How to Make a Wakemaker in Subnautica 2

TL;DR

• The Wakemaker is a diver propulsion tool that massively increases your swimming speed — the Subnautica 2 equivalent of the original game’s Seaglide.
• You need to scan 3 Wakemaker fragments to unlock the blueprint.
• All three fragments are within 200 meters of the Lifepod and reachable early game.
• Craft it at a Fabricator using: 1x Silver, 1x Wiring Kit, 1x Grease, 1x Basic Battery.
• It also has a built-in light — making a standalone Flashlight less necessary once you have it.
• Runs on Basic Batteries. Always carry spares. Press R to swap batteries without going back to base.

Swimming everywhere by hand gets old fast in Subnautica 2. The Wakemaker changes that completely. It is a pair of arm-mounted propulsion fans — a personal diver propulsion vehicle (DPV) — that dramatically boosts your underwater movement speed. It is the single biggest mobility upgrade available before you get the Tadpole submarine, and you can craft it surprisingly early in the game.

This guide covers all three fragment locations with exact directions, the full crafting recipe, and how to get the most out of the Wakemaker once you have it. If you are brand new to the game, check our Subnautica 2 beginner tips guide first.

What Is the Wakemaker?

The Wakemaker is described in-game as a personal DPV for long-distance transit outside a submarine. It mounts to your arms and engages twin fans when selected from your hotbar. When you equip it and swim, you move significantly faster than with Basic Fins alone — not Tadpole-fast, but close enough to make exploration, resource runs, and mission travel dramatically less tedious.

It also has a built-in light source, which means once you have it, a dedicated Flashlight becomes largely redundant. Two tools in one slot effectively.

It runs on Basic Batteries. Each dive depletes the charge gradually. When the battery runs low, press R on PC (or the equivalent on controller) to swap it out mid-dive without returning to base. Always carry at least one spare charged battery when heading out for long runs.

Before You Start: What You Need

You need two things before hunting fragments:

• A crafted Scanner — you cannot scan fragments without it. If you have not built one yet, see our guide on how to craft the Scanner.
• The Standard Air Tank — two of the fragment locations are at 25–30 meters depth. Short but enough to make a depleted oxygen bar uncomfortable. The Air Tank nearly doubles your dive time and makes these runs much more relaxed.

You do not need the Sonic Resonator, Habitat Builder, or any advanced tools. All three fragments are accessible from the very early game with just a Scanner and decent oxygen. That said, having Basic Fins already equipped makes the swim between locations noticeably quicker.

How Many Fragments Do You Need?

Unlike some tools that only require one or two scans, the Wakemaker requires three scans to fully unlock the blueprint. Each fragment is in a separate location — you cannot get all three from a single wreck or ruin. Plan to make a loop visit of the three spots described below.

Once you have scanned all three, the Wakemaker recipe unlocks automatically and becomes available in your base Fabricator.

All Wakemaker Fragment Locations

Fragment 1 — ~95 Meters North-Northwest of the Lifepod

This is the closest fragment to your Lifepod and the easiest to grab first.

From your Lifepod, turn your compass to north-northwest — directly between the 330 and 345 degree markers. Swim straight ahead for roughly 95 meters, then look directly down. You will spot a cluster of broken metal containers and metal salvage scattered around an orange coral formation on the shallow seafloor.

Search inside the open metal containers. One of them holds the Wakemaker fragment. Equip your Scanner and scan it. This location is shallow and safe — no aggressive creatures, no special oxygen concerns.

You can also find a Wakemaker fragment inside Camp One (~250 meters north-northeast of the Lifepod). When you enter Camp One through the seafloor hatch, scan everything you can find inside — the Wakemaker fragment is among the scannable objects in that structure, alongside the Scanner Station fragment and other useful blueprints. Either route works for your first scan.

Fragment 2 — ~30 Meters Depth, 15 Degrees North of the Lifepod

From Fragment 1’s location, face roughly 15 degrees north on your compass. Swim a short distance past the nearby broken ship section visible on the seafloor. The fragment is inside a box next to a small science lab platform structure at a depth of about 30 meters.

Look for a small science lab-style platform resting on the seabed — it is a piece of colonist infrastructure. The Wakemaker fragment is inside a container right next to it. The depth is manageable with the Standard Air Tank, but if your oxygen is already running low from Fragment 1, surface briefly before descending for this one.

Fragment 3 — ~200 Meters Southeast of the Lifepod, Near Coral Crabs

The third fragment requires a slightly longer swim than the first two. From the Lifepod, head roughly 120 degrees southeast on your compass for approximately 200 meters. You are aiming for an area of the open seafloor where Coral Crabs are present — a useful visual landmark when you are in the right zone.

Look for another science lab platform sitting on the seabed at roughly 25 meters depth. The Wakemaker fragment is resting on a desk inside or directly next to this platform. Scan it for your third and final fragment.

Alternatively, after collecting Fragment 2, you can return to the Fragment 1 location, then face the 240-degree marker on your compass and swim roughly 20 meters straight ahead. Look down and you will see a crevice in the seafloor. Swim into the crevice and follow it all the way down. The third Wakemaker fragment is inside a metal box at the bottom of the crevice. This is a more direct route if you are already in the Fragment 1 area.

Once all three are scanned, NOA confirms the blueprint is unlocked. Head back to a Fabricator to craft it.

Wakemaker Crafting Recipe

The Wakemaker is crafted at a Fabricator — either your base Fabricator or, according to some sources, a fully functional base Fabricator (not just the basic Lifepod one). Here is everything you need:

Silver x1

Silver is the trickiest ingredient here. It is found in cave systems roughly 200 meters north of the Lifepod, inside caves marked by luminescent fauna and often near Pent — small orange creatures near cave entrances. One piece of Silver is enough for the Wakemaker itself. See our full Silver guide for exact cave locations.

Wiring Kit x1

Craft the Wiring Kit at the Fabricator using:

• Silver x1 — the same cave area as above. Budget 2 Silver total for this recipe: one for the Wakemaker directly, one for the Wiring Kit.
• Copper Wire x1 — craft at the Fabricator using 2x Copper Ore. Copper is extremely common in caves near the Lifepod.

Grease x1

Grease is crafted at the Fabricator using 1x Lucifer Rotsac. Lucifer Rotsac is the glowing orange bulb found on Cradle Shootroot plants scattered all over the shallow seafloor near the Lifepod. Pick it up by hand — no tool needed. One Lucifer Rotsac makes one Grease. Our guide on how to get Rubber and Lucifer Rotsac covers where to find them in bulk.

Basic Battery x1

Craft the Basic Battery at the Fabricator using:

• Copper Ore x2 — from cave walls near the Lifepod.
• Acidic Raion Pouch x1 — harvested from purple brain-like plants in caves using the Survival Multitool. Always cut the pouches from the sides first before touching the centre — the centre triggers an acid blast.

In total, the Wakemaker requires roughly 2x Silver, 3x Copper Ore, 1x Lucifer Rotsac, and 1x Acidic Raion Pouch as raw materials. All of these are available near the Lifepod. Ingots and Processor work are not required — this is a straightforward Fabricator craft once all ingredients are in your inventory.

Note: the Wiring Kit and Grease require no Processor work — everything here is made directly at the Fabricator.

How to Use the Wakemaker

Once crafted, drag the Wakemaker to a slot on your hotbar. Here is how to use it effectively:

1. Select the Wakemaker from your hotbar to equip it.
2. Your character extends their arms into the propulsion position — two fan units mount to the forearms.
3. Swim normally and the fans engage automatically, significantly boosting your speed in any direction.
4. You can still pick up items, open containers, and perform other actions while the Wakemaker is equipped.
5. Monitor the battery level indicator in your hotbar. When it runs low, press R with a charged Basic Battery in your inventory to swap it out.

The Wakemaker also has a built-in light source that activates while equipped. This means you no longer need a dedicated Flashlight in your hotbar when swimming at night or in dark caves — the Wakemaker handles both propulsion and illumination simultaneously. It frees up a valuable hotbar slot compared to carrying both a Flashlight and movement tool separately.

Battery Management Tips

Battery management is the main ongoing cost of the Wakemaker. Here are the habits that keep it running smoothly:

• Always carry at least one spare Basic Battery. Running out mid-dive leaves you swimming at normal speed far from the surface. One spare is the minimum; two is better for long resource runs.
• Swap before it dies, not after. Press R to swap at any point — you do not need to wait for a full drain. Swap when the bar gets low, not when it hits zero.
• Build a Battery Terminal at your base. The Battery Terminal is a wall-mounted base module that charges up to six batteries simultaneously using your base power. Scan two Battery Terminals in the world to unlock the blueprint. Before any dive, pull a fresh charged battery from the terminal and tuck a depleted one in to recharge for the next trip. It costs no active power — just passive base energy — making it one of the most efficient upgrades you can add to your base.
• Craft batteries in bulk. Copper Ore and Acidic Raion Pouches are common. Craft four or five Basic Batteries at a time and keep them stocked in a locker near your base exit so you always leave with full cells.
• Deselect the Wakemaker when stationary. The battery only drains when the tool is selected and active. If you are scanning something, opening a container, or waiting for oxygen to refill in an air pocket, switch to another hotbar slot to preserve the charge.

Wakemaker vs. Basic Fins — Which Is Better?

Both are worth having. They serve slightly different roles:

• Basic Fins — passive speed boost. Always active while swimming. No battery required. Free upgrade once crafted. See our guide on how to swim faster in Subnautica 2 for crafting details.
• Wakemaker — active speed boost. Requires battery and a hotbar slot. Significantly faster than Fins alone. Has built-in light. Better for long-distance travel and deep cave runs.

The ideal setup is both equipped at the same time. Fins give you a passive baseline speed increase even when the Wakemaker is deselected or its battery is empty. The Wakemaker stacks on top for a combined speed that makes ocean travel genuinely fast. Do not skip Fins thinking the Wakemaker replaces them — treat them as complements, not alternatives.

Tips for Getting the Wakemaker Fast

• Do the fragment loop early. All three fragments are within 200 meters of the Lifepod. You can do the full three-scan run in a single dive with the Standard Air Tank. Do not delay — every resource run after this is faster once you have it.
• Scan Camp One while you are there. Camp One contains a Wakemaker fragment alongside the Scanner Station blueprint and other useful scans. Hitting Camp One early knocks out multiple progression steps at once. Our Scanner Station guide covers that trip in detail.
• Farm Silver before the craft trip. The Wakemaker needs 2 Silver total (1 direct, 1 for the Wiring Kit). Plan a Silver cave run first, then come back to craft everything in one go. See our Silver guide for the closest cave locations.
• Use it for every mission. Once equipped, always take the Wakemaker on NOA missions and resource runs. The time saving compounds over dozens of dives. It makes the difference between a 10-minute farming run and a 5-minute one, every single time.
• Pair it with Air Bladders. The Wakemaker speeds up horizontal travel. Air Bladders handle fast vertical ascent when oxygen gets low. Together they form an efficient survival kit for long open-water dives.

Summary: How to Make the Wakemaker

1. Craft a Scanner at the Lifepod Fabricator if you do not have one.
2. Swim ~95 meters north-northwest from the Lifepod. Search metal containers near the orange coral for Fragment 1.
3. Swim to the small science lab platform near the broken ship, ~15 degrees north at 30 meters depth, for Fragment 2.
4. Swim ~200 meters southeast (120 degrees) to the Coral Crab area at 25 meters depth. Scan the fragment on the desk at the science lab platform for Fragment 3.
5. Blueprint unlocks. Go to a Fabricator.
6. Gather 2x Silver, 3x Copper Ore, 1x Lucifer Rotsac, and 1x Acidic Raion Pouch.
7. Craft Copper Wire, Wiring Kit, Grease, and Basic Battery at the Fabricator.
8. Craft the Wakemaker. Add it to your hotbar and start covering distance.

The Wakemaker is one of the best early investments you can make in Subnautica 2. Every dive after you get it feels faster, every resource run is shorter, and the ocean that felt enormous at the start begins to shrink to a manageable size.

For more guides, see our articles on how to get Quartz, how to get Strong Acid, how to build the Processor and craft Ingots, best early upgrades and progression path, and our full Subnautica 2 co-op multiplayer guide. The game is available on Steam and Xbox Game Pass.