Obviously Druids are superb with wildshape in handling aquatic settings. Having played them to death, I'm looking for other ideas so let's exclude them please.
Starting at level 6 going to about level 11. Point buy @ 20. Pathfinder published including campaigns, but no homebrew races for PCs (anyway I'd like to focus on Class rather than race here).
We will be mostly in a land based environment, but will have significant time and challenges with aquatic settings. Four PCs.
So what do you wizards out there recommend?
Water Kineticist. Quite a few options to gain swim speeds and such. Multiple gm's I have played with also remove the attack roll penalty if you go for water physical blasts, as you can control the element you are attacking through.
Your basic hydrokinesis can get fun, creating currents and such.
I am playing one in skulls and shackles and it is great fun.
You also get armor from your defensive wild talent with 0 ACP and no max dex so you can get a good underwater AC without crippling your swim skill if you are even still using it.
Race-wise, go with Gillman. Good stats, built-in water breathing, and so on. Just watch out for Aboleths.
If you expect even more time in the water, go for a Merfolk with the Strong Tail alternate racial trait. Amazing stats, armor bonus, and other goodness.
I'll also second the benefits of a hydrokineticist.
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A cleric can get the water breathing and freedom of movement spells which would be my first thought. As a full prepared caster they get them as soon as anyone.
On the other hand if water breathing will be covered by campaign stuff (a submersible, allies with a water breathing effect, whatever) then you might look at other considerations. An extra concentration check to cast spells underwater would be annoying, so you might look at classes with (su) abilities which don't require any concentration checks. A witch with the right hexes or a hexcrafter magus similarly for example. Maybe a mesmerist or occultist.
An air/water kineticist can also handle breathing and swimming underwater without outside assistance. For some reason plain water won't give you anything like gills though.
This is one of those questions that will have completely different answers in about six months, I suspect. Given that an adventure path and campaign setting book will heavily feature underwater adventures and rules, I think they'll try to make it at least feasible for every class to participate in underwater encounters.
Crossbow maven gunslinger with an underwater crossbow could be interesting.
The race is a bit important, because whether or not you have a swim speed can be very important for underwater combat. And if your race doesn't offer it, then you will need to seek it through class abilities or magic items.
Summoners are pretty good as the underwater summon monster options are usually strong for their level.
[url=http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/featured-races/arg-undine/]Undines are a fun race to play in a water-themed game. Their Water Sense alternate racial trait is extremely powerful in the right circumstances.
As for classes, I'm a fan of Sea Witch or Waves Shaman, with a Tidepool Dragon Mauler Familiar.
well, we can rule out gunslinger
Bolt ace and carry an underwater crossbow. Or pay 1,500 gp for the dry load weapon ability (although bullets still have the -2 penalty per 5 ft underwater of every projectile weapon except an underwater crossbow).
Race choices include the already mentioned gillmen, merfolk, and undines (with the Amphibious alternate racial trait to breathe underwater as well as function outside of it), plus changelings (Sea Lungs as the Hag Racial Trait), elves (Spirit of the Waters alternate racial trait), half-elves (Water Child alternate racial trait), and humans (Heart of the Sea alternate racial trait); dwarves (Saltbeard alternate racial trait) could also be used.
Class choices include any psychic caster (no verbal/somatic components), any class/archetype that gains wild shape, beastmoprh or metamorph alchemist, swashbuckler (piercing weapons, like the trident), or any water-themed class/archetype. At 8th+ level, an Order of the Beast cavalier can change their mount between aquatic and land (or flying) forms.
With a Cloak of the Manta Ray, just about any class is viable.
Maybe a Rogue, that way this item allows you to have all your attacks, position yourself for sneak attacks, survive if grappled underwater, escape from and tactically move around land based enemies near a body of water, etc.
I think at this point most classes have something water themed that can help them function better in aquatic situations those that don't probably can get by with playing a aquatic race and it will handle itself.
That said Waves shaman
Merfolk Hunter with octopus companion
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I've been in a long-running PFS group going through the Skull and Shackles, Reign of Winter, and Plunder and Peril books for quite awhile now. I'd definately agree with Water Kineticists being a great option; myself, I've been playing a net-focused hunter with a constrictor snake companion for the first ten levels and then taking Mammoth Rider with an archelon from then on. Having an animal companion (or yourself, with access to Share Shape and similar spells) able to naturally tackle underwater challenges and save people who fall into the water unprepared is very useful.
Also, Hunters have access to the druid lists, meaning plenty of spells useful in underwater environments.
Cavalier with an appropriate aquatic mount.
Don't forget that piercing melee weapons don't suffer the same penalties others do underwater. Swashbucklers come to mind, but any martial class can pick up a heavy pick or scythe.
Paladin with a divine shark.
Don't forget that piercing melee weapons don't suffer the same penalties others do underwater. Swashbucklers come to mind, but any martial class can pick up a heavy pick or scythe.
Or snake style!
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Going two levels into Horizon Walker PrC can get you the ability to breath water constantly along with bonuses vs swimming creatures, favored terrain (Plane of Water), and one other favored terrain. A third level gets you completely unhindered movement and actions underwater.
A summoner could also work as you can make an aquatic Eidolon and summon monster usually has a good aquatic option at each level.
Don't forget that piercing melee weapons don't suffer the same penalties others do underwater. Swashbucklers come to mind, but any martial class can pick up a heavy pick or scythe.Or snake style!
Seasnake Style
Watersinger Bard is very cool. You can manipulate and control the shape of water. Aside of the big roleplaying potential of the class you can also make almost unlimited walls, make the water attack, sicken and reposition enemies and learn some good water spells originally unavailable to bards. And you will also have good social skills (you are a Bard, of course you will have!).
Just pick the Amphibious alternate racial trait and enjoy!
Personally, a Lizardfolk may not be able to breathe underwater at the start, but if you expect to be both underwater and above it they can be pretty good. +2 STR and CON, lots of fun natural attacks right at the start, a swim speed of 30 and +8 to swim aren't bad for an underwater campaign. Natural armor doesn't hurt, either.
Since they have no actual penalties, you can build them to be pretty much whatever you want. They'll shine in martial roles (or 3/4 BAB classes that lean on martial combat, like the Warpriest), but again: you can basically do whatever. +2 CON and +2 natural AC = good boost to your defenses for any role.
Now, if only they had the human bonus feat...
Deep One Hybrid!
Undine Deep Shaman with Steam Caster- abuse the Crashing Waves Hex, get a blue ring octopus familiar that is magically amphibious.
Merfolk are Humanoids with the Aquatic Subtype with a swim speed of 50ft. Why not pick any race/class you want and get a Greater Hat of Disguise for at-will Alter Self and turn yourself into a Merfolk.
Greater Hat of Disguise is helpful even when you're doing the land-based parts of your campaign so it's not a waste of 12,000gp.
Merfolk are Humanoids with the Aquatic Subtype with a swim speed of 50ft. Why not pick any race/class you want and get a Greater Hat of Disguise for at-will Alter Self and turn yourself into a Merfolk.
Greater Hat of Disguise is helpful even when you're doing the land-based parts of your campaign so it's not a waste of 12,000gp.
The Greater Hat of Disguise is also from a module soft-cover book from over a decade ago and never reprinted in any hardback source, so you may want to forgive people who have never searched 'Hat of Disguise' using an online tool.
Oh, and this threat was resurrected from 3 years ago apparently.
That said, anyone with Planar Focus and can apply it to themselves indefinitely (ie, AC is dead). It's probably my favorite 'movement' themed feat, because who doesn't want on demand burrow/swim/featherfall.
I have no idea why, but there's been probably 20ish threads necro'ed in maybe two weeks or less.
It's probably a "good thing". It means a lot of new people are entering the boards and trying to learn about the game.