The invention belongs to the drag reduction test technology field and discloses a test device for exploring the surface drag reduction mechanism. The test device comprises a water storage tank, a peristaltic pump, an air injection pump, pressure sensors, a PIV measuring instrument, a Micro-PIV measuring instrument and a computer receiving and processing system, wherein the water storage tank has afluid inlet and a fluid outlet, the fluid outlet is connected with an inlet of the peristaltic pump through a first conveying pipeline, an outlet of the peristaltic pump is connected with a second conveying pipeline, the fluid inlet of the water storage tank is connected with a third conveying pipeline, the pressure sensors are two, each pressure sensor is separately mounted to one end of a to-be-tested pipeline, and the PIV measuring instrument and the Micro-PIV measuring instrument are used to measure the velocity field of the fluid in the to-be-tested pipeline. The test device is advantaged in that a relatively small sample can be used to test the drag reduction effect of a drag reduction surface, the test device is beneficial to reduce research and development cost of the drag reduction technology, moreover, the test device has a simple structure, and the to-be-tested pipeline is convenient to replace.