In order to improve the performance of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) in complex marine environments, efficient and reliable navigation strategies are deemed essential. Over the years, a variety of methods have been developed to solve the underwater vehicle path planning problem. A hybrid path planning method for AUVs operating near the water surface is proposed in this paper. The methodology combines the artificial potential field-based Flow Field Method (FFM) and the Dynamic Window Approach (DWA) to achieve efficient, collision-free navigation. Firstly, a global guidance field is generated by the FFM, which directs the AUV to move toward the goal and avoid static obstacles. The DWA is then integrated to handle real-time local dynamic obstacles, leveraging the AUV’s kinematic constraints. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of this method in complex underwater environment. The adaptability and safety of AUV navigation are significantly improved by this hybrid approach, which is a promising solution in applications of marine exploration, environmental monitoring, and offshore operations.