Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom — How to Shield Surf in TotK

The ability to Shield Surf in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is one of the coolest tricks that you can do in the game. It not only increases your movement speed while going down smooth terrain or steep inclines, but it can also let you bypass certain puzzles and tricky areas. Here’s our guide to help you learn how to Shield Surf in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

How to Shield Surf in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

To Shield Surf in TotK, you’ll want to have a shield equipped. Any type of shield will do. Here’s what to do next:

• Link has to be either jumping (i.e., X button) or falling in mid-air.
• As long as Link is in mid-air, hold down the ZL button and quickly press the A button.
• Instead of landing normally on his feet, Link will land on his shield instead. Due to the smoother surface, he’ll be able to zip down steep inclines or hills with ease. I’ve also found that this works when you’re trying to go across snow or ice.

TotK Shield Surf Tips

That’s how you Shield Surf in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. However, we’ve also got some additional tips for you to consider:

• Shield Surf also works on rails. You can grind down a rail as though you’re using a skateboard. This helps, too, in case you don’t want to use Zonai Devices or fiddle around with Ultrahand contraptions. You could just Shield Surf to get across gaps.
  
• The TotK Shield Surf action works in conjunction with some Zonai Devices that give a boost to verticality. Instead of landing on your shield, the device itself will get activated when you press the aforementioned buttons. For instance, applying Fuse on a Spring or Time Bomb will cause the Shield Surf to trigger those devices. This instant burst lets you springboard to the top (i.e., if you want to reach higher ledges or if you need to quickly gain some hang time before doing an aimed shot with your bow).

In any case, the Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Shield Surf mechanic is just one of many facets that you can learn as you explore Hyrule. For more walkthroughs and tricks articles, visit our Zelda: TotK guides hub.