Beginner Guide
The day loop, oxygen basics, your first five fish, and not drowning on day one.
How a day should go
07:00 · Three things before launch
Check the weather board (storm = rare-fish window), repair the O2 tank (below 80% = repair now, do not be cheap), sort last night's stock by "expires today".
08:00-12:00 · Morning dive
Target depth = what tonight's menu needs. Do NOT go past 30m on day one — master the 10m band first: bucket jellyfish, sardines, learning the reef corners.
14:00 · Prep
Slice fish, cook rice. Rice needs ~2h to cool to body temperature — foreshadowing rule one on the Recipes page.
18:00-20:00 · Golden service
The pier's two rush hours. Solo: run a 6-dish menu; crews: split per the Co-Op page roles.
21:00 · After close
Wipe the counter (cleanliness seeds tomorrow's reputation), turn unsold fish into next-day specials (half margin, but no expiry).
The oxygen ledger (frame-lab v2)
| Depth | Burn rate | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 0-10m | 1.0x/sec | Beginner band. Effectively unlimited — if you remember the swim back |
| 10-30m | 1.6x/sec | The reef drop-off. Do not enter below 80% tank |
| 30-45m | 2.0x/sec | Tier-2 tank + flashlight required. Bring 50% margin on your first run |
| 45-60m | 2.4x/sec | Edge of the Deep Blue. Crew law: one person waits at 40m |
| Ascending | steady = -18% | Steady ascent saves 18% vs sprinting — the sprint camp is dead by data |
🫧 Buoyancy compensation refunds part of the burn — that is why 40m costs 2.4x, not the intuitive 4x. Some players porpoise up-and-down deliberately to farm the refund: the "dolphin cult", voted heresy by the crew at large.
First five fish: the week-one economy
| Fish | Depth | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Sardine | 10m band | Volume is justice. The sardine gunkan is your traffic anchor |
| Bucket Jellyfish | 0-5m | It stings — grab from the side. Early cash for the fryer |
| Horse Mackerel | 15-20m | Your first "night fish". Teaches you: some money keeps hours |
| Red Sea Bream | 25-30m | First real money. 8x sardine price — worth one 30m certification dive |
| Anglerfish | 45m | First lesson in fear pricing: where the lamp is, the money is — and the teeth |
Crew Q&A
Does unsold fish spoil?
APPROVEDYes. Fresh fish expires in 2 days (the tank buys one more day, for electricity). Two exceptions: cured fish lasts 5; finished dishes last 1. So "catch extra" means 1.2x tonight's menu, not the hold's capacity.
Is solo exhausting?
APPROVEDFully playable — it plays like a management sim; three-plus players is where the kitchen comedy starts. Solo early game: run 6 dishes, turn off the outdoor sign (less traffic), loosen up when you can hire help.
What do I lose on death?
PENDINGBlacking out gets you hauled back to the pier: you drop this dive's catch, keep money and gear. One EA bug though — blacking out below 45m can rarely clip you into terrain; restart fixes it.
How do I open the trench door?
PENDINGNobody knows. Eight days, 288 replies, one eyes emoji from the devs. See The Deep Blue page — open that door and you go down in community history.