How to Play Surf And Rescue
This walkthrough consolidates the developer's official tips with the UI values observed in real gameplay footage. Every number below carries its check date (September 26, 2026); anything not yet observed is labeled as unknown instead of guessed.
The loop: dig → wash → upgrade → repeat
- Find a digging spot. Buried sea pets sit on beaches marked by a sad-face emoji. Walk up and press E — the game shows a "Player Dig Help" prompt where friends can join the dig.
- Watch your dig bar. The bottom HUD shows your equipped shovel (e.g. "Stone Shovel") and a progress bar with a shovel icon. A built-in Auto Clicker toggle sits next to it (starts Disabled).
- Carry the pet to a CLEANING station and hold the hose on it. The starter washer is the Common Hose, and an "Upgrade Hose" sign sits next to the station.
- Earn $ as you rescue, surf and collect — the green dollar counter in the top-right tracks everything, switching to k-format around $1,000.
- Reinvest: shovels (catch bigger animals), pool (speed vs sharks), boards (travel speed), and your base/aquarium.
Shovel upgrades (Shovel Shop)
The developer's tip: "try upgrading your shovel at the shovel shop." The shop UI shows two observed rungs with EQUIP / UNEQUIP buttons:
| Shovel | Strength | Observed |
|---|---|---|
| Stone Shovel | not shown in footage | starter label |
| Copper Shovel | Strength 2 | shop UI |
| Iron Shovel | Strength 3 | shop UI |
Strength gates which animals you can catch: the developer's own short is titled "How to catch a bigger animal" and answers it with friends + shovel upgrades.
Training pool (speed vs sharks)
"Use the Pool to swim faster!" — swimming in the training pool pops a +2 speed gain, and speed is the developer's answer to sharks. The observed cost rungs:
| Pool tier | Observed cost | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Common Pool | $250 | +2 speed per training swim |
| next rung | $10K | sign observed at the training area |
Ladder steps between $250 and $10K were not shown in the observed footage — they're listed as unknown rather than invented.
Boards, key and the jetski
- BOARDS shop: the golden Octopus Board shows 1.6x Speed; boards multiply your travel speed.
- Free Key: the board chest has an "E — Free Key Take" prompt, but the banner says "Like the game & Join the Group First!" — like the game and join the Ruster Games group, then take the key. Official links.
- Rent-A-Jetski: parked jetski labeled 5 min + 2x Speed — a short timed boost for crossing sharky water fast (its price badge wasn't legible in footage, so no price is claimed).
Friends & the Friend Boost
The HUD has a Friend Boost panel with an Invite Friends button and a per-second bonus display. The developer explains why it matters: "invite your friends cuz they give you extra strength and they can help you shovel." Friends make bigger digs feasible early.
Money pace example
In one ~21-minute beginner session (real footage, sampled frames), the money counter went $5 → $35 → $85 → $345 → $925 → $3.29k → $5.61k → $6.96k → $8.57k. That's a sampled example with attribution and its sampling limits — not a rate formula, and your pace will differ with activity and updates.
Base & aquarium
The official description ends with "Build your Base", and the first full gameplay creator describes building "my own aquarium from nothing" — rescued pets end up on display. A mid-game "Upgrade your Tank!" prompt also appears in the developer's footage. The exact build steps and upgrade ladder were not shown in the observed material and are listed as unknown; this section updates when they're observed.
What this page does not know (yet)
Do not treat this walkthrough as a complete ladder for how to play. Intermediate shovel and pool tiers are unknown, tank behavior is unverified, and observed values change as the game updates.
Related: Pets & rarity · Shark survival · Codes status · Back to the guide home