GatorTail Shakes Off the Mud with a Next-Generation Outboard
Part 2
Take a trip down South to meet the founder of GatorTail mud motors and bayou enthusiast, Kyle Broussard. With a lifetime spent in the marshes and the same day-to-day boating experiences as his customers, Kyle combines his deep, swamp-traversing knowledge with engineering expertise to create motors and vessels whose reputation has crossed hemispheres. Relied on by both outdoorsmen and commercial users alike, find out how GatorTail products get the job done.
Kyle Broussard, founder of Louisiana-based GatorTail, can identify with his customers in ways few CEOs can. Growing up and starting his business next to the swamps and marshes that his belt-driven, surface drive mud motors are designed to navigate, Kyle has a keen understanding of what GatorTail customers need and want. He knows firsthand how the tides and weather affect the hunting season in Louisiana, and the resulting challenges in the marine conditions. It’s this connection to the land and the sport that drives GatorTail’s innovations.
However, that deep local expertise doesn't mean GatorTail’s products are limited to the wetlands found in his backyard. Because the company has perfected the surface drive mud motor, GatorTail can be found worldwide. Boaters deploy these products in any challenging marshy or swampy area along the U.S. coastline, the Canadian river system, and as far as South America, Africa, Malaysia, Thailand, and Taiwan.
GatorTail in action in a bayou (Photo: GatorTail)
But for Kyle, who is rooted in his cultural upbringing as deeply as the Louisiana marshes themselves, it’s the customer interactions that hit closer to home that bring him the most satisfaction.
“We had a client whose home is on the water. As he was buying his boat, he said, ‘I don’t really need a trailer – I’m driving it to my house. Can you put us in the water?’ He planned to take it on a 100-mile voyage back to his house.”
It was an “ah-ha” moment for Kyle.
“We never thought of our boats like that before. We had designed a mode of off-road transportation, a product that could perform beyond local day trips. The customer was ecstatic about navigating it home through back-channels and swamps.”
ZF Propels GatorTail’s ”Z” from Blueprint to Bayou
Always keeping his finger on the pulse of the industry, Kyle realized he had an opportunity to take another leap in the GatorTail journey several years ago.
“As the industry demanded larger motors and more horsepower, we realized we needed a more robust transmission to put that type of power to the propeller.”
Kyle organized a meeting with ZF at the 2018 International WorkBoat Show in New Orleans to discuss his concept for such a system. In the months following the event, the GatorTail team collaborated with ZF engineers to workshop prototypes for a larger horsepower motor.
2018 International WorkBoat Show
The collaboration led to a breakthrough design: a new air-cooled, heavy-duty outboard with a customized ZF transmission known as the GT-Z – or as Kyle calls it, the “Z.”
The unique ZF transmission integrated with a custom gear ratio and "U-drive" shaft arrangement is what sets the Z apart, ensuring unmatched durability and reliability, and allowing it to maintain continuous propulsion through the harshest swamp, mud, and shallow-water conditions. Boaters using the Z will be able to reach 32 mph while traversing waters of nearly any depth or condition, while the air-cooled engine prevents overheating. The powerful trio of the 40 HP EFI air-cooled engine, the specialized ZF gearbox, and the robust belt-driven drive leg ensures uninterrupted performance for boaters tackling the most extreme conditions.
While greatly expanding what GatorTail’s mud motors could do, Kyle notes that he is most impressed with the reliability.
He also points out that ZF produces “more serviceable” transmissions over competitors, which translates into a better experience for his customers and greater efficiency for him as a business owner.
Built for the Job, Ready for the Water
While still in a testing phase for recreational boaters, Zs have been in production for real-world applications for commercial and government organizations, as well as for survey and oilfield companies, since 2024. Due to its proven success, GatorTail has plans to formally launch the Z to recreational markets in early 2026.
Always committed to helping his customers get out on the water, Kyle stresses that the Z will continue to be accessible. “It is important to me that this product be affordable and within reach for all types of boaters, even those without commercial budgets. I need my entire customer base to be able to use this motor.”
Customers interested in testing a Z are welcome to contact GatorTail. Watch for more news in early 2026 about Z’s official release.
A GatorTail Z powers through a swamp (Photo: GatorTail)
Up Next
Part 3: The Power of Keeping the Bayou Legacy Alive
The third and final installment of GatorTail’s story in Profiles from the Helm will highlight how Kyle Broussard is driving the outdoor traditions that define his hometown, how GatorTail gives back, and the rewards of helping his fellow boaters do what they love most.
Re-read part 1: ZF and GatorTail: Forging a Path Through the Mud
