How to Get Respiration in Minecraft (Respiration III)

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Respiration extends underwater breathing by 15 seconds per level on helmets and turtle shells - 60 seconds total at level III, plus a 75% chance each second to ignore drowning damage. Get it from enchanting tables, librarian trades, fishing, monster rooms or structure loot.

What you need

A helmet (or turtle shell)
Enchanting table + bookshelves
Librarian + lectern for targeted books
Anvil and XP for combining to III

Step by step

Enchant a helmet: Respiration rolls on enchanting tables for helmets. Max level III; offers are random, so expect some rerolls.
Trade with librarians: reroll a lectern until a Respiration book appears and lock it. Combine copies on an anvil up to III. (With the Villager Trade Rebalance experiment on, it's the swamp librarian's specialty.)
Fish and loot: fishing books, monster room chests and non-village structure loot carry it; Bedrock raid mobs drop enchanted books too.
Know the numbers: each level adds +15 seconds of air on top of the base 15 - that's 60 seconds total at Respiration III before drowning starts.
Drowning resistance: Respiration also gives a level/(level+1) chance each second to take NO drowning damage - 75% per second at level III, so even out of air you survive noticeably longer.
Stack a turtle shell: wearing one adds another 10 seconds of air on top, pushing Respiration III to 70 seconds underwater.
Old-vision note: Respiration used to improve underwater visibility, but that was removed in 1.13 - it's purely about air now.
Pair it with Aqua Affinity (underwater mining speed) on the same helmet for the full ocean kit.

Java vs Bedrock

Mechanics are identical in Java and Bedrock: +15 seconds per level, level/(level+1) chance to ignore drowning ticks. Bedrock's only extra source is raid mobs dropping enchanted books.

Versions: Describes the current Java and Bedrock releases. See the edition note for differences.

Frequently asked questions

How long can you breathe underwater with Respiration III?

Each level adds 15 seconds to the base 15, so Respiration III gives 60 seconds of air. Add a turtle shell for +10 more (70 total). On top of that, Respiration III gives a 75% chance each second to ignore drowning damage once your air runs out.

Does Respiration work on a turtle shell?

Yes - turtle shells accept Respiration, and the shell's own +10 seconds of water breathing stacks with the enchantment for a combined 70 seconds at Respiration III.

Respiration vs Aqua Affinity - which is better?

They do different jobs and both belong on the same helmet: Respiration extends your air, Aqua Affinity removes the 5x underwater mining-speed penalty. For ocean monument raids or underwater building you want both, plus Depth Strider on boots.