The Zelda Tears of the Kingdom shield surfing mechanic is an easy one to miss, but one that's very useful to know, provided you're careful about how you apply it. Link can use shields in TOTK to slide down hills, mountains and slopes, which damages the shield itself but can still be an incredibly quick way to get around - assuming you only want to go downhill. We'll explain all the nuances of shield surfing in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom here, so you can slide your way to victory.
How to go Shield surfing in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom
To start shield surfing in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom, all you have to do is hit the X button to jump, immediately press ZL to activate your shield, and then tap A. If you're standing on a steep enough surface, Link will do a cool skateboarding trick and land on his shield, carrying you all the way downhill.
shield surfing is the key to a certain Zelda Tears of the Kingdom dupe glitch if you're playing pre-1.1.2 Patch - check out the guide to see more, or to find out which dupe glitches do work!
It's worth bearing in mind that shield surfing will gradually wear down your shield until it eventually breaks. Weapon degradation in Tears of the Kingdom is an unavoidable gameplay aspect, so you'll want to make sure you have plenty of spares at hand if you plan to surf around Hyrule all day.
Alternatively, we suggest fusing your shield with a Zonai Sled, Zonai Cart or regular minecart, as that will effectively turn it into a skateboard with a much higher durability and level of control!
Run out of shield space in your cache? You should probably track down a certain maraca-wielding Korok to trade Korok seeds for more room in your inventory. Here's a look at all Hestu locations in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom if you're having trouble pinning him down.
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