Is it safe on the surface

[Noah fp]

Im wondering if i just swim on the surface that ill be safe from like the big monsters

[kwong20287]

Yes, unless you bring some with you from below..

[Lee23]

Originally posted by Noahfp Dragon:

Im wondering if i just swim on the surface that ill be safe from like the big monsters

Yes, from stalkers you should be fine.
I have seen Reapers jump out of the water though

[DonJuanDoja]

Yes, I've watched a ghost leviathan do the crappie flop on top of the water.

Think he got some floaters attached accidentally but I wasn't going to go check.

Seen it happen to a Rabbit Ray and it was pretty hilarious too.

[DeFragged]

In general, yes. Just don't go looking for the big monsters and stick to the surface and you should be fine.

That said, over time they MAY come closer to the surface as their AI has them chase fish to eat, patrol their territory, etc.

I've had Reapers breach the surface waters like majestic eel-whales and stay suspended for a few tense seconds.

I may also have been latched onto their heads pounding their skulls into paste with a Prawn suit at the time.

[VLS]

Originally posted by Noahfp Dragon:

Im wondering if i just swim on the surface that ill be safe from like the big monsters

No, if you go to the Reaper area swimming, it wil jump and kill you.

[VLS]

By the way even if you make a bridge out of "base pipes" outside of the water, the reaper leviathan can still jump and catch you on the top of the tubes, they can jump like 8 meters or so, but if you are higher than 3 meters, you are probably safe, but the scary jump is like holly s*.

[Falconhawk]

no its not if you reach the Edge of the map. 2 ghosts will come for you 100% this happen to stop you from going out of the map.

[SternLX]

Originally posted by DonJuanDoja:

Yes, I've watched a ghost leviathan do the crappie flop on top of the water.

Think he got some floaters attached accidentally but I wasn't going to go check.

Seen it happen to a Rabbit Ray and it was pretty hilarious too.

Rofl! Okay I'm totally going to go do that now. Gunna gather as many floaters as I can find and go drop them off at a known Reaper location.

[Frau Blücher]

The first playthrough of subnautica, I swam to the floating island as I didn't have a seamoth yet. night fell, it was the tensest night ever. I was treading water in the middle of the sea, no idea what's below me, little knowledge of the game. I was so happy to see the sun is the following morning.

To answer your question: generally safe, provided you are not over the void or bring anything up with you from the depths, as noted above.

[DrLoboto]

Originally posted by LeeTwentyThree™:

Yes, from stalkers you should be fine.

Really? Stalkers are the only predators I've seen swimming on the surface a lot. Are you sure they won't attack when you're next to them, just because your head is out of the water?

[Flute Seller]

Last time I played Subnautica, a Stalker took advantage of the fact that I'm a coward who only swims in the safe shallows and grassy plateaus, and it followed me back to my lifepod and started jumping up on the roof trying to bite me. It didn't leave until I turned on freecam to see if I could get some nice screenshots which, of course, caused it to immediately stop what it was doing and swim back to the kelp.

[Alkpaz]

My last playthrough I was almost always swimming on the surface, between my air pump (pipes) and my pod (didn't build one until after I got cured.. check cheevos) I did almost a full playthrough without ever using a vehicle except a seaglide, and never died. (I did get nibbled by a river prowler, and crab squid, as well as being slashed by a warper) Surface swimming is safe, unless you dive and attract preds.