How tension is calculated
Every species has a weight. Your tension is the total weight of everything on the line divided by your line's capacity, plus any short-lived shock from hazards:
Tension % = (total weight ÷ capacity) × 100 + shock
The base line has a capacity of 100, so at the start a fish's weight is simply the percentage it adds.
Weight of every species
| Species | Weight | Coins | Coins per point of weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Sardine | 5 | 3 | 0.6 |
| Neon Glowfin | 5 | 5 | 1.0 |
| Tiger Mackerel | 8 | 9 | 1.1 |
| Lanternfish | 6 | 14 | 2.3 |
| Hatchetfish | 6 | 22 | 3.7 |
| Chrome Barracuda | 12 | 24 | 2.0 |
| Viperfish | 10 | 45 | 4.5 |
| Abyss Angler | 15 | 55 | 3.7 |
| Gulper Eel | 18 | 110 | 6.1 |
| Giant Squid | 25 | 160 | 6.4 |
| Ghost Shark | 25 | 320 | 12.8 |
| Leviathan Ray | 28 | 260 | 9.3 |
The last column is the one that matters when deciding what to keep. A sardine is worth 0.6 coins per point of weight; a Ghost Shark is worth more than twenty times that. Swapping small fish for big ones is almost always correct.
Shock: the hidden tension
Two things add temporary tension on the ascent:
- Jellyfish sting: +16% instantly. The same jellyfish can't sting again for just over a second.
- Rock bump: +4% each time you scrape a rock.
Shock drains away at about 20 percentage points per second, so it only matters in the moment — but the moment is when lines snap. If you are at 85% and brush a jellyfish, you are gone.
What Line Strength really does
Line Strength raises capacity: 100 → 125 → 155 → 190 → 230 → 280 → 340. Weight doesn't change, so the percentage each fish adds shrinks. At maximum strength a Giant Squid adds only about 7% instead of 25%. Also note that a heavier load slows the winch by up to about a third, which makes the ascent longer and gives you more time among the fish.
Releasing fish: how Space works
Press Space on the ascent to release the lightest fish on your line. It drops away, its weight and coins are removed, and 10 points of shock are cleared at the same time. There is a short cooldown between releases, so you can't dump your whole line in one instant — plan ahead.
Five rules of thumb
- Keep a 20% buffer. A jellyfish sting is 16%; always leave room for one.
- Release before a big catch, not after. If a squid is coming and you are at 80%, drop a sardine now.
- Amber means plan, red means act. The bar turns amber at 65% and red above 88%, and the line glows to match.
- Watch the top 50 metres. Near the surface the water fills with small fish. It is tempting to grab them all, but a full line of monsters is worth far more than a few extra sardines.
- Snapped lines pay nothing. A modest catch that lands is always better than a legendary one that doesn't.
Related: chaining Drift combos · best upgrade order