Gibbs Quadski XL - Specifications & Review

Company History

Gibbs Sports Amphibians translated Alan Gibbs’ long-standing obsession with amphibious vehicles into a powersports product: the Quadski, an ATV that converts to a jet-powered personal watercraft in seconds. The engineering challenge was huge—folding suspension, sealed driveline, buoyancy and stability at speed on water, and compliance with both marine and land-vehicle regulations. Gibbs combined U.S. manufacturing with UK/NZ engineering to deliver a machine that, while expensive, offered unique utility for lake-dotted properties, resorts, and patrol uses. Beyond the Quadski, Gibbs developed larger amphibians that proved the underlying tech scalable. Historically, Gibbs shows how cross-domain engineering—naval hydrodynamics plus off-road suspension—can yield genuinely new categories. In the motorcycle/ATV world, it sits at the edge, but its presence reminded designers that powersports can still surprise. Owners speak of the simple joy of riding down a boat ramp and throttling away, a magic trick made possible by serious materials science, sealing, and clever kinematics.