Swimming

Overview

Swimming lets Zois exercise in pools and explore the ocean at beach locations. The feature was not available at launch in March 2025. It arrived in the v0.3.0 update on August 20, 2025, alongside the Island Getaway DLC. Swimming introduced its own skill, pool building in Build Mode, ocean access at beaches, snorkeling with underwater collectibles, and drowning as a potential cause of death.

The v0.3.0 update was one of the largest content patches in early access. Beyond swimming, it also added farming, fishing, gem mining, new vehicles, and the entire Cahaya island region. Swimming and its related activities quickly became fan favorites, giving Zois a meaningful way to develop physical skills while exploring visually rich underwater environments.

Where to Swim

Two primary swimming environments are available in the base game, with a third exclusive to the Island Getaway DLC:

Having a swimming pool at home is the most convenient way to train the Swimming skill, since you can send a Zoi into the water at any time without traveling to a public venue. Home pools also allow you to control the environment with lighting, floaties, and tubes.

Building a Pool

Pools are built in Build Mode under Buildings > Exteriors > Swimming Pool. Two approaches are available:

Pools can be built outdoors in the yard or indoors as part of the house structure. Indoor pools work exactly the same as outdoor ones and allow Zois to swim year-round regardless of weather or season. Building an indoor pool is technically classified as an exterior structure in the build menu, but the game allows it inside enclosed rooms.

Apartment Pool Restrictions

For apartment properties, pools can only be placed on base floors in Lumiere or Dowon Heights buildings. Upper-floor apartments do not support pool construction. If your household lives in an apartment and you want a pool, check whether the lot includes ground-level outdoor space or consider moving to a house lot.

Infinity Pool Technique

Pools in inZOI function similarly to rooms when it comes to wall placement. Builders have discovered that this allows the creation of infinity-edge pools. By placing pool walls at the edge of an elevated terrain or building boundary, the water appears to flow seamlessly over the side. This is not an official feature but a creative exploit of the building system that the community has embraced.

Pool Customization

After placing a pool, several customization options are available in Build Mode:

Pool floaties are located in the build menu underneath the pool ladder option. Scroll through the pool tools section under Exteriors > Swimming Pool to find them. Tubes are especially useful for long pool sessions since they eliminate energy drain entirely.

Swimming Controls

Click a pool and select "Go" to have the Zoi enter the water. At ocean beaches, Zois automatically start swimming when they wade deep enough into the water; no separate interaction is needed. Once in the water, two control methods are available:

Hold Shift while swimming to switch to freestyle stroke. Freestyle is significantly faster than the default stroke but drains energy more quickly. Use freestyle for short bursts when you need to cover distance, then switch back to conserve energy on longer swims.

Pool Activities

While in a pool, Zois can do more than just swim laps. Several interactions are available:

Pool activities contribute to a Zoi's physical well-being and can positively affect their mood. Dancing in water is one of the more effective ways to build a friendship or romantic relationship, since both Zois are relaxed and focused on each other. Pair this with a well-lit pool at night for maximum atmosphere.

Ocean Swimming

At any beach in Bliss Bay or Cahaya, walk a Zoi toward the water and swimming begins automatically once they wade deep enough. No button press or interaction menu is required. Ocean swimming uses the same WASD and point-and-click controls as pool swimming.

The ocean is significantly riskier than a pool. There is no edge to grab onto if energy runs low. Venturing far from shore with depleted energy is dangerous because the Zoi's swimming speed drops as energy drains, making the return trip slower. The further out you go, the more energy you need for the swim back. This creates a real risk calculus: every extra meter from shore increases the energy cost of returning.

Higher Swimming skill levels reduce the energy cost of each stroke and increase base swimming speed, making ocean swimming progressively safer. At higher skill levels, dangerous encounters with sharks become less frequent, though they never disappear entirely in deep water.

Ocean Hazards

The open ocean presents several dangers that pools do not:

Snorkeling

Snorkeling is an ocean activity available at Cahaya. It lets Zois dive beneath the surface to explore coral reefs, encounter marine life, and collect sealife items for profit. This is one of the primary money-making activities available on the island.

To start, visit a snorkeling stand at the beach. One stand is located at Barat Beach on the right side of the Cahaya map, near the middle of the shoreline.

Equipment

Three snorkeling sets are available for rent at the stand:

Rented equipment appears in the Zoi's inventory automatically. With equipment in hand, swim out past the shallows into the Deep Sea area, then select the Zoi and choose either "Practice Snorkeling" (to raise the skill level) or "Start Snorkeling" (to explore and collect items).

Boat Diving

An alternative way to reach snorkeling zones is by boat. Six types of boats are available for rent at dock ticket booths around Cahaya. Look for the blue ticket booth at the end of the dock and select Rent a Ship to choose your vessel. Once on the water, you can drive the boat to a snorkeling zone and have your Zoi climb off the back to dive in. This method saves energy because you do not have to swim all the way from shore, leaving more energy for actual snorkeling. Boats also support family outings, so you can bring multiple Zois along.

Underwater Exploration

The waters around Cahaya contain coral reefs, sea turtles, dolphins, and ancient temples submerged on the sea floor. Snorkeling Zois can observe the marine life and explore these underwater sites. Different parts of the sea are marked on the map, indicating where specific marine life can be found.

The ancient temples may contain treasure chests that can be recovered. As your Swimming skill increases, you gain access to deeper underwater areas with rarer marine life and more valuable collectibles.

While snorkeling, collected sealife items (such as sea urchins, stones, and shells) go directly into the Zoi's inventory. These items can be sold at the Coin Exchange Kiosk located in the Sri Lestari Resort, to the left of the information desk. The kiosk converts collected items into resort coins, which can be redeemed for special resort-themed items that are exclusive to Cahaya and not available anywhere else in the game.

Snorkeling Dangers

The deep water is not safe. Sharks and jellyfish swim in the same areas and can seriously injure or kill a Zoi. The risk increases when venturing into deeper zones with lower Swimming skill levels.

Swimming long distances to reach snorkeling spots drains energy and stamina, so watch the energy need gauge carefully. Running out of energy far from shore while snorkeling carries the same drowning risk as regular ocean swimming. Using a boat to reach the dive zone significantly reduces this risk by conserving your energy for the dive itself.

Swimming Skill

Swimming has its own dedicated skill that was added alongside the feature in v0.3.0. The skill tracks separately from Fitness, though both involve physical activity. Leveling the Swimming skill provides cumulative benefits:

• More efficient swimming with less energy spent per stroke.

• Faster base swimming speed at higher levels, in both pools and open water.

• Reduced danger from ocean threats like sharks and jellyfish.

• Access to more advanced water techniques, including diving at higher tiers.

• Better snorkeling results and the ability to use higher-tier equipment effectively.

• Extended underwater breath time, allowing longer exploration sessions.

• Access to deeper underwater areas with rarer marine life and collectibles.

Children and Aquatic Ability

Young Zois (children) develop a separate skill called "Aquatic Ability" instead of the adult Swimming skill. Aquatic Ability serves as a preparatory skill that trains water confidence and basic movement. When the child Zoi reaches a later life stage, the Aquatic Ability skill transitions into the full Swimming skill. Children can swim in pools just like adults, but their skill progression is tracked under this different name. The underlying mechanics are the same: practice in water builds the skill, and higher levels mean more efficient swimming.

Skill Progression

The Swimming skill progresses through levels as the Zoi spends time in the water. Different activities provide different amounts of skill experience:

Energy Drain and Drowning

Swimming consumes energy steadily. The drain rate depends on the type of swimming (freestyle drains faster than normal strokes) and the Zoi's Swimming skill level (higher skill means less energy per stroke). After approximately 3 in-game hours of continuous swimming, a Zoi is at serious risk of drowning.

As energy depletes, a progression of warning signs appears:

1. Swimming speed drops gradually, making movement sluggish and slow.

2. A warning notification appears on screen indicating low energy.

3. The Zoi begins losing body temperature and vitality as exhaustion sets in.

4. If the Zoi remains in the water with no energy remaining, drowning occurs and the Zoi dies.

Floating on a pool tube is the exception. Tube floating does not drain energy, so a Zoi can relax on a tube indefinitely without drowning risk. Use tubes for extended pool sessions when you want a Zoi to stay in the water for atmosphere or social interactions.

Pre-Swim Preparation

Because swimming drains energy so aggressively, proper preparation before entering the water is critical. Make sure the following needs are fully topped up before any swimming session:

For ocean swimming and snorkeling trips, this preparation is especially important because there is no quick exit. In a pool, you can always grab the edge or climb a ladder. In the ocean, a depleted Zoi must swim all the way back to shore.

Pool vs. Ocean Safety Comparison

Swimming Locations

Underwater Activities

Cahaya's coastal waters contain a rich variety of underwater content:

Collected items can be exchanged at the Sri Lestari Resort Coin Exchange Kiosk for resort coins. These coins unlock special resort-themed items exclusive to Cahaya, including decorations and accessories not available in any other city. Alternatively, collectibles can be sold at regular shops for standard Meow income.

Skill Benefits Summary

Pool Building Guide

Pools are constructed on home lots through Build Mode under the Exterior category. The process involves selecting either a preset design or building custom walls. Here is a step-by-step breakdown:

1. Open Build Mode and navigate to Buildings > Exteriors > Swimming Pool.

2. Choose between a preset pool shape or the custom wall tool.

3. If using custom walls, place points to define the pool boundary. Select wall steepness for each segment (gentle slope, moderate, or steep drop).

4. Close all boundary lines by connecting them back to the starting point. The pool must form a complete closed shape to hold water.

5. Add optional accessories: ladders, lighting, paint, pool floaties, and pool lamps.

6. Adjust the water level if desired (available since the March 2026 update).

7. Exit Build Mode. The pool is ready to use immediately.

To expand an existing pool, you can build another boundary adjacent to it using the same wall length. The two sections will merge into a single connected pool. This technique lets you create L-shaped, T-shaped, or other complex pool layouts.

Tips

• Always place at least one ladder in your pool so Zois can exit quickly when energy gets low.

• Add pool tubes if you want Zois to relax in the pool without drowning risk. Tubes eliminate energy drain entirely.

• For ocean swimming, keep trips short until the Swimming skill is high enough to handle extended time in the water.

• Watch the energy bar carefully. If it drops below half, send the Zoi back to shore or to a pool edge immediately.

• Indoor pools let you swim year-round regardless of weather or season, making them ideal for consistent skill training.

• At Cahaya, start with the Beginner snorkeling set and upgrade once your Swimming skill is higher. Venturing into deep water with low skill and basic gear is a fast way to encounter sharks.

• Sell snorkeling finds at the Coin Exchange Kiosk at Sri Lestari Resort for resort-exclusive items that cannot be obtained anywhere else.

• Rent a boat from the dock ticket booths in Cahaya to reach snorkeling zones without wasting energy on the swim out. This is especially important for longer diving sessions.

• Before any swimming session, make sure your Zoi's energy, hunger, and sleep needs are fully topped up. Entering the water with low needs is the fastest way to drown.

• Use the Practice Holding Breath interaction in pools to build Swimming skill safely before attempting ocean swimming.

• Dance in Water is one of the best relationship-building activities. Have two Zois swim together in a well-lit pool at night for maximum social benefit.

• The March 2026 update added adjustable pool water levels. Experiment with different depths for visual variety in your custom pool designs.