You're standing on a beach. It’s gray, cold, and honestly, the cannibal screams in the distance aren't helping. If you’ve played Sons of the Forest for more than twenty minutes, you probably realize that the game doesn't hold your hand. You need the shovel. To get the shovel, you need the rebreather. But finding that rebreather cave in Sons of the Forest is the first real "gear check" that breaks most players. It’s not just about finding the hole in the ground; it’s about surviving the pitch-black claustrophobia inside without losing your mind—or your head.
Most people think they can just wing it. They can't.
Where is the Rebreather Cave anyway?
Look at your GPS tracker. You’re looking for a specific icon on the coastline, specifically the north side of the island. It’s a small, unassuming pile of rocks near the water. If you see a bunch of life jackets and abandoned crates scattered across the sand, you're in the right zip code. It's basically a crime scene.
The cave entrance is boarded up. You'll need to whack the wood with your tactical axe to get inside. Once you drop down, the tone changes instantly. The wind dies out, and that damp, dripping sound starts. It’s creepy. Honestly, the first time I went in, I spent five minutes just standing near the entrance because the ambient audio in this game is designed to make you feel like something is breathing down your neck.
The Gear You Actually Need
Don't go in there with a lighter. Just don't. While the lighter is technically "infinite," the light radius is pathetic. You want flares or, ideally, the flashlight if you managed to snag it from the GPS marker near the cliffside first.
You also need food. And water. This isn't a quick two-minute sprint. There are mutants in here—Pale Skinnies and those horrifyingly fast "Fingers" variants—that will punish you if you're trying to explore while starving. Bring a spear. It’s the best weapon for early cave exploration because of the reach. You can poke a mutant from a distance, back up, and poke again. It's cheap, but in a survival situation, cheap is smart.
Navigating the Dark
Once you're inside the rebreather cave in Sons of the Forest, the path splits almost immediately. This is where everyone gets turned around. If you head deeper and start seeing glowing mushrooms, you're on the right track, but the cave is essentially a giant "Y" shape.
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One path leads to a dead end with some lore and some basic loot. The other path—the one you actually want—leads to a massive underground lake.
The physics in these caves are weirdly realistic. If you sprint, you'll miss the tripwires. Endnight Games loved putting little surprises in the dark. I’ve seen players lose half their health to a swinging bone trap because they were too busy looking at their GPS. Put the GPS away. It doesn't work well underground anyway. Use your eyes. Watch the floor.
Dealing with the "Shark" Situation
Let's talk about the shark. Yes, there is a shark in a cave. It sounds ridiculous until you’re staring at it.
When you finally reach the water's edge where the rebreather sits on a lit-up rock, you’ll notice something circling in the dark water. That’s a cave shark. You have a few options here. You can try to kill it with a crafted bow (it takes a lot of arrows) or you can just time your jump.
Most people panic. They see the rebreather, they grab it, and then they realize they have to swim out through a narrow underwater tunnel to escape. This is the "Aha!" moment of the cave. The rebreather isn't just a trophy; it's your only exit strategy.
- Step 1: Grab the rebreather from the edge of the water.
- Step 2: Equip it immediately. Your character will put on the mask, and an oxygen gauge will appear.
- Step 3: Dive.
The underwater section is surprisingly long. If you don't have the rebreather equipped, you will drown. Period. There is no "swimming fast enough" to make it.
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Why This Cave Matters More Than You Think
In the grand scheme of the island's mystery, the rebreather cave in Sons of the Forest is a threshold. It represents the shift from "I'm just trying to build a log cabin" to "I am diving into the literal bowels of this island to find out what happened to the Pufftons."
The loot inside isn't just the mask. You’ll find air canisters (obviously), some stun gun ammo, and usually some duct tape or wire. In the early game, these are gold. But the real value is the progression. Without this item, 60% of the game’s map is inaccessible. You can't get the shovel. Without the shovel, you can't open the maintenance hatches. Without the hatches, you aren't finding the keycards.
It’s a literal bottleneck.
The Mutations You'll Encounter
Expect resistance. The "Pale" cannibals in this cave are different from the ones on the surface. They’ve lived in the dark. They’re faster. They tend to huddle in groups of three or four.
If you're playing solo, use the environment. There are narrow gaps in the rocks where you can squeeze through but the larger mutants can't. Use those as "safe zones" to heal or reload your crossbow. If you’re playing with friends, one person should always be dedicated to holding a torch or flare while the others fight. Fighting in total darkness is a recipe for friendly fire, and trust me, an arrow to the back of the head hurts just as much when it comes from a friend.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The biggest mistake? Forgetting to bring a light source. The second biggest? Not saving before you go in.
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There is a small campsite near the cave entrance on the beach. Use it. Build a tent or a small hunting shelter and save your game. If you die at the bottom of the shark pool, you don't want to lose forty minutes of progress because you were too arrogant to lay down some sticks and a tarp.
Also, watch your oxygen. The rebreather uses air canisters. While you get one for free when you pick up the device, it doesn't last forever. If you spend too much time messing around in the underwater tunnels looking for "secret" loot (there isn't much), you’ll run out of air and die in the dark.
Expert Tactics for the Descent
- The Flare Toss: Instead of holding a flare, throw it ahead of you. It lights up the floor and reveals traps without putting the "target" on your body.
- The Spear Sweep: Keep your spear at head height. The Pale cannibals like to crouch and pounce.
- The Quick Exit: Once you have the rebreather, don't backtrack through the whole cave. The underwater exit is much faster and drops you out into the ocean just off the coast from where you started.
The cave system is interconnected in ways that aren't immediately obvious. The water you're swimming in isn't just a pond; it’s an aquifer that connects several parts of the island's geography. It's a testament to the level design that Endnight managed to make a cave feel both massive and suffocating at the same time.
Moving Toward the Shovel
Once you emerge from the water, gasping for air and probably shivering, you’ve crossed the first major hurdle. You now have the ability to explore the underwater segments of the map, which is mandatory for the Rope Gun cave and the eventual Shovel cave.
The rebreather cave in Sons of the Forest is essentially the game's way of asking: "Are you ready for the real horror?" Because if you think a cave shark and a few pale cannibals are bad, wait until you see what’s waiting for you in the bunkers.
Survival Checklist for Your Next Run
Before you head back out into the woods, make sure you've actually checked the corners of the rebreather room. There’s usually some extra loot tucked away near the back wall that people miss because they’re so focused on the shark. Grab everything. Resource scarcity is real in the mid-game, and those extra batteries or snacks could be the difference between making it to the next save point or becoming cannibal chow.
- Ensure your tactical axe is hotkeyed for quick access to break barriers.
- Keep at least two flares in your quick-slots for emergency lighting.
- Don't eat the "spoiled" meat you find on the floor unless you have no other choice; the health trade-off isn't worth it.
- Listen for the "skittering" sound—if you hear it, a mutant is already tracking you.
The island is a puzzle, and the rebreather is the first piece. Now that you've got it, the rest of the map is finally open. Get to the Rope Gun cave next; you're going to need it.
Practical Next Steps
- Locate the North Beach: Open your GPS and head to the northernmost coastline where the sand meets the trees near a small creek.
- Secure the Flashlight: If you haven't already, go to the purple GPS marker nearby (the one hanging from the cliff) to get the flashlight; it makes the cave 100% easier to navigate.
- Craft Bone Armor: Kill a few cannibals outside first and burn them on a fire. The bone armor you get will provide a vital buffer against the hits you'll inevitably take in the dark.
- Check Your Air: Before entering the next cave, make sure your rebreather has a fresh canister equipped; you can swap them in your inventory by clicking on the rebreather itself.