Quick answer
Dexerto lists Basic Fins as feet-slot equipment with a small speed boost, crafted at the Fabricator from Rubber x2 and Fiber x2. All Things How matches the 2 Rubber + 2 Fiber recipe and breaks the raw chain down to 4 Lucifer Rotsac and 4 Fibrous Pulp. GameWith instead lists Rubber x2 and Fiber Mesh x2, while also saying the recipe is available from the start and later upgrades into Improved Fins with Basic Fins, Fiber Mesh, and Conduit Crystal. Check your Fabricator first, then pair the fins with Air Tank, Wakemaker, and Repair Tool prep before longer swims.
Field notes from the first swim upgrade
Make them before the route feels urgent
Basic Fins feel small on paper, then save a few seconds on every surface trip, salvage sweep, and oxygen retreat. Crafting them before a long resource route is better than promising yourself you will do it afterward.
Check the ingredient name, not just the guide
The live guide sources do not agree on Fiber versus Fiber Mesh. That is annoying, but it is also easy to handle: open your Fabricator first, then farm the exact wording your save shows.
Keep the first pair in the upgrade chain
Improved Fins can use Basic Fins as the base item. Store the starter pair if you swap equipment later; rebuilding old gear because you threw it away is a classic early-base tax.
Basic Fins route plan
Check the Fabricator recipe first
Dexerto and All Things How list Fiber, while GameWith lists Fiber Mesh. Before you farm the wrong plant material, open the Fabricator and confirm what your current build asks for.
Make Rubber before the longer swim
Rubber is already part of your early oxygen chain. If you have Lucifer Rotsac nearby, craft the Rubber first so the fins are not blocked by one missing processed material.
Grab the plant material in the same loop
All Things How breaks the raw chain into Lucifer Rotsac and Fibrous Pulp. Pair the run with Fiber or Fiber Mesh prep instead of making a separate trip.
Craft fins before deeper errands
The speed bump is small, but it touches every later swim. Make Basic Fins before Silver, Quartz, Rubber refills, or long wreck loops.
Pair speed with oxygen, not confidence
Fins help you cover water faster, but they do not make a bad oxygen plan safe. Treat them as part of the same kit as Air Tank, Wakemaker, Scanner, and a clean return marker.
Keep the old pair for Improved Fins
GameWith says Basic Fins can later upgrade into Improved Fins with Fiber Mesh and Conduit Crystal. Do not trash the first pair just because a better option appears.
First swim kit
Rubber
2
Lucifer Rotsac chain.
Fiber
2
Confirm exact Fabricator wording.
Upgrade
Later
Keep for Improved Fins.
Basic Fins checklist
| Need | What to confirm |
|---|---|
| Station | Fabricator equipment craft. |
| Rubber | Current sources agree on Rubber x2. |
| Fiber slot | Dexerto / All Things How say Fiber x2; GameWith says Fiber Mesh x2. |
| Use | Feet-slot fins with a small swim speed boost. |
| Upgrade | GameWith lists Basic Fins as part of Improved Fins. |
| Route kit | Pair with Air Tank, Wakemaker, Scanner, and Repair Tool planning. |
Source conflict: Fiber or Fiber Mesh
This is exactly the kind of Early Access detail that can drift. Dexerto and All Things How currently say Fiber, while GameWith says Fiber Mesh. The safe play is simple: check the in-game Fabricator before collecting the second ingredient.
FAQ
How do you craft Basic Fins in Subnautica 2?
Craft them at the Fabricator. Current sources agree on Rubber x2, but differ on whether the second ingredient is Fiber x2 or Fiber Mesh x2, so confirm the recipe in your save.
Are Basic Fins worth crafting early?
Yes. GameWith calls them one of the first upgrades worth crafting, and the speed boost helps every early resource loop before the Tadpole vehicle.
Do Basic Fins need scanning?
Sources differ. Dexerto lists scan and pickup unlock requirements, while GameWith says the recipe is unlocked from the start. If the recipe is missing, scan or pick up Fins-related data before farming.
Can Basic Fins be upgraded?
GameWith lists Improved Fins as an upgrade using Basic Fins, Fiber Mesh, and Conduit Crystal.