun to use against floating slimes.