Best Ways to Manage Oxygen & Get More Air

Running out of air in Subnautica 2? Discover the best ways to manage your oxygen, including unlocking the Rebreather, Oxygen Control Biomod, and upgrading your Air Tank.

How to Manage Your Oxygen

Ascend For Air

When you first start the game, you won't be able to stay underwater for a long. If you notice your oxygen meter is running low, head back to the surface immediately to catch your breath and refill your oxygen.

Increase Your O2 Capacity

One of the most important items in the game is an Air Tank. A Standard or High Capacity Air Tank expands your O2 gauge which allows you to stay underwater longer.

Equip a Rebreather to Slow Oxygen Drain at Depth

Oxygen drains faster the deeper you go, and the Rebreather is the solution for that depth penalty. It doesn't extend your max oxygen capacity, but it allows you to go into depths that even the Tadpole cannot.

Where to Find the Rebreather Fragment

You only need to scan one Rebreather fragment to unlock the blueprint, even though several are scattered around the map. The easiest one to find is in the Colonist Bunker, roughly 300 meters southwest of the Lifepod at around 88 meters deep, built into a cliff wall.

Unlock the Oxygen Control Biomod

Oxygen Control is a Passive Biomod unlocked by default the moment you build the Biolab inside the Welcome Center. While equipped, it slows your oxygen consumption whenever you stay still,.

Use the Portable Oxygen Generator for Emergency Air

For a backup source of air that doesn't take up an equipment slot, the Portable Oxygen Generator recharges itself over time and can be popped for an emergency oxygen top-up. Note, however, that it's a supplement to your air tank and not a replacement for it.

Build a Vehicle (Tadpole)

Building a vehicle, or in Subnautica 2, a Tadpole, is the best way to refill your O2 gauge as you explore, as it automatically refills your oxygen the moment you step inside.

How to Get More Oxygen

Craft a Standard Air Tank

You don't need a blueprint to craft the Standard Air Tank. You'll need x2 Titanium, x1 Rubber, and x2 Silver. The Standard Air Tank increases your O2 gauge from 45 to 75 seconds.

Upgrade to a High Capacity Air Tank

The High Capacity Air Tank increases your oxygen supply from 75 seconds to 120 seconds, making it one of the best early upgrades in the game. To unlock this item, you'll need a Recipe Data Card inside a wreck roughly 285 meters southwest of the Lifepod, the same location as the Rebreather fragment.

Related Articles

Recommended Guides

Walkthrough (Early to Late-Game)	Where to Go and What to Do Next	Tadpole Pens: How to Open the Locked Door
Plant Farming Guide	Cooking and Recipes Guide	Best Biomods
Best Tadpole Upgrades	Metal Farm Guide

Progression & Priorities
Early Game	Mid-Game	Endgame

Lists

All Leviathans	All Items List	Biomes & PoI List
Blackbox List	Recipe Data Cards (Blueprints)	Vehicle List
Buildings & Facilities List	Best Base Locations	Best Tools to Craft

Notable Items

Salt	Silver	Copper
Lead	Lucifer Rotsac	Conduit Crystals
Creature Enamel	Enameled Glass	Troilite
Celestine

Guides for Beginners

Multiplayer Guide	How to Eat Food (Digestion)	How to Craft Items
Drinking Water Guide	How to Craft Air Tank?	How to Get Basic Fins
Scanner Station Guide	How to Manage Your Oxygen?	Base Guide
Alien Ruins	How to Use Coordinates	Tadpole Guide
How to Get More Storage	How to Get a Rebreather	Bioscanner Guide
Night Survival Guide	How to Heal	Angel Comb Guide
How to Power Your Base	How to Recharge Batteries and Tools	How to Get the Repair Tool
World Tree Guide	Flashlight Guide	Strong Acid Guide
How to Get Heat Tolerance	Scanner Guide	How to Get Tadpole Depth Module Mk. 2
How to Get a Wakemaker	How to Get Fibrous Pulp	How to Get a Wiring Kit
How to Get Advanced Wiring Kit	How to Get the Entangled Power Cell	How to Refund Bases

Pre-Game Guides

Specs Requirements	New Game Features	Is There Crossplay?
Supported Devices	Update & Roadmap	How Long to Beat?
Can You Play Subnautica 2 on PS5 and PS4?	Is Subnautica 2 on Xbox?	Is Subnautica 2 on Steam?
Is Subnautica 2 on Switch?