The latest Animal Crossing: New Horizons update has arrived, allowing players to enter the water around their islands for the first time. Summer Update - Wave 1 adds a variety of nautical-themed features to New Horizons, including swimming, diving, and a new visitor called Pascal.
To get started on their oceanic adventures, first players must have the correct equipment. While it's tempting to rush straight into the water, Animal Crossing won't let players ruin their clothes quite that easily. The proper attire for swimming and diving is a Wetsuit, which can be purchased for Bells or Nook Miles.
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Finding the Wetsuit
First players will need to make sure they've downloaded the new update. Once this is done, they should receive a message from Nook Inc in their inbox. The email will declare that the seas around the island have been confirmed as safe for swimming, and Wetsuits are now available for sale.
While players might think to head to the Able Sisters as the main purveyors of clothing on the island, the hedgehog trio don't actually stock the Wetsuit. This is because their shop isn't unlocked until later in the game, which would prevent new players from being able to swim. Instead, head to Nook's Cranny, where Timmy and Tommy are fully prepared for the summer season.
Going Swimming
At Nook's Cranny players can find the Wetsuit in the cabinet of tools, flowers and DIY recipes that is next to the umbrellas. The suit costs 3000 Bells to buy, and once equipped will allow the player to swim and dive as much as they like, without a durability bar. It's also possible to buy a special Wetsuit for 800 Nook Miles. This is done by visiting the Nook Stop in Residential Services, and selecting Redeem Nook Miles. This suit is functionally no different to the normal one, but comes with a snazzy black and turquoise design. To complete the look, a Nook Inc. Snorkel is also available for a further 500 Nook Miles.
Swimming isn't just about exercise and relaxation, players who take to the water will find a trove of new features waiting for them. A brand new NPC, Pascal, is an otter who trades DIY Mermaid recipes for pearls. These pearls can be found while diving off the island, and are spotted by looking for a stream of bubbles. It's also possible to collect sea creatures while in the water, which can be sold or donated to Blathers' museum.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available now for Nintendo Switch.