How to surf on water – Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Surf has always been an important part of progressing the story in Pokémon. There are usually areas that require surf to access, and, with the new games being large open-world JRPGs, that is truer than ever. Here’s our guide on how to surf on water in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

Note: For more information about the game, check out our Pokemon Scarlet and Violet guides and features hub.

How to surf on water in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

As with past games, surf allows you to swim through the water on the back of your Pokémon. However, the days of HMs are long gone, so you don’t need to teach surf to any of your Pokémon to be able to swim.

The ability to surf in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is unlocked by defeating Bombirdier, the Open Sky Titan. Bombirdier is a level 20 boss Pokémon that is encountered in West Province (Area One). It is a Flying and Dark type Pokémon, and the second weakest Titan in the game.

The Open Sky Titan’s location. Screenshot by PC Invasion.

Since Scarlet and Violet are non-linear games, you can take on Bombirdier whenever you want. As long as you have gotten through the tutorial and reached Mesagoza, you are free to head over to Bombirdier. Just be aware that Titan Pokémon are stronger than their level would suggest, and it’s easy to lose if you go in unprepared.

Once you have defeated Bombiridier, a cutscene will play where you feed Koraidon or Miraidon a special sandwich. Once Koraidon or Miraidon eats the sandwich, it will gain the ability to swim. As for how to surf in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, all you have to do is jump into any body of water after gaining the ability. Surfing can be combined with Koraidon and Miraidon’s other abilities such as the enhanced jump and dash boost to get around easier.