Diving day tour in Silfra ravine in Þingvellir National Park in Iceland
Trip Difficulty 4 out of 5 possible. Rated: Demanding.
This trip includes two dives in Silfra ravine. Silfra is one of Iceland’s best-kept secrets. It is situated in the heart of Þingvellir, the site of the world’s oldest parliament and a UNESCO world heritage site. Silfra is an otherworldly scene located directly on top of the rift between the continents of America and Europe.
The crystal clear water in the deep fissure gives you a feeling of being weightless as you glide along with the lazy current. Visibility is amazing and is only limited by the density of the water itself. Depth varies from 10 to 30 meters. This is without question one of the best dive sites in the world.
Bad eyesight? Since you are wearing snorkeling / dive goggles to see underwater there can be nothing in the way of the seal to keep them from filling up with water. That is, you can not wear glasses underneath the goggles. You will have to go without them, wear eye lenses or bring your own goggles with prescription.
NOTE: PADI open water or compatible required, PADI advanced and dry suit certificates recommended. All dives are performed in a dry suit. Divers have to supply sizes on suit before hand.
We need you to send us your
height,
weight and
shoe size in order to provide you with the best fitting dry suit. Please take into account that you may get a little wet.
If you have your own transport and want to meet us, then the meeting time is 10:00 at the Þingvellir service center/campsite. See map for details.
View Snorkling in Silfra Meeting Point in a larger map
Disclaimer:
All dive trips are undertaken on
the responsibility of its participants. Arctic Adventures does not
assume any responsibility for accidents which are caused by its
customers or can be traced to there own actions. Participants have to
sign a waiver before undertaking all trips stating that they realize
that all outdoor activities carry an inherit risk.
To get your PADI dry-suit speciality qualification add 25.000 ISK per license.
Snorkelers can join this trip for 16.990 ISK per person with minimum 2 persons.
Guaranteed departures:
Everyday from 15th of May to 15th of September for minimum 2 persons.
Pick-up from Reykjavík, all diving gear and PADI guide/instructor.
Warm undergarment clothing (fleece/wool sweater and pants), warm socks and a change of clothing.
4 hours, 6 hours with transfer.
18 years.
2 persons.
6 persons per guide.
50 km / 31 miles.
Disclaimer:
All dive trips are undertaken on
the responsibility of its participants. Arctic Adventures does not
assume any responsibility for accidents which are caused by its
customers or can be traced to there own actions. Participants have to
sign a waiver before undertaking all trips stating that they realize
that all outdoor activities carry an inherit risk.
What diving certifications do I need?
PADI open water certificate or compatible is required in order to dive with us, how ever PADI Advanced and PADI Dry Suit certificates are recommended. Diving in drysuits is a bit more challenging than diving in wetsuits. It is more heavy and difficult to move around and the buoyancy is different. All this will be explained to you in details on the trip.
What is a PADI open water certificate?
PADI is an organization which issues standardized dive courses, various dive operators around the world use their materials and systems to teach people how to dive. The Open Water certificate is the first level you finish.
Can I get PADI Dry Suit certificate with you?
Yes you can and it only takes one day! You can add it to your Deep Into the Blue Booking. The dry suit speciality course includes two dives with an instructor, reading a chapter about it and doing a knowledge review that your instructor has to approve and then you get a drysuit certification.
What do I need to do if I choose to add the dry suit licence to my DITB booking?
- If you want to add the dry suit license to your booking you will be sent a book that you need to read and some small projects that you need to complete. On the day of your dive you will go over the book and the projects with your diving guide.
- The guide will take you on two dives. The first dive is in Davíðsgjá where you practice and do some small exercise that you will have learnt by reading your book. You will then be taken for the second dive in the famous Silfra.
- Pick up time and duration of the trip is the same as for DITB. You will go over the book with your guide before you do the first dive.
- If someone adds a dry suite license to their DITB booking our diving instructor needs to know ASAP so that he can prepare the book and send it to the client. For such trips the client need a diving teacher, a diving guide does not qualify.
- At the end of the day your instructor will take down all your details, take a photo and apply for the PADI Dry Suit Certificate which will gradually be sent to your home adress by post.
How cold is the water in the Silfra fissure?
The temperature in the Silfra is almost constant all year round at about 2°C but during extended sunshine and warm weather in the summertime the water can sometimes can go up to 4°C.
Where is the Silfra located?
The Silfra is located in a lava field inside Þingvellir National Park about 45 minutes from Reykjavík City.
Does Arctic Adventures provide diving equipment on their trips?
Yes, we provide you with everything you need no go diving in the glacier spring water in Silfra. This includes a specially made thermal suite, a dry suit, a neoprene hoodie, neoprene gloves and neoprene shoes. All you need to bring is a towel to dry of and some warm thermal layers to wear underneath.
Will I get wet on the my diving trip?
We have the best dry suits available in the business BUT for dry suits to be 100% watertight they have to custom made to measure for each individual. That is to say gaskets have to be custom made to fit the wrist and neckline of each person to be 100% watertight. We do our very best to fit you with the best fitting suit available but we can not guarantee that you will be dry, however our thermal suits (we call them Teddy bear suits) are designed to be warm even when wet. To be safe make sure you bring a extra set of thermal layers to wear underneath and if the one you wear on the trip should get wet.
What is the visibility under the waterline in Silfra?
In summer when there is some vegetation in the fissure the visibility is normally somewhere between 65-85 meters, in the winter visibility can be even better or 80-100 meters on clear days. This is absolutely world class visibilty, no where on earth will you find such conditions in fresh water.