TL;DR
- The Tadpole has a default crush depth of 250 meters. Below that, it takes hull damage.
- The Depth Module Mk. 1 raises the limit to 450 meters. This is the main upgrade you need.
- Find the blueprint in the Needler Nest cave, south-southeast of the Alien Base at bearing 165 degrees.
- Craft it at a Modification Station using 3x Celestine, 2x Enameled Glass, and 1x System Chip.
- Install it by interacting with the upgrade slot on top of the Tadpole, next to the Power Cell hatch.
- Depth modules do not stack. Only one can be active at a time.
- The Depth Module Mk. 2 pushes the limit to 800 meters but is currently only available in Creative Mode.
- Always carry a Repair Tool. If you accidentally push past crush depth, you need it to fix hull damage.
You are exploring the deep ocean in Subnautica 2 and a warning flashes up: Warning: Crush Depth. Hull Damage Imminent. Your Tadpole starts taking damage. You have to retreat.
This is one of the first major progression walls players hit after building their submarine. The Tadpole is a fantastic vehicle, but its default depth limit of 250 meters cuts off large sections of the ocean. To push deeper, you need the Tadpole Depth Module upgrade.
This guide covers exactly what the crush depth warning means, where to find the Depth Module blueprint, how to craft it, how to install it, and every other Tadpole upgrade worth knowing about.
What Is Crush Depth in Subnautica 2?
Every submarine in Subnautica 2 has a maximum safe operating depth called the crush depth. The Tadpole’s default crush depth is 250 meters. The moment you push the vehicle below that threshold, the hull starts taking damage from the water pressure.
If you keep driving deeper past the warning, the hull damage builds up until the vehicle needs repair. Push it far enough without fixing it and the Tadpole becomes unusable. You will need a Repair Tool to restore hull integrity whenever this happens. Our guide on how to get the Repair Tool in Subnautica 2 covers where to find the blueprint and how to craft it.
The crush depth warning does not mean instant destruction. You have time to ascend or repair. But ignoring it repeatedly will cost you your vehicle, so take it seriously.
What You Need Before Getting the Depth Module
The Depth Module blueprint is not available right from the start. It is a mid-game upgrade tied to story progression. Before you can get it, several things need to be in place.
- A built Tadpole. You need the vehicle before the upgrade makes any sense. Our guide on how to build the Tadpole in Subnautica 2 covers the full process from fragment scanning to launching your sub.
- Heat Tolerance Adaptation. The Depth Module blueprint is located past the hot biome. You cannot reach it safely without this upgrade. Our Angel Comb puzzle guide in Subnautica 2 walks through exactly how to unlock Heat Tolerance step by step.
- Story progression to the Alien Base. The clue that points you to the Depth Module location comes from the NOA Terminal inside the Alien Base. You need to have reached and explored this location first, which happens naturally as you follow the main story.
- A Modification Station at your base. This is where you craft the module after finding the blueprint. It costs 2x Titanium, 2x Celestine, and 2x Copper to build. If you have not built one yet, do it before you go looking for the blueprint.
Where to Find the Tadpole Depth Module Blueprint
The Depth Module blueprint is found inside the Needler Nest — a cave located south-southeast of the Alien Base.
Here is how to get there step by step:
- Start at the Alien Base. Check the NOA Terminal inside it. The terminal will give you a clue about a Tadpole that went down south-southeast, pointing you toward bearing 165 degrees.
- From the Alien Base, follow bearing 165 degrees south-southeast for approximately 250 meters.
- You will reach a cliff face with Creature Enamel visible on the bottom surface. Head toward the seabed and look for a circular cave entrance.
- Enter the cave. You may briefly trigger a depth warning as you descend. Gain some height inside the cavern once you are in to clear it.
- Inside the cavern, look for a hole in the ground and position your Tadpole above it.
- Exit your Tadpole and dive into the hole on foot.
- Inside you will find a crashed Tadpole wreck. The Depth Module blueprint datacard is on the ground directly in front of it. Pick it up to unlock the crafting recipe.
- While you are there, scan the hull of the crashed Tadpole. It counts toward additional Tadpole fragment scans that unlock further chassis upgrades.
Watch out: A Needler Mango creature guards this cave location. It is hostile and will attack you while you are on foot. Have a plan for dealing with it before you exit your Tadpole. The Sonic Resonator can stun enemies to buy you time if you need to retreat.
Enable all landmark signals in your character menu before making this trip. It makes navigation toward the Alien Base and the cave entrance significantly easier.
How to Craft the Tadpole Depth Module Mk. 1
Once you have the blueprint, head back to your base and use the Modification Station to craft the module.
Depth Module Mk. 1 — Crafting Materials:
- 3x Celestine
- 2x Enameled Glass
- 1x System Chip
Celestine is the main material gate here. Our guide on how to get Celestine in Subnautica 2 covers every location where you can farm it reliably.
Enameled Glass requires regular Glass combined with Creature Enamel. For Creature Enamel farming locations, see our guide on where to find Creature Enamel in Subnautica 2. Glass itself is made from Quartz, which is easy to gather early on. Our guide on how to get quartz in Subnautica 2 covers the fastest collection spots.
The System Chip is a crafted component used in several mid-game recipes. Make sure you have one ready before sitting down at the Modification Station.
How to Install the Depth Module on Your Tadpole
Crafting the module is only half the job. You also need to equip it. Here is how:
- Swim to your docked Tadpole with the Depth Module in your inventory.
- Look at the top of the Tadpole, near where you insert the Power Cell. You will see an Open Upgrade slot panel there.
- Interact with the upgrade panel to open the module management menu.
- Drag the Depth Module from your inventory into one of the available upgrade slots.
- The module activates immediately. Your Tadpole’s crush depth now extends to 450 meters.
Note that depth modules do not stack. Installing two Mk. 1 modules does nothing extra. Only one depth module can be active at a time, and only the highest tier one applies.
Tadpole Depth Module Mk. 2
The Depth Module Mk. 2 exists in the game and pushes the Tadpole’s crush depth from 450 meters all the way to 800 meters. However, it was accidentally left in by the developers as of Early Access Version 1 and is currently only available in Creative Mode.
In Survival Mode, the Mk. 1 at 450 meters is the deepest you can go with the Tadpole right now. This is expected to change in a future update as more biomes and story content are added. Keep an eye on patch notes as Early Access develops.
How to Build the Modification Station
If you have not built a Modification Station yet, you need one before crafting the Depth Module. Here is what it costs:
- 2x Titanium
- 2x Celestine
- 2x Copper
Build it through your Habitat Builder under the Interior Facilities tab. Place it inside any room in your base. Once placed, interact with it and select the Tadpole upgrade category to find and craft all available modules.
For titanium and copper, our guides on how to get titanium in Subnautica 2 and where to find copper in Subnautica 2 have the full farming details.
Other Tadpole Upgrades Worth Getting
The Depth Module is the most important upgrade, but it is not the only one worth pursuing. Here is every other confirmed module and what it does.
Engine Efficiency Module
Effect: Reduces Tadpole power consumption by 20%. This one stacks. You can install up to four copies for a maximum of 80% power reduction, dramatically extending how long your vehicle runs between charges.
Blueprint location: Inside the Alien Base.
Materials: 1x Titanium Ingot, 2x Glass, 1x System Chip.
Stacking two of these immediately makes a noticeable difference to your range on long exploration runs.
Scout Ray Chassis (Speed Upgrade)
Effect: Maximizes the Tadpole’s acceleration, top speed, and turn rate. A significant mobility improvement for players who spend a lot of time travelling across the map.
Blueprint location: Inside the Tadpole Pens.
Materials: 2x Plasteel Ingot, 1x Advanced Wiring Kit, 1x Dedicated Core, 1x Strong Acid.
For Plasteel Ingots, you will need lithium. Our guide on where to find lithium in Subnautica 2 covers exactly where to get it. For Strong Acid, see our guide on how to get Strong Acid in Subnautica 2.
Photovoltaic Charger
Effect: Charges the Tadpole’s Power Cell passively while the vehicle is in shallow water above 40 meters during daylight hours. Useful for players who frequently return to shallow zones.
Blueprint location: Cicada Wreck (EVA Prep), past the Alien Base. You receive a NOA Terminal ping about the Iso blackbox recording that marks it on your map.
Materials: 1x Copper Ingot, 1x Strong Acid, 1x Troilite.
Cavitation Muffler
Effect: Reduces the noise the Tadpole makes while moving, lowering the detection range of hostile creatures. This becomes very important once you reach the Metal Farms area and eastern ocean zones where Leviathan-class enemies patrol.
Blueprint location: Metal Farms area, approximately 700 meters east-southeast of the Alien Base. A Leviathan roams this zone, so approach carefully.
Materials: 3x Titanium, 2x Strontium.
Tips for Managing Tadpole Depth and Power
- Always carry a Repair Tool on deep dives. If you accidentally push past crush depth, hull damage starts immediately. A Repair Tool lets you fix it without abandoning your vehicle or losing a trip. Our guide on how to get the Repair Tool in Subnautica 2 covers the full unlock process.
- Bring a spare Power Cell. Long dives drain your cell faster than you expect. A spare in your inventory means you can swap it out mid-dive and keep going without docking.
- Stack Engine Efficiency modules early. Two copies cut your power drain by 40%. That doubles your effective range between recharges and makes every exploration run significantly more productive.
- Dock your Tadpole to recharge. A Tadpole Dock attached to your Moonpool automatically recharges the Power Cell while your base is powered. Our guide on how to add power to your base in Subnautica 2 covers every power source if you need to upgrade your energy setup first.
- Use the Tadpole for co-op passenger transport. In multiplayer, other players can grab the side handles of the Tadpole while you pilot it. You can also attach a Portable Storage to the hardpoint on the back of the vehicle, turning it into an effective resource hauler on long farming runs. See our Subnautica 2 multiplayer co-op guide for more on how shared sessions work.
- Enable the Cavitation Muffler before entering Leviathan territory. The eastern zones past the Alien Base contain large predatory creatures that react to vehicle noise. The Muffler significantly reduces your chances of attracting them on resource runs.
- Scan nearby Tadpole wrecks. Extra scans unlock additional chassis upgrades. The crashed Tadpole next to the Depth Module blueprint is one worth scanning while you are already there.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tadpole Depth in Subnautica 2
What Happens If I Ignore the Crush Depth Warning?
Your Tadpole takes continuous hull damage. The damage builds up and if you stay too deep for too long without repairing, your vehicle will be severely damaged. It will not be destroyed instantly, but ignoring it repeatedly will eventually make the vehicle non-functional until repaired.
Do Depth Modules Stack in Subnautica 2?
No. You can only have one active depth module at a time and they do not stack. Installing two Mk. 1 modules gives you no extra depth over using just one. Replace Mk. 1 with Mk. 2 when it becomes available rather than running both.
Can I Use the Tadpole Before Getting the Depth Module?
Yes, absolutely. The default 250-meter crush depth covers most of the early and mid-game areas you need to explore. The Depth Module becomes critical once the story pushes you toward the Alien Base area and deeper zones past it.
How Do I Recharge My Tadpole?
Dock the Tadpole at a Tadpole Dock attached to your Moonpool. As long as your base has power, the dock automatically recharges the Power Cell. You can also manually swap the Power Cell through the hatch on top of the vehicle if you have a spare. Make sure your base stays powered — our guide on how to add power to your base in Subnautica 2 explains all the generator options.
Where Is the Tadpole Upgrade Slot?
Look at the top of your Tadpole, near where you insert the Power Cell. There is an Open Upgrade panel there. Interact with it to open the upgrade management menu and drag modules from your inventory into the available slots.
Final Thoughts
The Tadpole Depth Module is one of the most important upgrades you will make in the mid-game. At 250 meters the ocean starts to feel small fast, especially once the story pushes you toward deeper zones around the Alien Base and beyond. Getting the Mk. 1 installed and pushing to 450 meters opens a whole new range of biomes, resources, and objectives that were previously out of reach.
Priority-wise, get Depth Module Mk. 1 first, then stack Engine Efficiency modules for better range, and add the Cavitation Muffler before exploring the deeper eastern zones where Leviathans patrol. That upgrade order covers the biggest practical gaps in your vehicle’s performance in the right sequence.
If you are still working on getting your Tadpole built in the first place, our guide on how to build the Tadpole in Subnautica 2 covers every step from scanning fragments to launching your sub. And if you want to know what other upgrades and priorities to plan for once you are mobile, our guide on the best early upgrades and progression path in Subnautica 2 has a full recommended order.
Subnautica 2 is available now in early access on Steam and Xbox Game Preview.
