Silfra Winter Snorkeling In Iceland + Everything To Know
Silfra Winter Snorkeling In Iceland + Everything To Know
It was a little hard to wrap my head around the concept at first, but in the middle of Iceland is a deep fissure filled with some of the clearest water in the world. On one side is European tectonic plate and the other is North American tectonic plate, separated by just a few meters.
The place is called Silfra and it’s located in Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. And as soon as I learned that you could go diving in it, there was a new entry into my bucket list.
The visuals were mind-blowing. Perfectly clear blue water flanked by what looks like two cliffs with over 100 meters of visibility.
Every year this rift that runs through Iceland gets wider as the plates continue to shift. Silfra just happens to be a popular spot to experience this because of its incredibly clear waters and photogenic location.
Why Did I Go To Silfra in February?
The only small problem I had with this place was that the regardless of the time of year, the water temperature is constantly around 2–4 °C (36–39 °F). So very, very cold. You could brave it in a thick wetsuit or do it with a dry suit. It was an easy decision form e.
In cold month of February, I finally made it to Iceland for our 7 day road trip, choosing the tail end of winter to visit so that I could potentially see the Norther Lights and go into a glacier blue ice cave that’s only accessible during the colder months.
February was a good time because the worst parts of winter was over and daylight hours were being extended every day we were there.
Do You Need To Be Dry Suit Certified To Dive Silfra?
Officially, you need to be dry-suit certified to scuba dive in Silfra. Companies used to were more relaxed in the past as long as you were certified to dive, but some inexperienced people panicked having never dived in a dry suit and things had to change. Whether companies make exceptions on a case by case basis is not for me to say, but officially, you need to be dry suit certified to dive.
Anyone, however, can snorkel in a dry-suit, so that’s the option my friends and I went with since neither of us had our dry suit certification.
Do You Need To Know How To Swim For Silfra?
You should know how to swim and be comfortable in the water if you want to snorkel in Silfra. While the dry-suit offers extreme buoyancy, you will not be able to hug onto an edges or rocks. It’s easy to float with much effort, but you should be physically fit enough to move around in the water.
There’s a current in at Silfra that can change depending on the weather and time of the year. Lastly, despite being in a warm dry-suit, some people still panic when they enter the cold water. It’s important that you are comfortable with your swimming abilities.
Silfra Winter Snorkeling With Adventure Vikings
Since Silfra is a protected sites, so you can’t just show up and hop in for a quick swim, even with your own gear. You need to go with one of the authorized companies that have permission to enter and guide. I prefer to do experiences with smaller local companies so we chose Adventure Vikings.
You can find other Silfra options and sometimes the lowest prices through Manawa.
Update: For Black Friday, Between November 25 – December 2nd, there is a Manawa promo discount code to get an additional 10% off any activity: BLACKWEEK24
If you can wait until November 25, I’d recommend, bookmarking the activity and save the code until then.
We stayed at cozy cottage nearby at Veiðilundur, so it was only a 20 minute drive to the Silfra meeting spot in Thingvellir National Park. You can alternatively be picked up from Reykjavik if you’re not driving. The weather was pretty mild the day before, but it had snowed overnight so the small spot was completely blanketed when we arrived. I felt a proper adventure coming and I was stoked.
What To Wear Under Your Dry Suit
Before getting into water, we first had to squeeze into our dry suit. It’s best to arrive with a warm and comfortable base layer on since you’ll be changing in the open. You can wear whatever you want, but I recommend something that’s easy to move around in. I was able to keep my sweater on for extra warm.
It was pretty strange to think that I’d be snorkeling in glacial water wearing what I wore to sleep the night before. That’s one of the best parts of being in a dry suit.
The next layer was a thermal onesie that was provided to us to go over our own clothes. It was followed by what looked like a heavier and bulkier version of a loose fitting wetsuit. And though it looked that way on the outside, the inside was a form fitting water-sealed layer meant to provide another seal.
Slipping into the bottom half of the dry suit was easy. The shoes are built into the suit, so it was like putting on another onesie. To prepare for the top half, we liberally sprinkled baby powder into the sleeve and neck openings.
All the openings were very tight to ensure a proper seal, so having the powder on our skin helped us slip our hands and head through. Graceful we were not.
A few minutes later, everything was on and we had a short briefing of the site before walking over to the entry point.
Are You In or Out?
Like an airport control tower, each company and subsequently, the groups they lead, are given an entry order so you don’t have to wait around in a line. We were in the second unit, when our group’s turn was up. From the metal stairway, we watched for the reaction of the people entering first.
To the surprise of everyone, the first person who entered started struggling. One of the guides had to come over to him out of the water. He didn’t say why he didn’t want to continue. This made everyone a little nervous. Was it that cold?
When it my turn, I went straight in, not allowing for any doubts to creep into my mind. I prepared for that initial shock…but nothing. No cold. No anything. The dry suit was worked and it was amazing. I didn’t even need to try to stay afloat since you were so buoyant in this thing. This meant no free diving down, but otherwise, it was effortless
Now that we were in, it was time to dip the only exposed into the water – our face. I took a breath and dunked my head in and it was not bad at all. Only a bit of our cheeks and lips were exposed and it was perfectly fine.
Like every bucket list experience, I was a little nervous reality might not match expectations.
Between Two Worlds
What happened next was one of those rare times where what things appeared exactly as I had imagined. On the surface, we were in a ordinary river flanked on both sides by snow covered rocks. Underneath, those rocks cradled a lane of crystal clear blue water. I took a few moments to metaphorically catch my breath and appreciate what I was seeing before I started taking photos.
After a minute or so, I righted myself up and returned to the surface, which was like being in completely different world. It was hard to comprehend the transition between the white snow and dark water on the surface and the blue underneath because there was no transition. As soon as your eyes move a few centimeters up and break the surface, it was like exiting a portal into a different place.
For the next 20 minutes we floated pleasantly through the water. The only cold I felt was in my hands, which were covered by a normal pair of wet neoprene dive glove. Still, I was comfortable the entire time.
Iceland Snorkeling In the Snow
I can only speak to doing this during the winter time, but I’d dare say that it’s better than other times of year. Sure it’s a little cold getting dressed outside, but it’s worth it to experience snorkeling in glacial water while it’s snowing.
I’ve never experienced anything like this – where the colors and tones of the world I’m immersed in changes in a blink of an eye moving between the water and the surface.
The distanced we covered was not large, but it was enough to get a few for swimming through the rifts and turning out to an open lagoon. In the last area, we were free to spend some time exploring on our own and climbing out when we were ready. The whole thing last about 30 minutes and it was one of my favorite half hour of being underwater.
On our way out, we removed our fins to ascend the ladder, but kept our hood and gloves on for warm during our 400 meter walk back to the changing area. Walking in the snow, you couldn’t help but marvel at the fact that just a few minutes before, you were kicking peacefully through near freezing water as snow was softly breaking on the surface of the water.
How Much Does It Cost To Snorkel Silfra?
There are usually two prices for snorkeling Silfra depending on whether you are meeting at their on-site location or require a pick-up from Reykjavik.
Expect to pay around 21000 ISK ($150) depending on the company you go with or 28000 ISK ($200) with pick-up and drop-off from Reykjavik. Some companies offer free underwater photography too so you’ll get a couple of shots to remember the experience.
PRO HACK: For outdoor activities, I actually like to start my searches and book with Manawa. They’re an activity search aggregator that focuses on outdoor activities and adventures. And more often than not, they have the lowest price compared to sites like Viator.
Update: For Black Friday, Between November 25 – December 2nd, there is a Manawa promo discount code to get an additional 10% off any activity: BLACKWEEK24
If you can wait until November 25, I’d recommend, bookmarking the activity and save the code until then.
For example, a similar Silfra snorkeling trip starts at 18000 ISK ($130) and they always have a Weather Guarantee that allows free scheduling or refund in the even of bad weather.
Snorkeling At Silfra With Pick Up From Reykjavik
If you aren’t driving and want a complete package with pick-up from Reykjavik and free underwater photos, this is also a great option.
Looking for more travel inspirations? Scroll through some of the 450+ experiences on my bucket list. Maybe you’ll find your next adventure on there.
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Updated on November 12, 2024