Swimming skill

Swimming is the survival skill that measures your ability to move through bodies of water under your own power. Large, rushing rivers like the Jantspyre or the Faldesu require a fair or large amount of skill to cross safely, while more placid waters such as the Arthe Dale swimming hole are much less challenging. Still others are little more than large puddles that only get your feet wet (e.g. the little brook you wade through on your way to and from Wolf Clan). Generally, the strength of the water's current and its depth determine how difficult it is to swim in a certain area. Before taking the plunge, these can be estimated by using the command APPRAISE <DIRECTION> to study the waters in the direction you wish to travel.

Swimming also allows Barbarians to use their Dances while in water.

Your success in swimming in a particular body of water depends on several factors. Besides swimming skill, your Strength, Stamina, encumbrance, armor hindrance, and injuries play a role. Note that in earlier years swimming while encumbered would increase your learning while swimming, but this is no longer the case.

Places to Swim

Thanks to Simu and DRWiki accountholder Nikpack for the list (Oh The Places You Will Go)

Places to Swim in Zoluren

Body of Water	Location	Bottom Cap	Top Cap	Notes
Crossing Sewers	Crossing	0	80	Don't wander into the thug area
Arthe Dale Pool	Zoluren, Arthe Dale	0	60
Goblin Brook	Zoluren, Woodland Path, Brook	0	110
Lost Crossing Sewers	Crossing, Damp Passage, Dark Tunnel	0	50?
Moss Mey Stream	Leth Deriel, Brynn Rill, Stream Bed	15	50
Drainage Ditch	Baerolt's Farmhold	50	150	Open to Premium Subscribers Only. Swimming WITH the current can teach from 0 - 80 ranks
Harbor	Ilaya Taipa	75	200?
Segoltha	Crossing	350?	??

Places to Swim in Therengia

Body of Water	Location	Bottom Cap	Top Cap	Notes
Theren Keep Moat	Therengia, The Keep, Moat	0	unknown
Crocodile Marshes	Therengia, The Marsh, In The Water	15?	80	Check for bloodworms as you travel if you're not wearing armor. Maze Area, find the reeds to get out
Lang Lake	Langenfirth, Lake Gwenalion	20	80
Creek West of Haven	Riverhaven West Wilds, North Creek Bank and Sylvan Glade, Pond	35?	65?
Stream in Frogs	Riverhaven, Pejek Bog, Following A Brook	50	80	Watch out for vipers and serpents
Crocodile Marshes	Throne City, Faldesu Inlet, Shallows	70	250?	Check for bloodworms as you travel if you're not wearing armor. Strong current at NW of area will teach reasonably high
Faldesu	Faldesu River	100	>500
Lang Housing Stream	Langenfirth, Falban Seord'telgi	80	unknown
Throne City Bathhouse	Throne City, The Gilded Atrium, Salt Baths	90	250
Jantspyre River	Therengia, Jantspyre River, In the Water	140	>600
Lake Gwenalion West of Haven	Riverhaven, Gwenalion Lake, East	200	unknown
Creek West of Haven	Riverhaven West Wilds, South Creek Bank	200	unknown
Inlet with River Boas	Throne City, Faldesu Inlet	200	400?
Wharf	Riverhaven, Under Wharfs	40	85
Gwenalion Fens, Lake	Gwenalion Fens, Dried Reed Hummock In the Water	unknown	unknown	Beware of Sinuous Elsralaels
Zaulfang Swamp	Basilisk Area	180+?	??

Places to Swim in Ilithi

Body of Water	Location	Bottom Cap	Top Cap	Notes
Stream in Dragon Priests	Shard, Tanis Belta Gaizen, Stream	0	60?
Stream	Ilithi, Julge Dolen Zaldeni	20?	85 137+	By eels and pards in Ilithi. The east-west route only, i.e. not diving down, is still teaching me at 137. I haven't taken the diving route as last time it killed me (Syllanthis).
Flooded Tunnel	Shard, Whistling Wood, Ice Caves	50	unknown
Sewage Entrance to Undershard	Shard, Deep Currants	120	??	Watch out for crocs and elsraels
Frozen River	Ilithi, Frozen River, Beneath the Ice	> 200	> 600	Undergondola - Be Careful not to drown! (Take a break outside of the river for a minute if you get one of these messages - "You panic suddenly, struggling and swallowing water", "The burning in your chest grows more intense as your life force begins to drain away. You must find air!"
Ash Spring	Ilithi, Fallow Fields. Over the stile and keep heading southwest through the maze until you get to the ash tree.	0	55 67	(Syllanthis).

Places to Swim in Qi'Reshalia

Body of Water	Location	Bottom Cap	Top Cap	Notes
Sand Sprites	Ratha, Sand Sprite Lair	15	100	(Still learning, although slowly at 100) The entrance to sand sprites, and the area inside sand sprites, NOT in ochre laheke
Satha Cavern	Reshalia, Tembat Nai Itan (Near Ratha)	75+	??	Watch out for the merrows.
Eluned's Pool	Ratha, Third Tier, Eluned's Temple	65	>150?	Slows down drastically around 135 ranks. Still will teach at 142. If doing only the first room down can start around 65 ranks. Also see Ratha Swim.
Aesry stream	By town	50	100?	The north-south swim still teaches at 125, and the underwater portion (hole) is much more difficult still.
Aesry lake	By the Temple	unknown	unknown
Aesry cove	Down by the docks (sharks)	80?	>400?	Sharks may ambush you, whether you're bleeding or not. They don't attack if you stay in the shallow areas and don't go into the water beyond the jutting finger of rock.
Aesry Sea Caves	Underwater Areas	>400?	??
Altanen River	M'riss	<150	>220
Forlorn Hope Caverns	M'Riss	unknown	unknown
Seord Fal	Hara'jaal	80	>400

Places to Swim in Forfedhdar

Body of Water	Location	Bottom Cap	Top Cap	Notes
Pool	Empath Guild	?	?
Ford	Sky Road	?	?
Underground Pool	Ain Ghazal	?	?
Pool and Underground River	In Ranger Guild	?	?
Stream	Forest Gryphons	?	?
Underground Lake	Forfedhdar, Abandoned mines	0?	60?
Archer's Ford	Hawstkaal Road, Archer's Ford	50?	>158, <257
Trench in Vile Plague Wraiths	Hrendh Skogar	<55	>55
Liirewsag River	West of Black Goblins	>159	?	Ranger with good bonus (not CAIS) attempted with 159 swimming, no luck.

Quest/Special swimming holes

Body of Water	Location	Bottom Cap	Top Cap	Notes
Estate Holder's Beach	through the meeting portals	unknown	unknown