Horizon Forbidden West Diving Mask: How to Breathe Underwater

Horizon Forbidden West Aloy using Diving Mask in an underwater ruin

Horizon Forbidden West Aloy using Diving Mask in an underwater ruin

Horizon Forbidden West is an open-world action role-playing game from Guerilla Games. It's the sequel to 2017's Horizon Zero Dawn and, as you'd expect from a sequel, the world has become a lot bigger. Aloy must venture into the mysterious Forbidden West to find a way to save her world, again.

Her quest to stop a mysterious red blight, bring an end to Regalla, and stop an old foe will take Aloy across numerous different environments. From the snowy peaks of the Mountains, to the barren deserts filled with machine carcasses, there's a lot to explore. You can even explore underwater, but Aloy can only hold her breath for so long. If you want to explore the depths safely, you'll need a special tool to help you breathe underwater.

In this guide, we are going to show you how to get the Diving Mask to breathe underwater.

Horizon Forbidden West Diving Mask Workbench
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How to Breathe Underwater

To breathe underwater in the game, you'll need to get a tool called the "Diving Mask". You get the tool as part of "The Sea of Sands" main story mission. Near the beginning of the mission, you'll meet some Oseram Delvers. They'll discuss an underwater delve that seems impossible. This will lead to the invention of the Diving Mask, but it's up to you to collect the components to build it. Luckily, all the parts you need can be collected nearby:

  • x1 Compressed Air Capsule - This can be found halfway down the elevator shaft that is filled with water. Using Circle to boost yourself through the water is the easiest way to get it without drowning.
  • x1 Machine Knee Cap - Follow the marker to a herd of Leaplashers. Defeat all of them and one of them will give you a machine Kneecap.
  • x1 Synthetic Membrane - If you don't get this piece from the Leaplasher Herd, then there are plenty of other machines in the Las Vegas ruins that will give you this part.

When you've collected the components, you'll need to take the pieces back to the Oseram Delvers. You then need to use the workbench to craft the Diving Mask. After you craft it, the mask will become a permanent addition to your inventory, and you'll be able to breathe underwater.

How to Equip the Diving Mask

The Diving Mask will equip itself as soon as Aloy dives into deep water (such as the flooded ruin). If the water is shallow and there's little risk of drowning, the mask will not appear.

Exploring underwater areas to collect items or to explore ruins is just one of the many things you can do in Horizon Forbidden West. You'll need to learn a lot of new skills if you want to survive your time in the game. This is why it's a good idea to take some time out to complete the Hunting Grounds. Take a look at our Hunting Grounds Guide to learn more about what they are, and the rewards you can expect to get when you complete them. Also, with so much to explore, it can take a while to get around on foot. Check out our Fast Travel Guide to learn how to travel around the map quickly.