Get a wetsuit and get in there!
It's more than just swimming; there's diving and catching underwater creatures!
Wordsmith at SteelSeries. Enthusiastic about Dota 2 and fighting games. A cat dad.
If you’re tired of being landlocked on your Animal Crossing island, you’re in luck! Let’s dive in (pun intended) and discover the secrets of swimming and exploring the surrounding waters. The swimming feature wasn’t always available and was introduced in July 2020, adding a new adventure to the already engaging gameplay.
We know you want to learn about swimming and what you need, so let's not wait any longer. Let's get started!
TL:DR - To swim in Animal Crossing, you’ll need to acquire a wetsuit. Once you have a wetsuit, you can enter the water from the beach or diving off various locations. Buying a wetsuit requires 3,000 bells.
Go to the beach or dock
Press ‘A’ to enter the water
Use the Left analog stick to move
Press & Hold ‘A’ to swim
Press ‘Y’ to dive underwater
Swimming in Animal Crossing requires a wetsuit. You’ll need to head over to Nook’s Cranny and access the cabinet that houses flooring, seeds, and tools. You can also make the purchase at the Nook Stop terminal. In either location, the wetsuit will cost 3,000 bells.
If you’re not a fan of the wetsuit color or design, you can stop back into the shop each day to find new options that better suit your preferences. To put on the wetsuit, you’ll select it from your inventory and press ‘A’ select “Wear”. You won’t need to make any other changes to your wardrobe before putting on the wetsuit. It goes right over your everyday clothes so no need to make a bunch of changes.
There are two ways to get in the water, wading in and diving in. You can simply walk to one of the beaches and wade into the water or head over to the beach rocks or your pier and press ‘A’ to get in. Just be sure not to have any tools equipped as this will prevent you from being able to enter the water.
Once you’re in the water, you can lie down below for a short period of time to look around and experience the world underwater. To dive, simply press ‘Y’ while you’re in the water. Your character will never get tired of swimming or run out of oxygen, they will come up when they need more air.
If you want to come up sooner, you can just press ‘Y’ again to surface. Diving underwater allows you to search for sea creatures and sunken treasure. You won’t need any tools or equipment to capture them, but you will need to know where to look.
You might have noticed that there are areas with bubbles surfacing while you’re exploring the water. These can indicate sea creatures or treasure lurking below the surface. Dive down to see what could be producing these bubbles and you may just find yourself something to add to your Critterpedia. As long as you position yourself correctly, you’ll automatically collect anything you find underwater.
With this guide, you’ll no longer be land-locked and free to explore the hidden depths of Animal Crossing oceans. The ocean is full of surprises and is continuously changing so remember to keep exploring. You never know what oceanic adventures are lurking our in the ocean.
If you want to enhance your gameplay, be sure to check out the SteelSeries gaming software as well as our wide-range of gaming gear and products.