History Main / WalkDontSwim

Often happens in video games, where this saves the programmers from having to code for swimming behavior, while averting SuperDrowningSkills. Just make the character move slower and jump higher, give them an OxygenMeter, and ''voila!'' underwater physics.

** This is the ComicBook/{{Juggernaut|MarvelComics}}'s default way of crossing water. One of the most famous examples of this is after his first battle with ComicBook/SpiderMan in ''[[ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderMan1963 Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut!]]'', which leaves the Juggernaut buried in concrete -- he simply tunnels his way into the Hudson River and walks out to sea.
** Colossus can do this too, as his "organic steel" body doesn't need to breathe. As he walks away from a plane crash on one occasion, things get troublesome when the island the team is headed to [[DePowerZone disables all mutant powers]]...

** [[VideoGame/MegaManClassic The classic Mega Man]], because he's a robot, natch. He does learn to swim for ''VideoGame/MegaMan8''.

** ''VideoGame/MetroidIIReturnOfSamus'' introduces a non hazardous liquid to the Metroid series; water. You can tell it's not hazardous because you'll find a hornoad jumping towards you in it. All it does is slightly slow down Samus's running speed and even more slightly hinder her jump. Not all the non hazardous liquid may be water though, as some of it doesn't slow Samus down at all, basically being there for aesthetic reasons.

* ''VideoGame/XCOMTerrorFromTheDeep'': Every unit in an underwater mission walks on the sea bed, except for Tentaculats and Hallucinoids.

** In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS5E20TheBoyWhoKnewTooMuch The Boy Who Knew Too Much]]", Principal Skinner is a ImplacableMan who chases Bart after he skipped school. One scene features him crossing a river by apparently walking along the bed in reference to ''Film/{{Westworld}}''.

* Referenced in ''Anime/GhostInTheShell1995'' with regard to the Major's hobby of SCUBA diving. Batou comments that he's never heard of a diving cyborg before, and for good reason: a buoyancy compensator failure would result in guaranteed death. Cybernetic bodies are far too heavy to permit unassisted swimming at all, and a cyborg stuck on the bottom thus would run out of oxygen long before he/she would be able to walk back to shore.
* Ikaros did this in ''Manga/HeavensLostProperty'', as she doesn't need to breathe and her body is too dense to float.
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'': A division of Kabuto and Tobi's army of zombies and Zetsu clones reached a beach by walking along the seabed (at least in the anime).
* Zelgadis in ''Literature/{{Slayers}}'' is [[HalfHumanHybrid partially golem]], which makes him too heavy to swim. That gives him one option if he falls into water.

* Salvatore Doni does this after his first fight with Godou in the novels for ''{{Literature/Campione}}''. His [[MadeOfIron Man of Steel]] Authority renders him practically invulnerable but also causes his weight and density to increase in proportion to the damage it is defending against. When fighting out on a lake Godou manages to hit Doni with [[ThePowerOfTheSun the White Stallion]]. Cue Doni sinking straight to the bottom. He is unharmed but considers Godou the victor since it took Doni until the next morning to get to the shore, taking him out of the fight.
* Seen in the ''Anime/AllPurposeCulturalCatGirlNukuNuku'' [=OAVs=] when Nuku goes to the beach. After she dives into the ocean, she sinks right to the bottom. Being a robot, she doesn't breathe, so it doesn't hurt her, but she's rather embarrassed.

* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'': In ''[[ComicBook/TheDeathOfSuperman The Return of Superman]]'', a powerless Superman traveled from the Antarctic by riding inside a giant Kryptonian battle-robot, who walked along the sea bottom.
* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman'' [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 Vol 1]]: The skeletal form of the long dead Amazon Artemis reanimated by Circe walks the ocean floor to rise eerily from the water and she comes ashore of Paradise Island looking for revenge.

** This is the ComicBook/{{Juggernaut|MarvelComics}}'s default way of crossing water. One of the most famous examples of this was after his first battle with ComicBook/SpiderMan in ''[[ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderMan1963 Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut!]]'', which left the Juggernaut buried in concrete - he simply tunneled his way into the Hudson River and walked out to sea.
** ComicBook/{{Colossus}} would do this too, as his "organic steel" body doesn't need to breathe. As he walked away from a plane crash on one occasion, things got troublesome when the island the team was headed to [[DePowerZone disabled all mutant powers]]...

[[folder:Film – Live Action]]
* ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'':
** In ''[[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl The Curse of the Black Pearl]]'', the undead pirates walk along the ocean floor to reach Commodore Norrington's ships undetected. Earlier in the film, Jack and Will commandeer a skiff, turn it upside down and trap air inside it, and walk along the bottom of the harbor.
--->'''Will:''' This is either madness, or brilliance!\\
'''Cpt. Jack Sparrow:''' It's remarkable how often those two tend to coincide.
** In ''[[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMansChest Dead Man's Chest]]'', the [[FishPeople crew]] of the ''Flying Dutchman'' walk from their submerged ship to the shore of Isla Cruces.
** A version in ''[[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMenTellNoTales Dead Men Tell No Tales]]'': Captain Salazar and his crew run ''across'' the water, not underneath it, to reach Jack, Henry, and Carina.

* Early in ''Film/{{Highlander}}'', Connor is thrown into a lake by Ramirez. Connor can't swim, but can't die, either, so this happens - though the series proceeded to change the rules and make this impossible later on.

* [[RidiculouslyHumanRobot Data]] does this in ''Film/StarTrekInsurrection'', although it later turns out that he also has an optional floatation device - an apparent upgrade since the TV series.
* Apparently, a deleted scene from ''Film/FridayThe13thPartVIIIJasonTakesManhattan'' would've shown Jason doing this.
* All the Jaegers in ''Film/PacificRim'', on account of being way too heavy to swim even with a humanoid design. In the final battle, they walk on the ocean floor to get to the Breach.
* In the ''Film/MortalEngines'' movie, [[ArtificialZombie Shrike]] walks ashore from the sunken wreckage of [[TheAlcatraz Sharkmoor]] after Valentine torpeedos it to allow his escape.
* The titular character of ''Film/AlitaBattleAngel'' does this in the scene when she finds the Berserker armour; partly because [[RobotGirl she doesn't need to breathe]], partly because the body she's in is too dense, and probably partly because she doesn't even know ''how'' to swim.
* ''Film/JuanOfTheDead'': Juan catches up to Lázaro and Sara while they are trying to flee zombie-infested Cuba on a raft. While he is talking to Lázaro, Sara disappears into the water. They notice she is gone and when look under the water, they see a vast horde of zombies walking along the seabed.

* ''Literature/DemonsOfTheDeep'' have your character being forced to WalkThePlank by a band of pirates, into the depths of the ocean. But you unexpectedly land in a magic circle in Atlantis, gaining the ability to breathe underwater, at which point you spend the rest of the adventure walking on the seabed exploring Atlantis while trying to locate the pirates for your revenge. It's worth noting that breaking surface at any point of the book dispels the magic, however.

** Golems, being automata, can do this. When BoxedCrook Moist von Lipwig is assigned one as his parole officer in ''Literature/GoingPostal'', he is reminded that even fleeing to a different continent would not help him, as it would be able to walk any body of water [[ImplacableMan eventually]]. In addition, said parole officer previously spent several decades at the bottom of a well manning a pump, and another golem spent several ''thousand years'' at the bottom of the ocean before it was recovered, but neither of them did much walking in that time.
** Zombies do the same, as Windle Poons just walks ashore after attempting to drown himself in ''Literature/ReaperMan'', and Reg Shoe contemplates walking all the way back to Ankh-Morpork along the bottom of the sea if their ship is sunk in ''Literature/{{Jingo}}''.
** When Big Jim Beef, Lancre's troll border guard, gets pushed into Lancre River in ''Literature/LordsAndLadies'', Ridcully says he'll just do this. Unlike golems and zombies, trolls probably ''do'' need to breathe, so he probably couldn't do it for something much wider than a river.
** Although never actually mentioned in the books, WordOfGod has it that troll ducks do this. (And indeed, that troll ducks are even a thing.)
* Creator/LarryNiven and Steven Barnes' novel ''Literature/DreamPark''. When the party escapes pursuing zombies by taking a small boat, the zombies walk into the water after them. The players forget that zombies don't need to breathe, and the zombies walk along the bottom and eventually grab one of the party members and drag her underwater.
* Mentioned in both ''Literature/TheZombieSurvivalGuide'' and ''Literature/WorldWarZ'' as a reason to be careful around water during a zombie outbreak. It's also a reason to be vigilant after an outbreak, because you never know when a zombie might stumble out of the ocean and spark a new infection. However, he also stated the best place to be is on a boat. Doesn't matter if the zombies may be covering the ocean's floor--as long as the water is deep enough, they cannot reach you.
* In ''[[Literature/CiaphasCain Caves of Ice]]'', a force of Necrons manage to wade through several levels worth of caves (of ice, naturally) that have been flooded with pure promethium (basically super-gasoline). This does not help them ''in the slightest'' when it [[StuffBlowingUp explodes]].
* Literature/{{Dortmunder}} and Kelp plan to do this in an attempt to retrieve a cache of stolen cash from under a lake in ''Drowned Hopes'' by Creator/DonaldWestlake. It fails as they discover the inherent buoyancy of the human body.

* The Glass Cat from the Literature/LandOfOz books has been known to do that.
* [[ArtificialZombie Shrike]] from ''Literature/MortalEngines'' walks across the ocean floor of the Sea of Khazak while persuing Hester Shaw to the Black Island.

* One ''Series/TerminatorTheSarahConnorChronicles'' episode revealed that terminators are too dense to swim. It's not as much of a WeaksauceWeakness as it seems, because it's only useful if the terminator doesn't have a gun ''and'' you are near deep water, and even then you only gain the time it takes for the terminator to sink to the bottom and walk out.
* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': In "Descent: Part II", Geordi tries to get through to a brainwashed Data by reminiscing about a time when the engineering crew went swimming in a planet's ocean, and Data tried to dive in and join them, whereupon his metal body immediately sank to the bottom and he had to walk several miles back to land. (Evidently this experience encouraged him to do some upgrading; in ''Film/StarTrekInsurrection'' he's able to serve as a "flotation device".)
* The ''Series/{{Mythbusters}}'' tested the ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' / ''Film/TheCrimsonPirate'' example above and found it wouldn't work-- the boat with its pocket of air is just too buoyant.

* Basic ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' adventure [=CM2=] ''Death's Ride''. During the siege of Gollim, a force of undead walk across the bottom of the nearby river and make a surprise attack on the town.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Paranoia}}'' adventure ''Vapors Don't Shoot Back''. When the {{PC}}s fight Black-U-BRD-5 aboard his pirate ship in the reservoir, it's possible for his robots to be knocked overboard. If they're still operational they can walk along the bottom and climb up a shaft back onto the deck.

** For the users of the Land Raider, the SpaceMarines have PoweredArmor that is environmentally sealed and very heavy. Mostly for fighting in vacuum, but they ''could'' do this, provided they don't go deep enough for the pressure to collapse their armor.

* ''VideoGame/{{Alundra 2}}'': You can alternate between this and normal swimming.
* ''VideoGame/AnUntitledStory'': The player character can't swim, but sure is buoyant underwater. Said player character is a flightless bird-like creature (that, sadly, is not a penguin).

* ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaAriaOfSorrow'' and ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaDawnOfSorrow'': Soma Cruz does the same thing until he gets the ability to play this trope partially straight - like the VideoGame/SonicColors example, he and some other ''Castlevania'' protagonists can double-jump infinitely in water.

* ''VideoGame/Commando2'' have stages in the Mekong River, where after diving you then literally ''walk'' in the depths of the river, while ambushing Japanese soldiers by leaping on their boats. You do have an oxygen meter that depletes while onscreen though.

* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' has a few occurrences of this, with [[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989 Atlantica]] in ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsChainOfMemories Chain of Memories]]'' and parts of [[WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}} Prankster's Paradise]] in ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHearts3DDreamDropDistance Dream Drop Distance]]''. From a story perspective, this makes sense, given the natures of Castle Oblivion and the Sleeping Worlds - Sora is travelling through a recreated memory in the former and a dream of the latter. From a gameplay perspective, Atlantica's [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI sole visit]] that ''didn't'' use this trope and had actual combat did not have the most stellar reception.

* Link in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'', ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'' and ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'', when wearing the Iron Boots. This is also an ability of Zora Link in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask''. Zora Link is perfectly capable of traditional swimming; walking underwater is purely optional.
* ''VideoGame/LostPlanet'' ''2'': Every level with a focus on water is this trope incarnate. Players, AI teammates, enemy soldiers, [[HumongousMecha Vital Suits]], and land-based [[StarfishAliens Akrid]] all walk along the sea floor and use weaponry completely unhindered. No oxygen meter, no speed penalty, no weapon usage restrictions, just a slightly blurry view, muffled noises, and a slower falling speed. The only real gameplay change between water and land based levels is the ability to "swim", which has the player swim slightly forward after pressing the jump button in mid-air (er... mid-water). Outside of water levels, water acts as either decoration that can be walked through without any gameplay changes, or as an instakill hazard meant to keep players on their toes[[note]] Said water hazards tend to be lethal due to rapid currents that sweep players away or schools of deadly [[PiranhaProblem Piranha-like aquatic Akrid]] that kill you on contact[[/note]].
* ''VideoGame/{{Mega Man|Classic}}'', because he's a robot, natch. He did learn to swim for ''VideoGame/MegaMan8''.
** ''VideoGame/MegaManZX'' has the main characters, when in their 'base' forms (without Biometal) float up to the surface of the water. Certain specific Megamerges and forms can swim, but otherwise, this trope is played straight.
* ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'': Snake, in the first game and in its remake, The Twin Snakes.
** In the second game, there is a swimming section where you have to manually open a couple doors. If you stop before opening the door you can walk around on the floor, albeit very slowly.

* ''VideoGame/OrientalLegend'' have the second stage in the Heavenly River, where your characters walks in the river's depths instead of swimming. Even players who use Sun Wukong, who in the novels have water as his WeaksauceWeakness, can stroll underwater while fighting enemies freely.

* ''VideoGame/TheSecretOfMonkeyIsland'': Guybrush is tossed in the sea tied to an idol, and is able to walk around at the bottom. He can also do this in [[VideoGame/MonkeyIsland2LeChucksRevenge the sequel]] when investigating a sunken ship, in ''VideoGame/TheCurseOfMonkeyIsland'' (as an EasterEgg), in ''VideoGame/EscapeFromMonkeyIsland'' while searching for a treasure hoard under a lake, and in ''VideoGame/TalesOfMonkeyIsland''.

* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'':
** Sonic the Hedgehog can't swim at all--developer Yuji Naka initially gave him this limitation under the mistaken belief that real-life hedgehogs couldn't swim. So, depending on the game, Sonic either runs underwater or has SuperDrowningSkills. He can however, run on the top of the water if he's going fast enough.

** In ''VideoGame/SonicColors'', Sonic finally learns to swim... sort of. He still sinks like a rock and runs underwater, but he's capable of {{Double Jump}}ing infinitely while underwater, which is basically swimming in all but name. He loses it in ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'' despite it taking place not long after Colours. The Wisps might be involved in that infinite double jump - except for the white wisps they DO allow him to breathe underwater (and Frenzy moves much quicker when underwater compared to on dry land, to boot!) The yellow Wisp also turns him into a tornado underwater, giving him basically complete manoeuvrability.

* ''Videogame/ToyStory2'': Justified with Buzz Lightyear being able to walk at the bottom of a swimming pool full of water in Andy's Neighborhood, since he's a toy and therefore does not need to breathe.
* ''VideoGame/{{Trine}}'': The Knight is the only protagonist who walks underwater instead of swimming. Not too surprising, what with being clad in full suit of plate armor.

* ''[[VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft World of Warcraft: Cataclysm]]'' has this option in the new Vashj'ir zone as part of a swim speed/underwater breathing buff, along with similar mechanics added into the old zones.

[[folder:Visual Novel]]

* The opening of ''Webcomic/LastBlood'' has a zombified nazi who was buried at sea walking out onto a beach to begin the outbreak.

* The Robot gets around the in ''Webcomic/{{Tellurion}}'' archipelago a lot this way. It forgets this at first when a guy becomes a companion. The solution to keep the guy along is to make a small raft and tie it off to the Robot's waist.
* In ''Webcomic/YetAnotherFantasyGamerComic'' the Lich and his minions do this, complete with the page quote and pirate regalia, rather than ride in boats with the rest of the characters. They do arrive later that everyone else but show up at the battle at a very crucial time while making an impressive arrival marching out of the ocean and catching the enemy by surprise.

[[folder:Web Original]]
* In ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'', Grif wants to get to England, but can't swim. Good thing he's wearing SpaceMarine PoweredArmor, so he can walk the English Channel as [[{{Gasshole}} "a farting submarine"]].
[[/folder]]

** In the episode "Serpent's Pass" of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', the Gaang go underwater in a giant air pocket to cross a gap in the Serpent's Pass. It would have worked, too, if not for the [[AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever giant serpent]].
** Done the same way in the SequelSeries ''WesternAnimation/LegendOfKorra'' when Korra and Mako [[spoiler: infiltrate the Equalists' rally]] in the Book 1 finale.

* The ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' short ''[[WesternAnimation/WagonHeels Wagon Heels]]'' has Injun Joe crossing a river this way. For comedic effect, he suddenly emerges on the other side the second his head submerges.
* In ''WesternAnimation/MightyMax'' this is how Skullmaster's army of soulless ones get around.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''
** In "Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder", Homer gets pulled out to sea by a rip tide and can't swim back. He tries to sink to the bottom and walk back, but gets exhausted after a few steps.
** In "The Boy Who Knew Too Much", Principal Skinner is a ImplacableMan who chases Bart after he skipped school. One scene features him crossing a river by apparently walking along the bed in reference to ''Film/{{Westworld}}''.

** In "Keystone Motel", Ruby angrily paces on the bottom of a swimming pool, giving off [[BurningWithAnger extreme heat]] that ends up boiling the whole pool dry.
** At the end of "Crack the Whip", Jasper [[VillainExitStageLeft makes her exit]] via the shore, slowly sinking into the water as she goes out, in a way that suggests she's walking along the bottom.

* In ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries,'' Metallo is seen doing this after apparently sinking to his doom.

* The episode "[[Recap/TransformersPrimeS2E13Triangulation Triangulation]]" of ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'' is set in the Antarctic and involves Starscream getting a set of PoweredArmor that made him nearly invulnerable. However, due to the loss of his T-Cog, he was unable to fly, so [[EnemyMine Optimus and Dreadwing]] simply blew the ice out from under him to send him underwater. But since Starscream doesn't need to breathe (and the armor itself seems to be airtight since there's no sign of water leaking inside), he's seen wading along the seafloor at the end of the episode.
* In ''WesternAnimation/XMenTheAnimatedSeries'', when TheJuggernaut meets [[CaptainErsatz/ComicBooks The Gladiator]], his [[TheWorfEffect one punching of him into the horizon]] led the X-Men to a collective OhCrap moment. The Juggernaut landed in the middle of the ocean, where he sank to the bottom. He looked around, wasn't any worse for the wear, so he just started walking in a direction, bound for land at one point or another.

* This is what tanks do to tread water barriers. One of the reasons Germany had an edge over Soviet Union during the beginning of [=WW2=] was that the Soviets wanted their light tanks to swim, rendering them too lightly armored to be of any use, while Germans made their tanks able to go underwater with snorkels and thus able to cross most rivers while retaining their combat capabilities.
** This approach was rather less successful when they initially attempted to use it to cross ''The English Channel''.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Paranoia}}'' adventure ''Vapors Don't Shoot Back''. When the {{PC}}s fight Black-U-BRD-5 aboard his pirate ship in the reservoir, it's possible for his robots to be knocked overboard. If they're still operational they can walk along the bottom and climb up a shaft back onto the deck.

* As HumongousMecha, [=BattleMechs=] in ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'' will usually do this upon entering water deep enough for them to even worry about. This still leaves them as one of only two unit types that can move underwater by default at all (the other being, quite naturally, submarines). A rare few of them actually avert the trope by virtue of mounting "[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin underwater movement units]]", basically ducted fans that actually do allow them to "swim" while fully submerged, but since those systems turn into dead weight on land where most combat happens they remain exotic specialists.
* In the backstory of the default scenario of ''TabletopGame/{{OGRE}}'', this is how the eponymous cybertank sneaked onto the playing area, and (should it survive with any treads remaining) how it gets away. The defenders incorrectly thought the river was impassible to armored hostiles.

* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'': In ''[[ComicBook/TheDeathOfSuperman The Return of Superman]]'', a powerless Franchise/{{Superman}} traveled from the Antarctic by riding inside a giant Kryptonian battle-robot, who walked along the sea bottom.
* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman'' [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 Vol 1]]: The skeletal form of the long dead Amazon Artemis reanimated by ComicBook/{{Circe}} walks the ocean floor to rise eerily from the water and she comes ashore of Paradise Island looking for revenge.

* ''Comicbook/XMen'': This is the ComicBook/{{Juggernaut|MarvelComics}}'s default way of crossing water. One of the most famous examples of this was after his first battle with ComicBook/SpiderMan in ''Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut!'', which left the Juggernaut buried in concrete - he simply tunneled his way into the Hudson River and walked out to sea.
** ComicBook/{{Colossus}} would do this too, as his "organic steel" body doesn't need to breathe. As he walked away from a plane crash on one occasion, things got troublesome when the island the team was headed to [[DePowerZone disabled all mutant powers]]...
* ''Comicbook/AstroCity'': Steeljack, being an 800-pound man of living steel, does this whenever he gets into water. By the time of "Things Past", he's using this ability [[MundaneUtility to do salvage runs in the river for the city]].
* ''Comicbook/{{Concrete}}'': Ron Lithgow, the title character, has noted that if he fell into a deep and large body of water, he would sink to the bottom without a big flotation device and/or special swimming equipment and his only chance of survival would be to walk on the bottom to a shallow area within an hour before he drowns.

* In ''Comicbook/XMen'', this is Juggernaut's default way of crossing water. One of the most famous examples of this was after his first battle with Franchise/SpiderMan, which left the Juggernaut buried in concrete - he simply tunneled his way into the Hudson River and walked out to sea.
** [[ChromeChampion Colossus]] would do this too, as his "organic steel" body doesn't need to breathe. As he walked away from a plane crash on one occasion, things got troublesome when the island the team was headed to [[DePowerZone disabled all mutant powers]]...

* In ''Comicbook/{{Concrete}}'', Ron Lithgow, the title character has noted that if he fell into a deep and large body of water, he would sink to the bottom without a big flotation device and/or special swimming equipment and his only chance of survival would be to walk on the bottom to a shallow area within an hour before he drowns.
* In ''[[ComicBook/TheDeathOfSuperman The Return of Superman]]'', a powerless Franchise/{{Superman}} traveled from the Antarctic by riding inside a giant Kryptonian battle-robot, who walked along the sea bottom.
* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'' [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 Vol 1]]: The skeletal form of the long dead Amazon Artemis reanimated by ComicBook/{{Circe}} walks the ocean floor to rise eerily from the water and she comes ashore of Paradise Island looking for revenge.

* In the ''Comicbook/AstroCity'' "Tarnished Angel" story arc, the ReformedButRejected ChromeChampion Steeljack [[spoiler:escapes from a prison helicopter and]] falls into the river. He manages to hyperventilate himself and walks across the riverbed to shore.

[[caption-width-right:275:[[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989 It's better down where it's wetter]].]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid'': In "Double Bubble", there are two twin merbabies who crawl along the seafloor in the most improbable way, by dragging their tail. They're congratulated later when they take their "first swim".

* ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' players may choose to do this when crossing shallow water, only coming up to breathe when their [[OxygenMeter air]] runs out, as a way to save the hunger cost of swimming. Works even better with a Respiration-enchanted helmet. Inverted at the same time with many non-aquatic mobs who constantly swim up when in water, even enemies that would benefit from sinking to reach a diving player. Undead mobs still play this trope straight.

* Zelgadis in ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}'' is [[HalfHumanHybrid partially golem]], which makes him too heavy to swim. That gives him one option if he falls into water.

* Salvatore Doni does this after his first fight with Godou in the novels for ''{{LightNovel/Campione}}''. His [[MadeOfIron Man of Steel]] Authority renders him practically invulnerable but also causes his weight and density to increase in proportion to the damage it is defending against. When fighting out on a lake Godou manages to hit Doni with [[ThePowerOfTheSun the White Stallion]]. Cue Doni sinking straight to the bottom. He is unharmed but considers Godou the victor since it took Doni until the next morning to get to the shore, taking him out of the fight.

* In a level of ''[[VideoGame/{{Gobliiins}} Gobliins 2]]'', protagonists Fingus and Winkle go down a well and have to go through an underwater cave that is connected to the sea. They wear scuba gear, but keep walking on the bottom without ever trying to swim.
* Among the many feats of badassitude of ''Franchise/StreetFighter'''s Akuma is the ability to walk unfazed along the bottom of the ocean. Which he then jumps off of and splits the sunken ship he was standing on in two with his feet.
* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'':
** Sonic the Hedgehog can't swim at all--developer Yuji Naka initially gave him this limitation under the mistaken belief that real-life hedgehogs couldn't swim. So, depending on the game, Sonic either runs underwater or has SuperDrowningSkills. He can however, run on the top of the water if he's going fast enough.
** The other characters walk along the bottom too but many of them have abilities that let them swim temporarily.
** In 2D Sonic games since ''[[VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles Sonic 3]]'', Tails can swim (as a rough analogue to his ability to fly above water). However he tires fast and then sinks.
** Knuckles can "glide" underwater in ''VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles'' and in the ''VideoGame/SonicAdvance'' games this becomes a swim analogue like Tails' flying. The ''Sonic Advance'' series also gives Knuckles the ability to swim along the top of the water. In ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2'' he can swim freely and even gets a power-up that let's him breath underwater.
** In ''VideoGame/SonicColors'', Sonic finally learns to swim... sort of. He still sinks like a rock and runs underwater, but he's capable of {{Double Jump}}ing infinitely while underwater, which is basically swimming in all but name. He loses it in ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'' despite it taking place not long after Colours. The Wisps might be involved in that infinite double jump - except for the white wisps they DO allow him to breathe underwater (and Frenzy moves much quicker when underwater compared to on dry land, to boot!) The yellow Wisp also turns him into a tornado underwater, giving him basically complete manoeuvrability.
** Extends to ''VideoGame/MarioAndSonicAtTheOlympicGames'' in the swimming events: Other Sonic characters can swim but Sonic has to wear a life jacket and looks like he's trying to run through the water.

* Soma Cruz from ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaAriaOfSorrow'' and ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaDawnOfSorrow'' does the same thing until he gets the ability to play this trope partially straight - like the VideoGame/SonicColors example above, he and some other ''Castlevania'' protagonists can double-jump infinitely in water.
* ''VideoGame/Commando2'' have stages in the Mekong River, where after diving you then literally ''walk'' in the depths of the river, while ambushing Japanese soldiers by leaping on their boats. You do have an oxygen meter that depletes while onscreen though.
* Played straight in ''VideoGame/{{Terraria}}''. Though there are items in the game that allow you to swim.
* The protagonist of ''VideoGame/CaveStory'' and Curly Brace are unable to swim underwater, or even jump higher than one block, except when swept along by a current, in which they can move in any direction.
* Subject Delta in ''VideoGame/BioShock2'', like the other Big Daddy units in the series, is fused into his armored diving suit, and is thus too heavy to swim but perfectly capable of tromping around the sea floor indefinitely. You get to do this at several points throughout the game as {{Breather Level}}s between shootouts.
* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'':
** Mario in ''VideoGame/SuperMario64'' when he has the metal suit power up.
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosTheLostLevels'' featured Koopas that can walk underwater.
* Link in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'', ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'' and ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'', when wearing the Iron Boots. This is also an ability of Zora Link in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask''. Zora Link is perfectly capable of traditional swimming; walking underwater is purely optional.

* In ''VideoGame/TheSecretOfMonkeyIsland'', Guybrush is tossed in the sea tied to an idol, and is able to walk around at the bottom. He can also do this in [[VideoGame/MonkeyIsland2LeChucksRevenge the sequel]] when investigating a sunken ship, in ''VideoGame/TheCurseOfMonkeyIsland'' (as an EasterEgg), in ''VideoGame/EscapeFromMonkeyIsland'' while searching for a treasure hoard under a lake, and in ''VideoGame/TalesOfMonkeyIsland''.
* Snake, in the first ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' and in its remake, The Twin Snakes.
** In the second game, there is a swimming section where you have to manually open a couple doors. If you stop before opening the door you can walk around on the floor, albeit very slowly.
* ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'':
** Master Chief, when jumping into the coolant pools during the "Keyes" sequence in ''VideoGame/HaloCombatEvolved''. Or if you drive into the ocean on the beach level (no reason to, but hey, you can do it). Justified, as the MJOLNIR armor is stated to weigh close to half a ton. The same mechanic is shown in cutscene form in ''VideoGame/{{Halo 2}}'', in which MC jumps into Delta Halo's "ocean" to avoid a Covenant plasma attack and goes straight to the bottom.
** Ironically averted with his ragdoll in ''VideoGame/{{Halo 3}}''. Nothing like watching more than a half ton of meat and titanium float down the river. Played straight in the actual gameplay (when Master Chief is alive). Jumping into deep water make you sink and [[SuperDrowningSkills kills you instantly]] (likely for gameplay reasons; Master Chief should be able to survive it, but since there's no actual way to get yourself out of the deep body of water, you just die). There are some places where the water is deep enough to immerse yourself, but not deep enough to kill you. It can make for handy cover.
* ''VideoGame/{{Creatures}}'' who wind up in water in the latter two games in the main trilogy will typically wander around on the bottom until they drown, although there are [[GameMod third-party objects]] available that will allow certain creatures to swim.
* The player character in ''VideoGame/AnUntitledStory'' can't swim, but sure is buoyant underwater. Said player character is a flightless bird-like creature (that, sadly, is not a penguin).
* In ''VideoGame/NetHack'' you can walk across the bottom of water if you're wearing an [[SuperNotDrowningSkills amulet of magical breathing]]. However, each turn spent underwater has a chance of rusting your iron equipment, diluting your potions, and erasing your scrolls via washing out their ink (unless you [[spoiler:store all that stuff in an oilskin bag]]); plus, the water current pushes you around. Since there's multiple other ways of crossing water, this is usually reserved as a last resort.
* In ''VideoGame/SpaceStationSiliconValley'', some of the animals you take control of do this.
* You can alternate between this and normal swimming in ''VideoGame/{{Alundra 2}}''.
* Things with a [NOBREATHE] tag in ''VideoGame/DwarfFortress'' walk around on the bottom of water-filled areas with a speed penalty instead of swimming. In Adventure Mode, you can choose to wade through water below a certain depth, but have to swim if a z-level is filled with water to the top.
* In ''VideoGame/BattleForWesnoth'', skeletons are the only non-flying, non-swimming unit to be able to enter Deep Water terrain, though only slowly and with very poor dodge rates. They also have the "submerge" special ability, which makes them difficult to see when they are in deep water.
* In ''VideoGame/XCOMTerrorFromTheDeep'', every unit in an underwater mission walks on the sea bed, except for Tentaculats and Hallucinoids.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Trine}}'', the Knight is the only protagonist who walks underwater instead of swimming. Not too surprising, what with being clad in full suit of plate armor.
* ''VideoGame/WarriorKings'' has two super units, the Archangel and Abbaddon, doing this.
* ''[[VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft World of Warcraft: Cataclysm]]'' has this option in the new Vashj'ir zone as part of a swim speed/underwater breathing buff, along with similar mechanics added into the old zones.
* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' has a few occurrences of this, with [[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989 Atlantica]] in ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsChainOfMemories Chain of Memories]]'' and parts of [[WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}} Prankster's Paradise]] in ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHearts3DDreamDropDistance Dream Drop Distance]]''. From a story perspective, this makes sense, given the natures of Castle Oblivion and the Sleeping Worlds - Sora is travelling through a recreated memory in the former and a dream of the latter. From a gameplay perspective, Atlantica's [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI sole visit]] that ''didn't'' use this trope and had actual combat did not have the most stellar reception.
* An entire ''army'' pulled this off in ''[[Literature/TheElderScrollsInUniverseBooks 2920: The Last Year of the First Era]]''. A group of mages helped them breathe underwater and bypass Dunmer defenses to sack a city.
* ''VideoGame/OrientalLegend'' have the second stage in the Heavenly River, where your characters walks in the river's depths instead of swimming. Even players who use Sun Wukong, who in the novels have water as his WeaksauceWeakness, can stroll underwater while fighting enemies freely.
* The commanders from ''VideoGame/PlanetaryAnnihilation'' do this, while all your buildings are constructed on little rafts while on water.

* ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}}'': In the Test of Time fantasy map, most units that can travel to the undersea map appear to do this.

* In ''VideoGame/Fallout4'', any character wearing [[PoweredArmor Power Armor]] will walk underwater instead of swimming. The good news is that the armor's helmet will let you breathe for quite a while, the bad news is that all the water in the Commonwealth is heavily irradiated, so even with the armor's rad resistance, you won't want to take too long a bath unless you've picked up the Aquaboy/Aquagirl perk and thus no longer take radiation from being in water.
* In ''VideoGame/LostPlanet'' ''2'', Every level with a focus on water is this trope incarnate. Players, AI teammates, enemy soldiers, [[HumongousMecha Vital Suits]], and land-based [[StarfishAliens Akrid]] all walk along the sea floor and use weaponry completely unhindered. No oxygen meter, no speed penalty, no weapon usage restrictions, just a slightly blurry view, muffled noises, and a slower falling speed. The only real gameplay change between water and land based levels is the ability to "swim", which has the player swim slightly forward after pressing the jump button in mid-air (er... mid-water). Outside of water levels, water acts as either decoration that can be walked through without any gameplay changes, or as an instakill hazard meant to keep players on their toes[[note]] Said water hazards tend to be lethal due to rapid currents that sweep players away or schools of deadly [[PiranhaProblem Piranha-like aquatic Akrid]] that kill you on contact[[/note]].
* In ''VideoGame/RavenswordShadowlands'', potentially as a result of an oversight, if you jump into a body of water while being attacked and the enemies follow you, then instead of them swimming, they will just keep walking at the bottom.
* In ''VideoGame/LegacyOfKainDefiance'', the Earth Reaver gives you the ability to walk underwater and perform the same actions you can on land, only slower. This is necessary to solve some of the puzzles, like those that involve pulling and pushing blocks underwater.
* ''VideoGame/Left4Dead'' generally lacks water and whatever bodies of water you do find are usually ankle to knee deep and slows you down when walking through it. Some custom maps can feature water that is deep enough to submerge you fully and you just walk on the bottom rather than swim. The sequel uses the same properties.
* In the [[UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis Genesis]] version of ''VideoGame/{{Ristar}}'', the titular shooting star is able to swim underwater. In the UsefulNotes/GameGear version, Ristar cannot swim underwater, but fortunately, he retains his SuperNotDrowningSkills.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Primal}}'', while main character Jen swims in three dimensions in her Undine form, her sidekick and second playable character Scree, a living gargoyle, does not. It's even lampshaded in dialogue that he will "simply sink to the bottom and walk."
* ''VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSinII'': In dialogue, Fane the [[DemBones Undead]] claims to need a ship off the island PenalColony in Act I only because it would take too long to walk along the seabed to the mainland. [[GameplayAndStorySegregation In gameplay]], water bodies block his movement like anyone else, even when it would be a shortcut across the Act's main BrokenBridge.
* {{Justified|Trope}} to a dark degree in ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' with [[TheJuggernaut Nautilus, the Titan of the Depths]]. Originally [[WasOnceAMan a human deep sea diver]], he was dragged into the abyss by a malevolent force which transformed him into... ''[[HumanoidAbomination something]]'' encased in a warped facsimile of his heavy diving suit. The only way he could return to the surface was by dredging himself across the ocean floor in complete darkness until he could find land -- [[OceanMadness naturally, it made him a little stir-crazy]].
* Also justified in ''Videogame/ToyStory2'' with Buzz Lightyear being able to walk at the bottom of a swimming pool full of water in Andy's Neighborhood, since he's a toy and therefore does not need to breathe.

* The ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' short ''Wagon Heels'' has Injun Joe crossing a river this way. For comedic effect, he suddenly emerges on the other side the second his head submerges.

* Soma Cruz from ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaChroniclesOfSorrow'' does the same thing until he gets the ability to play this trope partially straight - like the VideoGame/SonicColors example above, he and some other ''Castlevania'' protagonists can double-jump infinitely in water.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}'', any character wearing [[PoweredArmor Power Armor]] will walk underwater instead of swimming. The good news is that the armor's helmet will let you breathe for quite a while, the bad news is that all the water in the Commonwealth is heavily irradiated, so even with the armor's rad resistance, you won't want to take too long a bath unless you've picked up the Aquaboy/Aquagirl perk and thus no longer take radiation from being in water.