Updated 25 October 2026. Facts on this page come from minecraft.wiki, minecraft.net and the live Artemis PvP server; sources are listed at the bottom.
Water Elevators in Minecraft: Soul Sand Bubble Columns
The easiest elevator in Minecraft is a column of water source blocks with soul sand at the bottom: the soul sand makes an upward bubble column that pushes you to the top fast. Magma blocks do the opposite and pull you down. Bubble columns also refill your air, so you never drown inside one.
How do you build a water elevator?
- Build a 1×1 shaft as tall as you want, walled with glass or any block.
- Put soul sand at the bottom for going up, or magma for going down.
- Fill the whole shaft with water source blocks. A quick trick: place kelp all the way up and break it, which turns flowing water into source blocks (bubble columns only form in water source blocks).
- Leave an exit at the top with a sign or door so the water does not spill out.
A soul sand column next to a magma column makes a two-way elevator. Soul sand comes from the Nether's soul sand valleys; see the Nether.
How do bubble columns work?
Soul sand under source water makes an upward column; a magma block makes a downward whirlpool. Players and mobs in an upward column rise, and boats are pushed up; a downward column drags boats and swimmers to the bottom. Being inside either column gives you air. Magma bubble columns appear naturally in some ocean ruins and ruined portals; see ocean ruins.
What other elevators are there?
- Ladders and scaffolding: cheap and slow; scaffolding lets you sneak to go down.
- Piston and slime elevators and flying-machine lifts carry several players; see flying machines.
- Ender pearls thrown straight up work in a pinch; see ender pearls.
- Item elevators use bubble columns too, or a column of droppers.
Can you use bubble columns in farms?
Yes: upward columns lift drops or mobs to a collection point, and downward columns pull items and mobs down. They are common in mob farms.
How do you get around ArtemisPvP quickly?
Frequently asked questions
How do you make a water elevator go up?
Put soul sand at the bottom of a column of water source blocks.
How do you make a water elevator go down?
Use a magma block at the bottom instead of soul sand.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.