test out the waters

Translations
прощупать почву
He decided to test out the waters before making a big investment.
Он решил прощупать почву перед тем, как сделать крупные инвестиции.
Definitions
To try something for the first time or to experiment cautiously in order to gauge the situation or outcome before making a full commitment.
Words
test

verb
испытать
out

adverb
полностью
the

article or possessive pronoun
эти
waters

noun
воды