Abstract: The flow characteristics around the submarine will affect the maneuverability of the submarine, especially when the submarine is near the water surface, the existence of the free surface will increase the complexity of the wake field of the submarine. In order to explore the influence mechanism of free surface on the flow characteristics of submarine wake when the submarine near the free surface, the research on the flow characteristics of submarine wake is carried out with the help of large-scale underwater three-dimensional particle image velocimetry technology. Firstly, the accuracy of the test method in this study is verified by the standard model experiment of DTMB in USA; Then, the wake field of the submarine is measured by the model test, and the axial velocity and pulsating velocity of the propeller disk under different submergence depths and different speeds are obtained. At the same time, the wave and the velocity field of the longitudinal section which can not be measured by the model test are supplemented by numerical simulation, and the influence mechanism of the free surface on the flow characteristics of the wake field is expounded from the wave point of view. The results show that: When the submarine near the water surface, with the increase of Fr, the upper isopleth of the axial velocity at the propeller disk tends to be flattened; and compared with the 4D submergence depths, the local maximum value of pulsating velocity appears in the 1.5D submergence depths, and the structure of pulsating velocity moves down as a whole. When the free surface exists, the velocity of flow field between the hull and the free surface increases obviously, especially in the area of the propeller disk. With the increase of Fr, the height of the free surface of the propeller disk decreases gradually, which leads to a larger fluid velocity and the squeeze phenomenon of wake field on propeller disk.