For the electrical exploration geophysical research development in water bodies - in the sea, lake, river, with an ice surface, new approaches in electrical exploration are needed to overcome the shielding effects of water. We propose using the method of vertical current sounding for such work. In the article is given the description of the first works by the vertical current sounding method (VECS). The goal of work was to determine the requirements for the VECS equipment and the VECS source of the electromagnetic field during survey on the water. Some experiments have been carried out and requirements for VECS equipment have been determined for work on water, on the same time we defined the requirements for the installation of the source of the electromagnetic field. The executed work demonstrated that the already existing equipment for surface work allows obtaining high-quality results with a current in the source of 160 A. The final stage of the experiments was the first measurements of VECS on the water surface.