So I run into a bug occasionally that causes me to just up and start swimming in mid-air as if I am underwater, when I am not. Complete with water sound effects and me running out of breath if I stay there too long. This only happens to me in certain places in certain dungeons. Right now it's happening to me at the end of the first hallway in Forelhost Stronghold. It also happens to me in a corner of the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary. There's been a few other instances of it happening throughout skyrim too that I can't remember the locations of, but all were indoors in dungeonesque places. I've searched around for this bug, but can find nothing about it. I see plenty of bug reports out there where followers seem to do this, but it's different for me because the follower swimming in mid-air bug can happen outside and only effects the follower, and not the player. The bug is persistent, meaning that if I reload the area or even reboot my game, it sticks and it is always there. At first I expected this was a bug that pretty much everyone had to deal with, but then when I finally started searching for it and found nothing, and also found that none of the places it was happening to me had this phenomenon listed in their "bugs" sections for the dungeon I was in, I began to wonder. Am I the only one getting this? Am I alone? This is really a bad bug and it svcks if no one else ever has this happen to them, meaning it is a problem with my game and my game alone. If anybody else has experienced this, please share.

Bump for help. Please don't tell me I'm the only one experiencing this.

Any mods?

And what gfx card? Have you updated your video drivers? (IDK if this is relevant or not)

Try turning down your gfx setting to the next-lowest.

Probably not. This is a gameplay issue, not a graphical one.

Anyway, @OP: I suppose it's safe to assume that you've patched your copy of Skyrim to the latest version?

Yes, I have steam set to keep it up to date. If this were a known bug that other people were experiencing, I wouldn't be so concerned. But apparently I'm the only one on the face of the internet who has ever seen this. That is what bothers the hell out of me. I agree with SheridanR that toying with graphics would not help this problem. This issue is something wrong with the game, not a mere graphical error as the game seems to genuinely think I am underwater. The only mod I am running is a hardcoe mod that gives my character the need to eat, drink, and sleep, but this issue was happening before I ever installed that mod. The only other thing I am running that could be considered a mod in the slightest would be the official high-resolution texture DLC, but again I was experiencing this issue long before the DLC was even released.

This is really weird. I know I haven't heard anything like this before.

At any rate, all I can suggest right now is the usual stuff. Verify the integrity of the game's files, etc. But you've probably already done that, so...

I have heard water sounds at odd times, in odd places, but never lasts long, never become swimming.

Yeah, I've already done all that. Even a complete reinstall. Nothing works.

It's another manifestation of the "Havoc Physics Bug." Basically, your frame rate is way too high in certain areas, and the physics engine is freaking out. Unfortunately, the only way to fix it is to limit your FPS to no more than 60 FPS. Most peeps can simply make sure VSYNC is enabled and fix it (that is if your monitor runs at 60Hz refresh rate). If you have a monitor that has a higher refresh rate, you may have to persue mods or other FPS limiters. It's a stupid bug, I know. I have dual GTX 580s with a 120Hz gaming LCD, and nerfing my rig to play this game just felt stupid wrong...

I can't believe I never thought of that. Yeah, you're definitely going to have issues (in any game, actually) if you let your FPS soar to ridiculously high numbers. If you turn on Vertical Sync, your framerate will lock at 60fps, which will not only provide you with the best picture (ANYTHING higher will result in screen tearing) but should also fix any weird gameplay inaccuracies like this.

At any rate, try this and let us know if that fixes the issue for you.