Underwater exploration guide
Last updated September 29, 2026
Dive Anywhere vs Diving Bell: Choose the Water Route First
Use Dive Anywhere for shallow water, quick access, and a short stealth or loot check. Use the Diving Bell when the route needs deeper, rarer, or longer underwater exploration. Check depth, oxygen, return path, and reward before jumping overboard so a collectible sweep does not become an avoidable lost voyage.
Route decision
Depth → equipment → return
Name the underwater target, estimate depth and oxygen pressure, and confirm whether the route has a visible return point before entering the water.
The target pickup, chest, or clue is confirmed and Edward returns to the Jackdaw with the save or counter state updated.
Entering shallow water with the wrong expectation wastes the dive; entering a deep route without the bell turns one missing item into a full restart.
Player workbench
Depth → equipment → return
The equipment choice is a route choice. Decide what the water asks for before chasing the icon.
- LocateConfirm the nearby map point and a visible return to the Jackdaw.
- DiveUse Dive Anywhere and collect only the named target first.
- VerifyCheck the counter or reward before clearing another icon.
Decision table
Choose from the situation in front of you
| Situation | Decision | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Shallow pickup beside the ship | Dive Anywhere | The route is short and the return remains visible. |
| Deep wreck or long underwater corridor | Diving Bell | The equipment protects the longer oxygen and access route. |
| Unknown icon with no return marker | Map first | A route clue is safer than entering a water space without an exit plan. |
| Counter did not update | Keep the route partial | Confirm pickup, reward, and save state before repeating the dive. |
How to use it
Carry an underwater return note
Record the water area, equipment, target, and return point. That four-part note is enough to resume a partial sweep without repeating every nearby dive.
Recovery path
If the dive ends without proof
Keep the target marked partial and verify the counter or reward from the ship or port. Use Map to confirm the marker and Naval to choose the equipment before entering again.
Open next
Keep the route moving
The target pickup, chest, or clue is confirmed and Edward returns to the Jackdaw with the save or counter state updated.
Common Questions
When should I use Dive Anywhere?
Use it for shallow, short checks where the target and return to the Jackdaw are clear.
When is the Diving Bell necessary?
Use it for deeper or longer underwater routes where oxygen, access, or a safe return would make a surface dive unreliable.
What if the pickup is visible but the counter does not update?
Keep the route partial, confirm the interaction and reward in the save, then revisit the map and access conditions before repeating the whole dive.