I can't tell whether this is an oversight or cut content, but it's come to my attention that Swims-In-Deep-Water is a member of the PotentialMarriageFaction, which indicates that he was meant to be a marriage candidate, but none of the quests you do for him increase his disposition, so the "Interested in me, are you?" topic never becomes available on him. As far as I know, there isn't any evidence as to when exactly the option to marry him was supposed to unlock in the quest scripts, but if I had to guess, I'd say giving him his lucky fishing hat was supposed to do it, since it's the only personal objective he gives you, and is completely optional, much like with Muiri in Mourning Never Comes.