Swimming, in the Game That Could Best Use It

[Djinn]

It has always surprised me that the skill of swimming is so limited in the very game that could use it the most. Of course it was a necessary limitation placed on Link to require him to use things like the boat and Deku Leaf, keeping him from possibly swimming from one island to the next easily enough. And for story purposes it is understandable that someone could not possibly jump right into the water and swim across the ocean from location to location. Even with the limitations, it always seemed strange that Link could not improve his swimming skill or gain any more items that made for an easy time of swimming around, even in smaller areas not out in the ocean such as the Tower of the Gods.

In Ocarina of Time, Majoras Mask, ALTTP and Twilight Princess, Link could swim for as long as necessary without any threat of drowning. So when compared to other Zelda games this makes Wind Waker Link the absolutely worst swimmer of the series. As well as unique in having no items that could help out in any way, unlike other games where swimming was limited to a single dungeon or playing around Lake Hylia. The flippers, a Zora scale, blue tunic, and Zora armor are present in other games that help Link's ability to swim better or at all, but the great sea truly appears to be a place that could use these items more so than any other. Obviously the Zora are not present in the game, so any items that are Zora related would be missing. Which would be almost all of them, but the Hylians are routinely described as a very magical people who have made many magical and technological items in the past for special purposes. This should not be completely outside of the capability of the people of Outset or Windfall. Also many of the items Link does discover in his journey are ancient magical artifacts of a past era, something like a Zora scale or blue tunic would definitely fit this description in WW.

I believe this limit placed in WW could have been lifted some or removed entirely over the course of the adventure. Someone who could defeat giant monsters and trek through ancient structures efficiently in an effort to stop an ancient magical overlord from destroying the world should at least be capable of lasting more than two minutes in the water before drowning. Especially someone who grew up on a small island and most likely had been swimming since a very young age. Or at least have Link's skill rise somehow through miniquest or time in the water so that he can last a little longer.

So does anyone else think the swimming limitation could have been a little lighter? Or removed, either by sidequest or item gained in the adventure as it has in most of the other games in the series?

 

[Ganondorf]

Well he DOES carry a lot of equipment, perhaps that hinders his tiny frame some... I don't know.
I would have liked to maybe see some small areas you could dive or something, kind of how they have Dive in Pokemon.
One would think he could swim well with lots of water yes, but you have to remember that people in those ages rarely knew how to swim, that may be some of it. I think swimming should have been improved, but not removed or perhaps limited by a barrier that detects when you are trying to swim in between areas or something.

...and all this just made me think of a sputtering Ganondorf fresh out of the Dark Realm... "What is with all this water?!"

 

[MidnaOfTheTwili]

Yes, I agree, the swimming limit was quite annoying sometimes. Especially when you were trying to catch Beedle's ship when you needed to buy something, and drowned trying to get the boat. XDD

 

[Ganondorf]

Link should have lung damage and water in his lungs, the way I nearly down sometimes trying to climb on the barrels on Beetle's Shop ship... I swear, sometimes it just won't let you grab and climb up.

 

[Cel-Shaded Deku]

Do you remember the stairs from Super Mario 64? The ones that lead to the final battle with Bowser but they wouldn't end unless you had the required number of stars. Why couldn't that be in WW? They could have made it so that if, for example, tried to swim off of Outset Island in the begining of the game to get to Windfall Island you could swim for hours but you would never get past a certen point. That would solve the swimming from island to island problem and wouldn't create the drowning after 30 seconds problem.

 

[Ganondorf]

I spoke about that earlier when I mentioned them having a barrier or some sort.

 

[RegalBryant]

I think you're right, but the worst swimming links are the PH/ST links, because they can't swim.

Maybe, the great sea is slowly making the world's population horrible swimmers!!! OoT-swim forever. WW-swim for a short period. PH/ST-CAN'T SWIM!!!

 

[El Bagu]

I know that I have misunderstood one thing (I know he is supposed to be older than he looks, I believe they even say it in the game) but I have to say it again, Link in WW looks almost like a baby and for how far can a baby swim? He does not have the appearance of a candidate for crossing the channel between France & England for instance. His physique must be limited, I mean look at him! (but I must admit that he can carry a lot of things in his bags!!)

 

[Petman1325]

Seeing as to how the game is largely oriented on sailing, and they don't want someone trying to swim from island to island (think about that...that'd take too long! D, and rather have it so that way you must have the King of Red Lions to go anywhere.

Unlike the other Zelda titles where Link had no limit for swimming (however, there was a limit for staying underwater without the Zora tunic, save for A Link to the Past), in Wind Waker, the water is actually the whole overworld, and much like Spirit Tracks, Nintendo would rather you not try to doggy-paddle your way into Forsaken Fortress from Outset Island.

Also, as El Bagu said, the lad is ten. Do you really think that a ten-year-old could swim for miles from island to island? Granted, there have been other strange things in the Zelda series (run around in Hyrule Field under the summer Sun, drink warm milk, run around in Hyrule Field under the summer Sun...), but to see a preteen swim from island to island would grant him not only the Triforce of Courage, but also the Triforce of Power.

 

[IceArrowKitty]

I have to agree regardless of the fact that this is vastly a water based Zelda game, someone that young could never swim that long, but I can see why you would think that.