It’s easy to forget that one of the most dangerous biomes in Valheim is the ocean. Crossing water can be perilous, and to make matters worse, Vikings don’t appear to be very good swimmers. Plus, there’s always a chance that items will fall into the water and settle at a depth from which they can’t be retrieved. As it turns out, there is a way to dive underwater in Valheim. The catch is that it doesn’t technically involve swimming.
How to dive underwater in Valheim
There is no button or key that allows you to dive down and swim underwater in Valheim. Instead, you have to dive below the water’s surface by jumping from someplace high. Alternatively, you can use cheats to reach items that fell deep into the water.
As you may have figured out by playing, swimming in Valheim takes place on the surface of water. Your character only floats, and has no way to descend to depths of more than just a few feet. The same rule applies to boats and rafts, too, although some beasts — the serpent in particular — can freely swim underwater.
This usually only becomes a problem when items get dropped into the water. Slaying beasts too near a shore or out on the open ocean will often result in precious loot being swept under the surface. Some items, like wood, will float, while others will immediately sink. If you’re lucky, the items will settle at a shallow depth that can be reached by wading. Still, the world of Valheim can be cruel, and items will often plunge in too deep to be retrieved.
Some players use this as a way to destroy items. Out of sight, out of mind, as the saying goes. But that doesn’t help you reclaim items you actually need.
Sadly, there’s no way to simply turn and dive down to pick up underwater items. The best you can do is get a running start and jump in: The momentum of your falling body will allow you to plummet deeper than you would otherwise. Unfortunately, this only gives you a split second to try to claim the items you’re trying to reach.
Use cheats to reach underwater items
That’s not to say that retrieving underwater items is impossible, of course. As it turns out, there is one way to reach deep underwater in Valheim. The catch is that it involves using cheat codes. Using the console, you can enter the following console commands to reach underwater items:
- devcommands (enables cheats)
- debugmode (enables flight)
- god (makes your character immune to damage)
With Valheim’s debugmode enabled, you’ll be able to toggle flight off and on by pressing the Z key. Not only does this allow you to fly through the air, but it also allows you to zoom around underwater. It’s not technically diving per se, since you aren’t swimming, nor are you jumping in with an elegant nosedive. However, you will be able to submerge yourself as far as you need to retrieve your items.
Just remember that it’s still possible to drown if you stay submerged for too long. Thankfully, the god mode cheat will enable you to stay underwater for as long as you like. This combination of console commands is especially useful if you’re trying to build a solid foundation for a pier, dock, or a lavish home out at sea.
While you can’t technically dive underwater in Valheim, you can at least jump in to reach a few feet below the surface. However, if you need to retrieve items from deep under the water’s surface, you’ll probably want to use console commands.
