Five things make it 'real': 1. Have an environment that reflects into the water. In the above sample I used the "Wind" from the 'scene' settings. (I like the irregularity of the clouds on the water) However, you should use the 'gradient' background otherwise. 2. Have a 'sea floor'. Really important if you use the 'Wind' function. (Make sure the sea floor is above Z=0) If you don't want to use a floor with the 'Wind' function designate the ground color to a dark blue, green or something for depth. 3. Make sure 'Light through transparency' is turned on in the Render Room. If it's not checked there will not be shadows cast on any of the objects or bump channels underneath. However, render time will be decrease if it is left off. (A good idea if you don't actuall have a sea floor and just want deep water.) 4. Adjust the water Bump Channel for complexity and irregularity. Hopefully the picture above helps out regarding that. 5. Do not 'color' the water. Color the transparency channel of the shader instead. Realistic water is a processor intensive. If your machine is slow (or even if it's fast) be prepared to wait a little bit while it does it's thing. Have fun getting wet. Mark