POTION BENEFICIAL Present since 1.14 or earlier

Potion of Water Breathing how to brew it in Minecraft

A Potion of Water Breathing stops your air bar from going down, so you can stay underwater as long as the effect lasts. It is the potion for ocean monuments, underwater builds and long dives, and the long version is the one worth brewing.

Brew it step by step

Put Blaze Powder in the fuel slot and up to 3 bottles at the bottom, then add each ingredient at the top.

01 + → Awkward PotionNether Wart + Water Bottle
02 + → Potion of Water BreathingPufferfish + Awkward Potion
+ + → OptionalPotion of Water Breathing (+)Redstone Dust · Extends the duration · 8:00
+ + → OptionalSplash PotionGunpowder · Throwable
+ + → OptionalLingering PotionDragon's Breath · Leaves a cloud, base for Tipped Arrows

// Fuel: Blaze Powder

At a glance

Effect: Water Breathing
Duration: 3:00
With Redstone: 8:00
Level II: Doesn’t exist
Key ingredient: Pufferfish

All variants and durations

Variant	Normal	With Redstone	Level II
Potion	3:00	8:00	—
Splash Potion	3:00	8:00	—
Lingering Potion	0:45	2:00	—
Tipped Arrow	0:23	1:00	—

■ Normal · ■ With Redstone · Lingering = ¼ of the duration, Tipped Arrow = ⅛

What Water Breathing does

BeneficialWater Breathing

Lets you breathe underwater: your air bar doesn't go down.

Commands

Potion/give →

/give @s minecraft:potion[potion_contents={potion:"minecraft:long_water_breathing"}]

Splash Potion/give →

/give @s minecraft:splash_potion[potion_contents={potion:"minecraft:long_water_breathing"}]

Lingering Potion/give →

/give @s minecraft:lingering_potion[potion_contents={potion:"minecraft:long_water_breathing"}]

When you need it

Raiding an Ocean Monument. The fight against Guardians and the Elder Guardian takes time, and getting out to breathe means leaving the area you just cleared.
Underwater building. Clearing water, placing glass domes or digging out a monument room is slow work that a full air bar cannot cover.
Exploring the sea floor. Ocean ruins, shipwrecks and underwater caves all reward a dive without a timer.

The underwater kit

Water Breathing only solves air. To work underwater comfortably, pair it with:

a Potion of Night Vision to see clearly;
Aqua Affinity on your helmet, since mining underwater is otherwise very slow;
Depth Strider on your boots to walk at a normal pace;
Respiration as a safety net for when the potion runs out.

For a permanent base under the sea, a Conduit gives Conduit Power, which includes water breathing in its whole range.

Pitfalls

Do not eat the Pufferfish. Eaten raw, it poisons you. Keep it for the brewing stand.
Mining Fatigue still applies. Elder Guardians slow your mining whatever you drink. A Milk Bucket clears it for a moment, but they reapply it until they are dead.
Watch the timer when deep. If the effect ends at the bottom of a monument, the way back up may be longer than your air bar.

Getting Pufferfish

Pufferfish come from fishing anywhere, or from killing Pufferfish in warm and lukewarm oceans. The Wandering Trader sometimes sells a Bucket of Pufferfish if you are far from warm water.

✓ Checked in Java Edition 26.3 · updated 1 November 2026

Potion of Water Breathing — FAQ

Does Water Breathing let you see underwater?

No. It only keeps your air bar full. Combine it with a Potion of Night Vision to see clearly.

Is Water Breathing better than Respiration?

For long dives, yes: the potion stops air loss completely while it lasts, whereas Respiration only slows it down. Respiration is a good backup for when the potion ends.

Can you get Water Breathing without a potion?

Yes. A Conduit gives Conduit Power, which includes water breathing in its range, and a Turtle Shell helmet gives a short burst of it.

How do you make a Potion of Water Breathing?

Add Pufferfish to Awkward Potion in a brewing stand.

How long does a Potion of Water Breathing last?

3:00 as a normal potion, 8:00 with Redstone.