Oxygen & Depth Guide
Choose the equipment that solves your next dive: an air tank for a larger reserve, an Air Bladder for emergencies, a Rebreather for deeper travel, and a Tadpole for longer routes. Keep diver oxygen and vehicle depth limits separate when planning.
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Progression order
| Stage | Priority | Practical rule |
|---|---|---|
| Starter oxygen | Stay shallow | Use it for Lifepod loops, nearby scans, Angel Comb, and shallow materials. Do not combine low oxygen with wreck interiors. |
| Standard Air Tank | First tank upgrade | Craft at the Fabricator with 2 Titanium, 2 Silver and 1 Rubber. The illustrated bunker route shows 75 oxygen after equipping it. |
| Air Bladder | Emergency reserve | Select it underwater and press F to inhale oxygen, or right-click for a fast ascent. Return to the surface to refill. |
| Rebreather | Deeper dives | Conserves oxygen at depth. Its Fabricator recipe uses 2 Fiber Mesh and 1 System Chip after the blueprint unlock. |
| High Capacity Air Tank | Next tank upgrade | Combine 1 Standard Air Tank and 1 Plasteel Ingot at the Fabricator after unlocking the blueprint. |
| Portable Oxygen Generator | Planned refill stop | Build with 3 Titanium and 2 Lithium, supply a charged battery, and test the oxygen stop before extending the dive. |
| Tadpole vehicle | Longer route support | Use a powered vehicle as a return point while watching its own depth limit. Attached Tadpole and Haul passengers need the vehicle to remain powered for oxygen. |
Reserve Silver for the tank and your next craft
Silver supports both oxygen upgrades and early electronics. Reserve the tank materials before spending the remainder on Wiring Kits.
- Reserve 2 Silver for the Standard Air Tank. A Wiring Kit needs another 1 Silver and 1 Copper Wire, so a tank plus a kit starts at 3 Silver.
- Hotfix 2 officially added more Silver resource areas in the early-game region, so update before judging older Silver route complaints.
- Use the Silver route page to plan the Colonist Bunker 1 cave trip and reserve two Silver for the Standard Air Tank.
- Unload before the cave trip so that bunker pickups and scanned objects do not leave you without space for the Silver you came for.
Choose mobile air or a refill stop
With one Lithium, make the Processor Plasteel Ingot for a High Capacity Air Tank: the extra reserve travels with you. A Portable Oxygen Generator needs two Lithium and three Titanium, plus a battery to operate. It suits a route with a recognizable place to stop and return.
The generator produces oxygen over time. Test it with a charged battery while you still have a safe air reserve, then allow time to refill on the return. The same principle applies to a vehicle: check power and oxygen replenishment before swimming away from it.
These tools do not replace Heat Tolerance in volcanic water or a Tadpole depth module for the vehicle. Match oxygen, temperature and vehicle limits separately before the next descent.
Depth mistakes to stop making
Recipes and route references
Official source for added Silver resource areas in the early-game region.
Additional Silver gathering route coverage.
Current ingredient budget and the illustrated route showing 75 oxygen.
Vehicle route that changes oxygen pressure for longer fragment and material trips.
Questions people ask
What should I build first to improve oxygen in Subnautica 2?
Craft the Standard Air Tank with 2 Titanium, 2 Silver and 1 Rubber. Then combine a clear return route with emergency Air Bladder oxygen and the equipment needed for your next depth objective.
Why do I keep dying on deeper routes?
Account for the trip back as well as the descent. Wreck passages, currents and a detour around a creature can extend the return. Surface or return to your oxygen source before a scan uses the reserve you need to leave.
Does the Welcome Center give an oxygen-control Biomod?
The illustrated Welcome Center route introduces Dash and Sea Skimmer. For a larger oxygen reserve, start with an air tank; use the Biomod guide to choose movement and research goals separately.
What do I need for a High Capacity Air Tank?
The recipe uses one Standard Air Tank and one Plasteel Ingot at the Fabricator. Make the Plasteel Ingot at a Processor from 2 Titanium and 1 Lithium, then return to the Fabricator for the tank after the blueprint is unlocked.
Related pages
Portable Oxygen Generator
Build a battery-powered refill stop and allow time for oxygen production.
Charge the Expedition Kit
Prepare spare tool batteries and vehicle Power Cells before leaving.
Recovery After a Failed Dive
Retrieve supplies after fixing the cause of the failed trip.
Lithium for Oxygen Gear
Budget the tank upgrade and portable generator together.
Colonist Bunker 1 Silver Route
Focused early route for Silver, BioBed, Repair Tool progress, and Standard Air Tank.
Silver
Hotfix 2 material note, early-region Silver loop, and oxygen/electronics planning.
Rebreather
Blueprint and material requirements for oxygen conservation at depth.
High Capacity Air Tank
The Plasteel Ingot upgrade from the Standard Air Tank.
Tadpole Fragments
Vehicle route for escaping oxygen-limited travel.
First Hour
Opening route discipline before deeper exploration.
Biomes
Depth bands, risk, and route planning by zone.