Skimmer
This article is about the mount. For other uses, see Skimmer (disambiguation). 
“The graceful movements of the skimmer allow it to float above land and water, which is especially useful on the Elon River and other hazardous parts of the desert.
— In-game description
.png)
The Skimmer, known as the Wavehawk in Castora, is one of the mounts first introduced in the Crystal Desert in Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire. It is a manta-like creature with undulating wings which hovers over ground, allowing it and its rider to safely traverse otherwise hazardous areas, or to swiftly skim over water. Its movement ability lifts it significantly higher, so it can cross dangerous areas, reach ledges, and avoid attacks. You can hold down the hotkey to remain in the lifted state as long as you have sufficient endurance.
Upgrades to the skimmer mount through Path of Fire mastery tracks increases the height of the hover movement ability, add additional effects to its engage skill Barrel Roll, such as granting boons and healing downed allies when used, as well as the ability to dive underwater.
Unlocking[edit]
| New Mount Acquired |
— Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire unlocked pop-up, for other pop-up, see below. |
- Unlock the
Raptor's Canyon Jumping mastery.
- While you can reach the Renown Heart from the south without it, this is required to unlock the heart.
- Head to the Skimmer Ranch in center-western Elon Riverlands.
- The ranch is surrounded by quicksand from the north and east. Traverse across using a raptor with the Canyon Jumping mastery, or through other means, or approach it from the south.
- Complete
Use a skimmer to help with training around the ranch (80). - Purchase the Skimmer item from Skimmer Trainer Ardra for 50
Trade Contracts and 4 
.
- Progress through the Chapter Two storyline.
- On release, it was possible to skip this step and be unable to proceed.
- Complete the collection Wavehawk Fundamentals. Path of Fire mastery will remain locked however the mount will appear in your inventory at this point.
Mechanics[edit]
- A skimmer has 8892 base health.
- The Skimmer and the Siege Turtle are the only mounts that can be mounted while surfaced or submerged in water.
- Does not take any fall damage, as it gently floats down to the ground rather than falling.
- If the float ability is used while jumping off a high outcropping, it will act as a glider until running out of endurance. This does not consume more endurance.
- The Skimmer regenerates its entire endurance bar in 5 seconds.
- Moves significantly faster while traveling over water or certain hazards: quicksand, sulfurous haze.
- Many ledges that are too tall to climb without Ride the Wind can still be climbed by using the regular hover, then dismounting in the air while rubbing up against the ledge. The jump that comes with dismounting gives the player an additional boost in height.
- Can be remounted in combat. Doing so will apply the
Combat Mounting Recharge Increase effect increasing the cooldown to mount skimmer again by 10s.
Related masteries[edit]
Skimmer Mount[edit]
| Mastery | XP required | Points | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 Nimble Recovery
|
381,000 | 2 
|
Learn to nimbly recover after being knocked off the skimmer and after engaging foes by using Barrel Roll. The skimmer will now grant you protection and swiftness when you're recovering. |
 Rejuvenating Revival
|
457,200 | 3
|
Learn to enhance the rejuvenating properties of Barrel Roll to also heal downed allies. |
 Ride the Wind
|
558,800 | 4
|
Learn to ride the wind and increase the height of the hover movement ability to conquer new challenges. |
 Nimble Benevolence
|
1,222,375 | 5
|
Master the skimmer and learn to share the bonus from Nimble Recovery with all mounts. |
 Skimming the Depths
|
2,000,000 | 8
|
Use all you've learned to teach your skimmer to dive underwater. |
| Total | 4,619,375 | 22
|
Skimmer Adaptation[edit]
| Mastery | XP required | Points | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 Advanced Hydrodynamics
|
508,000 | 1 
|
Learn to dive underwater with the Skimmer.
If you also have the Skimming the Depths Skimmer Mount Mastery trained, this also increases the base ground speed of the skimmer and grants 3 seconds of stealth when entering or exiting water. (30s cooldown) |
 Castoran Intuition
|
1,016,000 | 2
|
Change the Barrel Roll skill to now allow for continued Dashing while stamina exists. Also unlock the ability for your skimmer to detect threats and underwater treasure with Aetherlocation. |
 Convergent Evolution
|
1,524,000 | 3
|
Gain access to Slipstream Boost and Water Jets. The Slipstream allows a speed boost above and below water as well as an increase in hover power. Waters Jets gives the skimmer the power to shoot stored magic projectiles at nearby allies and enemies, healing allies and damaging enemies. |
 Riptide Rider
|
2,032,000 | 4
|
Gain the ability to ride ley lines both above and below water as well as updrafts with the skimmer. When in an updraft or a ley line, you can break out of it by using the skimmer's Barrel Roll engage skill. |
| Total | 5,080,000 | 10
|
Other masteries[edit]
-
Ravenous Discipline: Increase damage when using an engage skill. 
Masterful Descent: Decrease fall damage while mounted by 75%.
Adroit Evasion: Evade when using endurance during a mount movement skill.
- Bond of Life: Unlocks the Bond of Life mount healing skill.
- Bond of Vigor: Unlocks the Bond of Vigor mount utility skill.
- Bond of Faith: Unlocks the Bond of Faith mount utility skill.
- Ash Legion Mount Stealth: Unlocks the Stealth mount utility skill.
- United Legions Waystation Mastery: Unlocks the Stealth 2.0 mount utility skill.
Sharing Is Caring: Increase maximum mount health by 50%.
Well Rested: Increase endurance regeneration by 20%.
Skills[edit]
| # | Skill | 
|
|
Description | Mastery Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skimmer | Summon and mount your skimmer. | ||||
| 1 |  Barrel Roll
|
2 | Engage. Barrel roll forward, damaging foes and healing allies that you pass though [sic]. | ||
| 1 |  Enhanced Barrel Roll
|
Engage. Barrel roll forward, damaging foes and healing allies that you pass though. Hold the skill to activate the dismount portion of the engage skill. Healing reduces each time the same individual is hit within a short time frame. |
Castoran Intuition | ||
| 2 | Slipstream Boost
|
25 | Activate Slipstream Boost to allow for increased height gain when using Hover, as well as increased base movement speed for the duration of the skill. | Convergent Evolution | |
| 3 | Water Jets
|
Fires a set of projectiles at your current target or target direction, damaging hit enemies and healing hit allies. Hold the skill to continue firing projectiles up to the current max ammo count. | Convergent Evolution | ||
| 4 | Dive
|
Press when over deep water to dive under the surface. Hold while in water to descend. | Skimming the Depths or Advanced Hydrodynamics | ||
| 5 | Hover High
|
Hold to increase hover height. | |||
| 6 | Bond of Life
|
180 | Temporarily grant your mount the use of your own health pool at the risk of being downed in your mount's place. | Bond of Life | |
| 7 | Bond of Vigor
|
60 | Increase your mount's endurance regeneration. | Bond of Vigor | |
| 8 | Bond of Faith
|
30 | Launch off of your mount! | Bond of Faith | |
| 9 | Stealth
|
40 | Grants stealth to you and your mount. | Ash Legion Mount Stealth | |
| 9 | Stealth 2.0
|
30 | Grants stealth to you and your mount. | United Legions Waystation Mastery | |
| Dismount
|
Dismount your mount |
| # | Skill |
|
|
Description | Mastery Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Disable Ley-Line Riding | 1 | Click to toggle off ley-line riding on your mount. | Riptide Rider | |
| F1 | Enable Ley-Line Riding
|
1 | Click to toggle on ley-line riding on your mount. | Riptide Rider | |
| F2 | Activate Aetherlocation | 3 | Use your skimmer's Aetherlocation ability to detect threats and discover underwater treasure. | Castoran Intuition | |
| F2 | Deactivate Aetherlocation
|
3 | Toggle off your skimmer's Aetherlocation ability. | Castoran Intuition |
List of Skimmer skins[edit]
Skins for the skimmer can be viewed and applied in the Hero panel: Fashion: Travel tab.
- See also: Gallery of Skimmer skins
(*) The mounts in the marked rows either don't appear in API:2/account/mounts/skins and API:2/mounts/skins and/or don't have an ID set. Therefore it cannot be checked if they have been unlocked.
Lore[edit]
“Skimmers are graceful creatures native to the Elon River. They live above water, breathing through large air sacs as they float above the surface. While they cannot truly fly, they can hover for short distances at a height of several norn, making them indispensable for crossing large areas of treacherous quicksand or sulfur.
Skimmers are creatures native to Elona that are able to hover over hazardous terrain and water. Many are trained at the Skimmer Ranch under the guidance of Skimmer Trainer Ardra. At some point, a rancher named Sibaha escaped with several skimmers from there to teach them how to dive and swim, eventually settling in Lion's Arch.
A baby skimmer is called a pup. Newborn pups don't need any parental care after birth.[1]
Wavehawk[edit]
“Affectionately referred to as wavehawks by the locals, the skimmers indigenous to Castora have adapted to its magic-rich environment over the millennia. With their enhanced ability to heal, track, and quickly traverse the shoals both above and under the water, they're an integral part of Castoran culture.
— Official short video: Visions of Eternity Lore Drop: Wavehawks
On Castora, skimmers are known under a different name—wavehawks, and they are masters of both sea and sky. They've adapted to the island's rich energies—and, when tamed, they become a valuable asset for those attempting to survive on Castora. Unlike the skimmers that reside in the deserts of Elona, these skimmers evolved in a setting rich with ley magic that runs through root and sand.[2]
Types[edit]
- See also: Category:Skimmers
Unlocked pop-up[edit]
| Skimmer Adaptation Mastery Unlocked |
Gallery[edit]
Skimmer mount
Skimmer floating above water
Barrel roll
Skimmer closeup
Skimmer art
Drifting Skimmer
Flying above a sulphurous passage
Avoiding quicksand
Animation of a Skimmer
Skimmer under water
Skimmer under water
Skimmer under water
- Wavehawk — Visions of Eternity Skimmer
Skimmer Adaptation mastery pop-up.
Lore Drop: Wavehawks
Wavehawk
Wavehawk's combat skill
Wavehawk
Wavehawk
Render by Josh Tiefer.
Render by Josh Tiefer.
Render by Josh Tiefer.
Render by Josh Tiefer.
Render by Josh Tiefer.
Related achievements[edit]
Crystal Desert: Finding Sibaha (11
)- Crystal Desert: Skimming the Surface — Unlock the skimmer by completing the Skimmer Ranch task region in the Elon Riverlands and purchasing a skimmer saddle from Ardra. (5
) 
Elon Riverlands: Skimmer Search — Use your newly earned skimmer to help those in need throughout the Elon Riverlands. (5)
Festival of the Four Winds: Slalom Skimmer — Finish the Skimmer Slalom race in the Labyrinthine Cliffs within 2 minutes and 30 seconds. (5)
Prologue: Bound by Blood: Crater Circuit: Silver Challenge — Finish the Crater Circuit within the Silver Challenge time limit. (2)- Prologue: Bound by Blood: Crater Circuit: Gold Challenge — Finish the Crater Circuit within the gold challenge time limit. (3)
- Prologue: Bound by Blood: Crater Circuit: Top Three — Finish the Crater Circuit in the top three. (3)
Notes[edit]
- On August 10th, 2020, a new ability for the Skimmer was announced, the ability to travel underwater, and then released on August 25th, 2020 update.
Trivia[edit]
- While idle, the Skimmer will perform several animations:
- The Skimmer will poke your character on their back with its tail; your character will confusedly look around.
- The Skimmer will spin around in a full circle.
- The Skimmer will do a little waggle in air.
- When dyed, the whiskers and edges of the fins and tail get colored, as well as parts of the head and the underside of the fins.
- During the race in Amnoon, the children will comment on the skimmer mount:
- I love the skimmer. They're so floaty.
- I don't understand the skimmer. They don't even have legs!
- The Skimmer's theme is known as "Desert Skimming" in the Path of Fire soundtrack.
See also[edit]
- Associated items
Version history[edit]
| Patch | Changes |
|---|---|
| November 18, 2025 |
|
| October 28, 2025 | Visions of Eternity release:
|
| August 17, 2021 |
|
| August 25, 2020 |
|
| November 19, 2019 |
|
| October 15, 2019 |
|
| November 26, 2018 |
|
| October 03, 2018 |
|
| May 08, 2018 |
|
| April 24, 2018 |
|
| February 07, 2018 |
|
| September 22, 2017 | Path of Fire release:
|
External links[edit]
- Dive into Adventure with Your Skimmer, GuildWars2.com
- Guild Wars 2's Skimmer mounts are going underwater, PCGamer.com
- New Skimmer Updates Splash onto the Scene with Visions of Eternity, GuildWars2.com
- Visions of Eternity - Skimmer Preview Livestream, Twitch.com
