Flipperless Adventure

Data Gathered by RickWithAnH

It is not currently possible to beat the game without Flippers.

This page serves to catalog the many different methods and techniques useful for completing dungeons and gathering collectibles without getting the Flippers.

Reaching House of Gales

Discovered by RickWithAnH, Refined by KingOfHeart

Use the Crow south of the House of Gales to perform a damage boost off the ledge and onto the light blue raised section of land Link can walk on without drowning. From the top right portion of this area, use the Ice Rod diagonally to create an iceberg. Position Link just south of that iceberg and, as it it gets close to fully melting, use the Hookshot north to grab on to the dock's stairs.

If Link's positioning was correct, the melting iceberg will give Link some extra height (although not really noticeable) and allow him to get on the dock without falling into the water.

Fake Flippers can alternatively be used, though it is more difficult to execute.

Thieves' Hideout Basement

Discovered by RheaultWnage

There is a small swimming section in the basement of this dungeon that needs to be circumvented.

Get Link on top of either the B1 or B2 walls out of bounds, and move him to so that he's above the corridor in B3 containing the Master Ore.

Either setup will work and the positioning does not need to be precise at all. Slowly inch Link to the right and he should fall down into the unopened corridor leading to the Master Ore. From there, you can simply walk south out the corridor (the wall will not stop you) and pull the switch to lower the water.

Then just back track to where the Thief Girl is being held to continue the dungeon as normal.

Reaching Turtle Rock

Discovered by AJC868

Perform Fake Flippers at either of the these locations:

Afterwards use Animation Storage for easy access to the dungeon.

Swamp Palace

This dungeon cannot be completed without Flippers

There is no known method of getting Link over the gap in the very first room.

Thanks to emulators, we know that the Rising Water Method for activating Fake Flippers does NOT work in Swamp Palace, for whatever reason.

Flippers Treasure Dungeon

Discovered by RickWithAnH

The Flippers Treasure Dungeon is a unique place in the game where you can use the rising water to activate Fake Flippers instead of screen transitions. To actually complete the dungeon and open the chest containing the Silver Rupee, you will need the "Nice" variant of either the Bombs or the Ice Rod.

Start by using thrown bombs to activate the two crystal switches on the right. Afterwards, activate the one on the left and the rising water will automatically give Link Fake Flippers (make sure Link is not standing on a raft when the water rises).

You have two options from here depending on which "Nice" item you brought:

• Nice Bombs: Prime Animation Storage off one of the rafts and use it to jump on the backwards "L" portion of raised ground. Place and pickup a Nice Bomb then throw it over the wall towards the switch in the North-West part of the room. The explosion from the Nice Bomb will just barely reach the switch if thrown as far as possible.
• Nice Ice Rod: Swim around the dungeon until Link gets back on dry land near the chest. Use the Nice Ice Rod to hit the switch through the wall.

Hitting the second switch will raise the water a second time and give you Fake Flippers again. Use Animation Storage one more time to get Link to jump up on the chest, which he can open so long as he's standing on the lower part of it.

Falling in the water will make Link drown and respawn where he was when the water level was raised a second time, allowing you to swim to the dungeon's exit.

Items & Gear

• A common misconception is that you cannot get the Pegasus Boots without first getting the Flippers. This is not true, you can get the Pegasus Boots any time after first bumping into the Shady Guy at Zora's Domain.

• Only 92 Maiamai are currently obtainable, meaning that while you can upgrade all of your items to their Nice equivalents, you cannot get the Great Spin.

• The Bottle initially containing a Letter located east of the House of Gales can be acquired either through Fake Flippers or by using Bomb Boosting to get on the nearby ledge.

• The Bottle acquired from the Bird Lover underneath the bridge is unobtainable, as entering the area underneath the bridge with Fake Flippers will lead to Link drowning/respawning indefinitely.

• The Blue and Red Mail are both currently unobtainable as the Swamp Palace, and by extension Lorule Castle, cannot be entered without Flippers.

Every other Item or piece of Gear, including upgrades, is otherwise currently obtainable without Flippers.

Lost Maiamai

A total of 92 Maiamai can be obtained without Flippers. This is enough to upgrade all inventory items, but not enough to get the Great Spin.

These 7 require Fake Flippers to collect:

• River leading to Witch's Hut
• On wall North-West of Witch's Hut (not submerged)
• Next to bridge with a Bottle underneath
• Near the Letter in a Bottle
• Near the Friendly Hinox's Cave
• Under Waterfall West of Lorule Graveyard
• Near Turtle Rock

These 8 Maiamai cannot be obtained without getting Flippers, as they're submerged in bodies of water where Fake Flippers cannot be activated:

• Near Boomerang & Hookshot Treasure Dungeon
• In cave East of Boomerang & Hookshot Treasure Dungeon
• Small pool East of Fortune-Teller
• South of House of Gales*
• North of Swamp Palace
• South of Zaganaga's Boss Arena
• Near Zora's Domain
• Near where Zora's Domain would be in Lorule

The 85 Maiamai not explicitly mentioned here are all obtained as they would normally be.

*93rd Maiamai

Discovered by floraberry

A trick has been shown to exist that allows Link to swim directly through the shallow ring south of House of Gales.

When used in combination with Fake Flippers this makes it possible to obtain a 93th Maiamai without the Flippers, though it is especially punishing when failed as Link will leave the swimming state.

This trick is not well understood and consistent setups are not yet known. More research is needed.

Below is some of the only footage available:

Heart Pieces

The Heart Piece located in the cave under the waterfall near Zora's Domain is the only Heart Piece in the game that normally requires Flippers to access. Using either Fake Flippers or just Damage Boosting onto the nearby ledge will grant you access to it.

Side Effects

• The Smooth Gem (or the Sold Out sign left when you purchase it) will remain at the Street Merchant's shop so long as you don't ever get the Flippers.
• If you return to Zora's Domain to get the Flippers after Oren is kidnapped, a glitched cutscene will play instead where Oren is invisible and only one Zora Underling is present: