The Rust Deep Sea update introduced a large set of Deep Sea ConVars and Rust admin commands that directly help you manage a Rust server in a more flexible way. For Rust server hosting, these built-in settings are especially valuable because they let you fine-tune gameplay rules, event pacing, spawns, and performance without relying on mods, making your Rust hosting setup simpler to maintain, more unique, and more compatible with your community's preferences.
Why These Deep Sea ConVars Matter For Rust Servers
On a Rust server, ConVars are one of the cleanest ways to customize server behavior because they are built directly into the game. That means you can shape your Deep Sea experience on your Rust server hosting environment without adding plugins that may break after updates. With these ConVars, Rust admins can control access rules (swimmers and vehicles), enforce boundaries (like no building), tune event content (islands, ghost ships, floating cities), and reduce lag during event generation using spawn interval controls.
How To Use Deep Sea ConVars On Your Rust Server
Option 1: Add ConVars To server.cfg (Best For Rust Hosting)
This is the most common method on a Rust server because it’s persistent across restarts.
Add ConVars on their own lines, like this:
deepsea.allow_swimmers True
deepsea.island_count 8
deepsea.wipeduration 10800
Click Save and then Restart your Rust server so everything loads cleanly.
Option 2: Use Console / RCON For Quick Testing (Rust Admin Commands)
If your Rust hosting panel gives you Console or RCON access, you can enter ConVars live:
deepsea.allow_swimmers True
deepsea.ghostship_count 6
This is great for testing changes quickly, without messing with files. To make sure when done to type writecfg in your console to save the server changes.
Important Note About Applying ConVars (Restart Vs Hotload)
Many Deep Sea ConVars can be applied without restarting your Rust server. If you add or change values inside server.cfg, you can usually hotload them by running this command in console/RCON:
readcfg
That tells the server to re-read the config file and apply updated ConVar values, which is extremely useful for Rust server hosting when you want to iterate quickly.
When should you still restart?
- If a specific ConVar explicitly says it requires a restart or the changes you made aren't actually noticeable in-game, then a restart is needed for that one setting. Otherwise,
readcfgis the fastest way to apply changes to a live Rust server.
Note: Changing deepsea spawn rates for any variable whilst the deepsea event is active is not advised.
Deep Sea ConVars Table (All Variables)
| ConVar | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| deepsea.allow_all_vehicles | Allow all vehicles to travel to the deep sea, unless using only whitelisted vehicles | False |
| deepsea.allow_swimmers | Allow players to swim to the deep sea | False |
| deepsea.block_building | Blocks building in the deep sea | True |
| deepsea.boat_drift | Enables boat drift behavior (Deep Sea related) | False |
| deepsea.debug_portal_spawnattempts | Debug logging for portal spawn attempts | False |
| deepsea.enabled | Toggles the deep sea. Needs a server restart to take effect. Any saved deep sea entities will be destroyed at the next startup | True |
| deepsea.entities_spawninterval | When generating, the interval in seconds between each entity spawn (island, ghost ship, floating city). Increase if your Rust server is lagging while deep sea opens | 5 |
| deepsea.floatingcity_count | Number of floating cities to spawn | 1 |
| deepsea.floatingcity_edgemargin | Floating city minimum distance from deep sea edges | 1500 |
| deepsea.floatingcity_mindist | Minimum distance between floating cities | 1500 |
| deepsea.floatingcity_radius | Placement radius used for floating city spacing/placement | 500 |
| deepsea.forceentranceportaldirection | 0 Map-based, 1 North, 2 East, 3 South, 4 West | 0 |
| deepsea.ghostship_count | Number of ghost ships to spawn | 4 |
| deepsea.ghostship_edgemargin | Ghost ship minimum distance from deep sea edges | 450 |
| deepsea.ghostship_mindist | Minimum distance between ghost ships | 400 |
| deepsea.ghostship_radius | Placement radius used for ghost ship spacing/placement | 80 |
| deepsea.hackablecrate_count | Number of hackable crates to spawn (Deep Sea set) | 1 |
| deepsea.island_count | Number of islands to spawn | 6 |
| deepsea.island_edgemargin | Island minimum distance from deep sea edges | 750 |
| deepsea.island_mindist | Minimum distance between islands | 600 |
| deepsea.island_portal_terrain_distance | Distance used for portal/terrain checks near islands | 750 |
| deepsea.island_radius | Placement radius used for island spacing/placement | 300 |
| deepsea.logs | Enables Deep Sea logging | False |
| deepsea.openonserverwipe | Should the deep sea open as soon as the Rust server wiped? | False |
| deepsea.rhib_count | Number of RHIB groups to spawn | 4 |
| deepsea.rhib_edgemargin | RHIB group minimum distance from deep sea edges | 1150 |
| deepsea.rhib_mindist | Minimum distance between RHIB groups | 300 |
| deepsea.rhib_radius | Placement radius used for RHIB spacing/placement | 10 |
| deepsea.spawngroups_spawninterval | When generating, the interval in seconds between each spawn group fill (dwellings/crates/scientists). Increase if opening causes lag on your Rust hosting plan | 0.15 |
| deepsea.wipecooldownmax | Maximum seconds before a deep sea re-opens after closing | 9000 |
| deepsea.wipecooldownmin | Minimum seconds before a deep sea re-opens after closing | 5400 |
| deepsea.wipeduration | Duration in seconds of the deep sea open event window | 10800 |
| deepsea.wipeendphaseduration | Duration in seconds of the final wipe phase (bad weather, etc.) | 1800 |
| deepsea.wiperadiationphaseduration | Seconds before radiation starts to ramp before the deep sea wipe | 300 |
| net.visibilityradiusdeepsea | Visibility radius networking value for deep sea | 20 |
| server.deepseafogofwar | Should the deep sea map be covered by fog of war | True |
| vehicle.deepseaportal_boundary_force_start_distance | Distance from portal boundary where boundary force begins applying | 5 |
| motorrowboat.deepwaterdecayminutes | Minutes before a boat loses all health while in deep water | 120 |
| motorrowboat.outsidedecayminutes | Minutes before a boat loses all health while outside (deep water uses deepwaterdecayminutes) | 180 |
| petbrain.drownindeepwater | Whether pets drown in deep water | True |
| planterboxstatic.deepsearespawnchecktimer | Respawn check timer (seconds) for static planter boxes in deep sea contexts | 600 |
| playerboat.deepseatransitionpowerdowngraceduration | Seconds of grace during deep sea transition power-down handling | 10 |
Deep Sea Rust Admin Commands Table (All Commands)
| Command | What It Does |
|---|---|
| deepsea.close | Forces the Deep Sea to close (ends the current open event state) |
| deepsea.createdeepsea | Creates/initializes a Deep Sea instance (generation bootstrap) |
| deepsea.enterdeepsea | Forces the caller into the Deep Sea (admin/test teleport) |
| deepsea.leavedeepsea | Forces the caller out of the Deep Sea (admin/test teleport) |
| deepsea.open | Forces the Deep Sea to open (starts the event / makes it available) |
| deepsea.printentitycount | Prints how many Deep Sea entities are currently spawned/saved |
| deepsea.printloot | Prints Deep Sea loot-related debug output |
| deepsea.printtimetowipe | Prints the remaining time until the Deep Sea wipe phase triggers |
| deepsea.settimetonextopening | Sets/overrides the timer until the next Deep Sea opening |
| deepsea.settimetowipe | Sets/overrides the timer until the wipe sequence begins |
| deepsea.spawnfloatingcityhere | Spawns a floating city at/near the caller’s current location |
| deepsea.spawnghostshiphere | Spawns a ghost ship at/near the caller’s current location |
| deepsea.spawnislandhere | Spawns an island at/near the caller’s current location |
| deepsea.spawnrhibgrouphere | Spawns an RHIB group at/near the caller’s current location |
| deepsea.status | Prints the current Deep Sea status (open/closed, timers, phases) |
| deepsea.testportalspawnlocation | Tests whether a portal spawn location is valid (debug output for placement) |
Deep Sea Spawning Cycle On A Rust Server
On a Rust server, Deep Sea runs as a repeating event that opens, becomes heavily contested, then wipes and disappears until the next cycle. For Rust server hosting, understanding the timing helps you shape your schedule and server identity without mods.
Open Event Duration (Default 3 Hours)
deepsea.wipeduration= 10800 seconds (3 hours)
This is the main window where the Deep Sea is active and players can enter and contest content.
End Phase + Radiation Ramp
deepsea.wipeendphaseduration= 1800 seconds (30 minutes)deepsea.wiperadiationphaseduration= 300 seconds (5 minutes)
This is the final pressure window that pushes players out before the wipe completes.
Wait Time Between Events (Cooldown Window)
deepsea.wipecooldownmin= 5400 seconds (1.5 hours)deepsea.wipecooldownmax= 9000 seconds (2.5 hours)
The next opening happens after a cooldown chosen within this range. If you want a tighter “about 1 hour” rhythm, you’d lower these values toward 3600 seconds on your Rust server.
Host Your Rust Server With Pine Hosting
If you’re configuring Deep Sea using Rust admin commands and built-in ConVars, you’ll get the best results with stable performance and easy config access. Pine Hosting provides Rust server hosting that makes it easy to manage your Rust server, apply Deep Sea settings cleanly, and keep your Rust hosting experience smooth during event openings when player activity spikes.
