Troll is perfectly fine if you are careful. And if you are not careful then bronze won't save you.

Use the hoe to make paths and you will do little to no swimming. And if you are slowing down enough to make a path, you are less likely to blunder into trouble. The sound of the hoe might bring them to you, but it's always safer to have them come to you than the other way around so that they aren't standing on your tombstone later.