Aqua Affinity is a Minecraft Java Edition enchantment in the head armor group, with a maximum level of I.
minecraft:aqua_affinity
Removes the 5× mining speed penalty underwater, so you mine at normal speed while submerged. Helmet slot only, single level.
Tip: Without Aqua Affinity, even an Efficiency V pickaxe crawls underwater. With it, ocean monument mining feels like dry land.
Mining underwater is normally five times slower, which makes prismarine farming painful. Aqua Affinity removes that penalty completely. It does nothing for your air bar — that is Respiration's job — so the ocean helmet runs both.
Enchanting table (helmet), Librarian villager trades, structure chest loot, and fishing treasure.
Hold a valid item in your main hand, then run (Java Edition 1.13+; the level is optional and defaults to 1):
This example applies the maximum level I. An anvil combines two matching levels only up to this maximum — higher levels exist only through commands.
Aqua Affinity applies to helmets. Items from the reviewed catalog in this group:
Aqua Affinity fixes mining speed underwater; Respiration fixes air supply. They stack on the same helmet and together make extended underwater work practical.
Bedrock Edition: Aqua Affinity works the same in Bedrock Edition, removing the underwater mining penalty.
The enchantment ID for Aqua Affinity is minecraft:aqua_affinity. Java Edition 1.13+ commands such as /enchant use this namespaced form. On Java 1.12.2 and earlier the numerical ID was 6.
Aqua Affinity goes up to level I (level 1). Run /enchant @p minecraft:aqua_affinity 1 while holding a valid item to apply the maximum level.
No — that is Respiration (or water breathing potions). Aqua Affinity only restores normal mining speed while submerged.
If you mine anything underwater — ocean monuments, clay, shipwreck salvage — yes. It costs one helmet enchantment slot and removes a 5× slowdown.
Yes. Aqua Affinity removes the water penalty and Efficiency then applies its own multiplier on top.