DayZ Wiki
Register
Advertisement


Debug Island is a small, grassy island roughly 11km from the southern coast of Skalisty Island.

General

Located approximately 11.8 kilometers out to sea from Skalisty Island, this place (also called "Schadenfreude Island") is one of the toughest PvE challenges a player can endure. Dedication, preparation, and a bit of good luck are all needed in order to successfully reach the island. Few have been there in DayZ Standalone as a result. Although accessing it in the Mod was considerably less difficult thanks to air vehicles, players in SA must swim there on their own.

The island itself is roughly "285 m long, 130 m wide, and 25 m above sea level at its highest point (925x427x82 ft)" according to forum member Gews. There is absolutely nothing here except what you bring along, though a few key resources can be harvested here. Most important of those resources is water, which can be collected in bottles during periods of rain. The ground is also just the right type for digging up worms, and is additionally suited for garden plots (though they are invisible to the eye here for some reason). Fishing is your only means of gathering meat here, but works just as you would expect it to anywhere else. Rabbit snares do NOT work on the island.

Surprisingly, persistence IS functional here! It is possible to set up a camp and leave behind items just as you would anywhere in Chernarus, and you will still find those items waiting for you if you return. Fireplaces also work perfectly normal here, providing a source of light, heat, and a place to cook your food; your only limitation is how much firewood you can bring along since there is no source of wood or sticks here.

Reaching the Island

NOTE: As of 0.63 the island is still there. It is now known to be at coordinates 24000.0 by ,0.455486. Along the very edge of the known map. Good luck.

The biggest hurdle you'll face in making it to the island is the punishment the sea will impart on your poor, fragile body. If you attempt to swim there in standard clothing, you'll likely die of hypothermia before you make it half way. The water is cold and harsh, and the only way to keep from a watery grave is to repel the water completely. In other words, you need an entirely waterproof outfit. Ideally, you'll also want to assemble the warmest outfit you can in order to shield yourself from the cold.

Getting yourself a waterproof outfit is the most important part, but your journey will still fail if you do not adequately prepare your body as well. Prior to jumping into the water, you will want to be hydrated, full, healthy, and free of any negative status indicators (cold, fracture, sick, etc.). Even once you are hydrated and full, it is advised that you continue to fill your stomach with water as much as possible without making yourself vomit in order to make your hydration last as long as possible. Of all your vital stats, hydration will likely take the biggest hit on your journey.

If you wish to remain on the island for any length of time or make the trip back safely, at the minimum you will need to bring some food and water along on your swim. It is advised that you bring at least three bottles of water and a few cans of food or packets of powdered milk. Anything else you take with you is "extra," but if you've got the space there are many useful things you can include such as farming supplies that will allow you to stay on the island longer.

One additional item you will absolutely need: a compass. I recommend a traditional (metal) compass rather than the plastic variety as it is easier to be accurate with it, not to mention it tends to be more common.

When you are certain that you're ready for the swim, head to the southeast corner of Skalisty Island. Do this immediately after filling up on water so you waste as little as possible. While you're still standing on land, set your compass heading to approximately 106° (East-Southeast). Once you do this, put yourself into "free look" mode (double tap "Alt" or use the asterisk (*) key on the numpad by default). By entering free look, you are preventing yourself from accidentally becoming disoriented if you bump your mouse or keyboard during the swim; if you get messed up you may never see land again because there is no way of re-orienting yourself if you deviate from the course.

Keep a close eye on your status indicators as you swim. You will gradually see your hydration drain down to yellow thirsty by the time you arrive, but the other stats are more important to pay attention to because they will be the earliest indicator of imminent failure. Wearing the proper clothing, you should never get any worse than a light blue "Cold" indicator before arriving at the island; if you dip below that it is likely you are not going to make it to the island before dying of hypothermia no matter how much you warmed up beforehand.

The server you are swimming on can have a massive impact on your body's ability to withstand cold, which can indirectly cause you to reach the point of starvation. If you find that your vitals are draining quickly as you make your way out, you may want to try another server with more forgiving temperature conditions. Unfortunately, there is no real way of telling this without simply going for a short swim to try it out on each server and observing the effects.

The swim itself takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes, give or take, depending on how accurate your bearings were. At around the hour-and-a-half mark, you should begin seeing the underwater mountain. Shortly thereafter you'll start to see the island above water as you approach it. You'll come to the tall, narrow end of the island first, and once you scale to the peak you'll see the rest of the island in front of you.

Gallery

Advertisement