RUST Submarine Guide

What are RUST Submarines?

RUST Submarines are the first water-based vehicle that allows players to submerge in water and utilize a built-in weapon system. They can fire Torpedoes, which can be used to attack other vessels, such as Rowboats, Tugboats, RHIBs, Kayaks, and other submersibles. These few abilities and more make Submarines in RUST the indisputable king of sea travel.

Introduced in the Going Deep Update, RUST Submarines give players two different methods for traversing the seas. Players can now travel above and below the water, unlike the previously released water vehicles.

Where to locate RUST Submarines, and how much do they cost?

Players can purchase submarines in RUST from the Boat Shop vendors found at the Large and Small Fishing Village monuments using Scrap. Fishing Village monuments spawn randomly on each map, so you must locate them by pressing the G key while in-game to open your map.

RUST Submarine costs

There are two options available at two price points:

1. Solo Submarine for 200 Scrap
2. Duo Submarine for 300 Scrap

Both versions come equipped with 50 Low Grade Fuel in their fuel tank, allowing the new owner to sail off immediately. Once purchased, it will appear in the water behind the Boat Vendor. It will only be available to be entered by the player who purchased it for a limited amount of time (5 minutes) before the Boat Vendor repossesss the sub without a refund.

Players interested in scoring a Submarine for free should look for player-made bases on the water designed to store boats as an optional raid target. Also, consider lurking around the various Underwater Lab monuments, specifically watching the moonpools. Hijacking a Submarine can be done by simply hopping into an abandoned one and sailing it away. Be sure to carry some extra Low Grade Fuel if you plan on “acquiring” a sub this way.

Players cannot craft them, and they do not appear in the tech tree.

RUST Submarine controls: enter, exit, accelerate, submerge, & more

Learning the controls to pilot the single and double-passenger Submarines are identical and easy to master.

The RUST Submarine controls

• E Key to Enter
• Space Bar Key to Exit
• W Key to Accelerate
• S Key to Decelerate & Reverse
• A Key to Turn Left
• D Key to Turn Right
• Hold Shift Key to Ascend
• Hold Left CTRL Key to Submerge
• F Key to Toggle Headlights
• Left Mouse Button to Fire Torpedoes

Players can enter a Submarine by walking up to the vessel, moving their mouse cursor over the hatch, and pressing the E key. To exit the vehicle, regardless of which seat you’re in, simply press the Space Bar key.

Holding the W  key down will accelerate forward, and holding the S key will decelerate and reverse once the vessel stops moving. The A and D keys will turn the Submarine left and right.

To travel upwards and ascend to the surface, hold down the SHIFT key, and when you want to submerge or descend, hold down the Left CTRL key and accelerate forward. Using the mouse will move your perspective inside the Submarine to look out the portholes or interact with objects.

While they come with a small amount of Low Grade Fuel, courtesy of the Boat Vendor, you will eventually need to refuel the sub. The Solo Submarine in RUST has an external fuel tank. However, if you hold the Alt & / keys to look around, you can see behind you and access the tank from inside.

Tapping the F key will toggle the headlights, giving you a fair amount of visibility in the dark water. However, remember that the headlights give you away to other players watching from the surface, making you stand out more at night.

Firing Torpedos requires the Submarine’s ammo storage to have one or more Torpedos inside. When it’s equipped and the vehicle is active, simply press the Left Mouse button to fire an individual Torpedo. Each subsequent press will fire an additional Torpedo.

Submarine oxygen requirements

Whenever you submerge in the Solo or Duo Submarines, a 10-minute timer for your air consumption will appear just above your life meter. Keep a close eye on this meter since it tells you two things:

1. How much air you have left
2. What method are you drawing air from

The Submarine’s hull will display a little “Submarine” icon before the oxygen timer; this is how you know you are breathing air from the hull. If you see an oxygen tank or a lung icon, your hull’s oxygen has depleted, and you are breathing on an alternate source.

When the oxygen gauge runs out for the hull, you will either switch over to the air in your oxygen tank, assuming you brought one, or you will begin to suffocate (not good)! Bring an oxygen tank for backup if you plan to be underwater for an extended period.

To refill the air in the hull, simply surface, and it will refill automatically. This can be done at the ocean’s surface and Underwater Labs’ moon pools.

When trying to surface for air, use the proper controls for surfacing. Many players make a mistake while piloting the Submarine by accidentally pressing the Space Bar to rise instead of the Shift key, which dismounts the sub rather than surfacing it. And unless you wear an oxygen tank, you won’t likely have enough air to reach the surface, resulting in death.

The RUST Solo Submarine: price, description, features

The Solo Submarine costs 200 Scrap and looks like a large, rusty red oil barrel with homemade modifications, such as the welded-on light at the bow and the strapped-on red plastic fuel tank and toolbox. Black rubber tubing feeds into the vessel’s port and starboard sides in what appears to be fuel tanks. The strapped-on toolbox provides 12 storage slots to stow away loot and extra fuel. It’s a clear sign that this is not a military model.

Of the two models, the Solo Submarine has a total of 500 hit points. However, it also has fewer features available when compared to the Duo Submarine model, as no instrument cluster or controls are visible inside.

The Solo Submarine’s sail, otherwise known as a fin, distinctly stands out, with a total of four grimy, frosted-looking portholes that can only be seen out of while inside the vessel. Other players can’t visually determine if someone is inside unless the sub is actively moving, toggling its headlights, or firing Torpedoes, as players inside cannot be seen.

The sail also serves as the primary way to enter the vehicle, though you can enter it from below and on the sides of the Submarine. Players can enter the sub by standing next to it and placing their cursor over the sail, then pressing the E key to mount it. Players can get out of it by pressing the Space Bar key, whether underway or on the surface.

Small hydroplanes with ballast tanks directly below them are on the port and starboard sides of the Submarine. You will find a typical propeller for acceleration at the sub’s stern with a rudder to control left and right movements.

The RUST Duo Submarine: price, description, features

The Duo Submarine, which costs 300 scraps, has a similar appearance as the Solo Submarine, though it has a slightly larger hull and is primarily yellow with rust stains streaked all over. Three portholes are on the port and starboard sides, with a larger dash window in the front. On the upper portion of the vessel, you will find all the portholes, which are also one-way glass.

The sail is not as pronounced as the Solo Submarine but appears more advanced at first sight, as the fuel system is not strapped on the stern but located and accessible inside the pressure hull.

Inside the Duo Submarine is a considerably larger pressure hull, which can fit two players and allow seat swapping when there is one occupant.

While in the captain’s chair, your instrument cluster will display the following:

• Fuel Gauge
• Speedometer
• Sonar Control
• Depth Level Gauge
• Torpedo Storage
• Ammo Indicator

Fuel gauge

The fuel gauge is accessible only from the captain’s seat and will display a max of 160 fuel; however, both Submarines can hold up to 500 low-grade fuel inside their fuel tanks. This control will display an accurate live reading as the fuel tank contains 160 or lower low-grade fuel. Otherwise, it will read as full when it exceeds that number.

Speedometer

The speedometer is accessible only from the captain’s seat. It reads up to 20 KM/M & MPH and will activate as the Submarine moves forward or backward, displaying a live reading of the current speed.

Sonar control

The sonar control is accessible only from the captain’s seat and will display red dot indicators when players are near Underwater Lab monuments or other active Submarines. A sub will not appear on the sonar if it is not actively running.

Depth level gauge

The depth level gauge is accessible only from the captain’s seat and provides a live reading of the Submarine’s current depth of up to 45 meters.

Torpedo storage

The Torpedo storage is accessible only from the captain’s seat and allows players to insert up to 100 Torpedoes simultaneously. These can be fired at other vessels and players.

Ammo indicator

The ammo indicator is visible from both seats. When one or more Torpedoes are inside the storage, an ammo indicator flag will be in the “down” position. When there are 0 torpedoes in the torpedo storage, the flag will be in the “up” position, indicating that it’s empty.

Fuel tank

The fuel tank of the double-passenger Submarine is inside at the rear of the vehicle. You will need to be in the passenger seat to access the tank. Both subs can hold up to 500 Low Grade Fuel in their tanks and burn through fuel at a reasonable rate.

Tips for using Submarine Torpedoes

If players come face to face in Submarines, they can fire special Torpedo ammunition designed for the sub. While Facepunch promised different Torpedoes, they removed the surface traveling Torpedo instead of the regular Torpedo in the September 2021 Update.

Torpedoes travel in a straight line from the direction fired, and it requires two torpedoes to destroy most sea vehicles, including other Submarines.

You can buy the Torpedoes from the Boat Vendor at the fishing village for 75 Scrap. Alternatively, you can get your hands on the Torpedo Blueprint and craft them for one Metal Pipe and 30 Gun Powder per Torpedo.

The Torpedoes have no crosshairs, so getting accustomed to using them effectively will take a bit of practice. Also, remember that the Torpedo has a blast radius of about 5 meters, so don’t be right up against your target when you fire; otherwise, the splash damage will hurt you.

Storage, decay, and repair of RUST Submarines

Submarines, like many other vehicles in RUST, are a significant investment, not only of Scrap but your time spent gathering that Scrap and traveling to acquire the sub.

Storage

Keeping your Submarines stored indoors correctly is important. Those sitting out in the open or deep water are lucrative targets for other players. Leaving a sub out in the open is a quick way to make yourself a target. Storing your Submarine properly will also prevent it from decaying quickly.

Decay

Like other water vessels, Submarines have the same decay as Rowboats and RHIBs. When a boat is unused for the first 45 minutes, it won’t decay. Then, they’ll lose health over time, specifically for 240 minutes, if left unused outside of a water base. If left in deep water, it’s 180 minutes. If a Submarine is left indoors (roof overhead) and not in deep water, it won’t decay.

Repair

Submarines can take collision, decay, and weapon damage. Players shooting at Submarines with weapons can eventually destroy them. Being able to repair your submarine on the go and at home base is important. It requires having Metal Fragments and a Hammer. Most swings of the Hammer consume at most five Metal Fragments and repair approximately 55-65 damage per.

Durability damage chart

The RUST Submarines have 500 (solo) and 700 (duo) Hit Points, respectively; all calculations were done based on this number. While fire-based ballistics are included, their damage is impact-based only, as this vehicle is immune to fire damage over time. All calculations used an LR-300 Assault Rifle, MP5A4, and Pump Shotgun for the assorted ammo types at point-blank range, where applicable.

Going to the depths of RUST and beyond

They say life is sweeter under the sea but probably saltier. That may be the exception in RUST, as the Submarines undoubtedly free you from the villainy of other players. So, if you’re having difficulty getting your early wipe game started, it may be worthwhile to set up a boat base, find a scuba set, and take it to the sea.

For server admins interested in configurations surrounding subs, check out our guide on the RUST Submarine Command and Variables.