The present study aims to assess the possibility of describing suction using coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian approach. The water entry and subsequent exit of conical and hemispherical bodies is investigated numerically using the Finite Element simulation software Radioss. The numerical method relies on an explicit numerical scheme. An Eulerian and a Lagrangian formulation are considered for the fluid and the structure, respectively. The fluid–structure interaction is based on an immersed contact interface. Particular attention is given to the evolution of the hydrodynamic (positive and negative) force and wetted surface. The numerical results are compared to experimental results from the literature for different impact conditions (maximum velocity and penetration depth). The influence of several parameters of the numerical model is analysed to assess its robustness and improve the numerical results. The numerical model especially shows a satisfying ability to predict suction forces.