Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl: Where to Get Surf

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Pokemon Shining Pearl players have probably wondered how they can cross large bodies of water to collect items and explore new areas. Approaching the water does nothing, even if players have a Water-type on their current team. This is because Pokemon trainers will first need to collect the Hidden Machine called Surf. In previous Pokemon games, players were required to teach one of their Pokemon Surf to travel across water, but it works differently in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.

In order to use Surf outside of battle via the Poketch HM application, Pokemon players will need to have defeated the fifth Gym Leader of the Sinnoh region, Fantina, from the Hearthome City gym. Upon obtaining her badge, players can use Surf whenever they want by summing a nearby Bibarel for support. However, players will need to physically collect the Surf HM from an NPC first.

Where to Find Surf HM in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

There will be an unmissable Pokemon Diamond and Shining Pearl story-related moment in the middle of the game that will bring players together again with Cynthia, the champion of the Elite Four. She will ask players to visit her grandmother in Celestic Town. The older woman will be close to the town's Pokemon Center, but players will first need to defeat the Galactic Grunt standing in front of the cave in the middle of the town. Upon defeat, she will give players the Surf HM.

How to Use Surf

To use Surf, players should face water and then press the A button. This will put them on top of a Bibarel, and they can freely move through the water. Wild Pokemon will still appear just like they do in the tall grass, and players can also use their fishing rod while surfing, which can be useful for finding some rare Water-type Pokemon of the Sinnoh region.

There are plenty of spots in the early towns and cities of Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl that players should definitely return to so that they can explore any sections closed off by bodies of water that can be surfed on.