Snorkeling in Silfra
TOUR DESCRIPTION
Silfra
Snorkeling in a wetsuit in Iceland may sound like a daring idea but as soon as you dive into the pristine glacial waters of Silfra, your mind shifts away from the cold as you are immediately absorbed into exploring the vivid colours of this stunning, exotic underwater fissure.
Silfra is situated in Thingvellir National Park, where the earth drifts apart around 2 centimetres every year as the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates move in opposite directions – creating such natural wonders as is Silfra.
Clearest waters in the world
Glaciers melt and fill this deep crack with the clearest water that has been filtered for a century through volcanic lava rock before entering Silfra from the ground up. With an incredible visibility of more than 100 meters, Silfra is ranked as one of the clearest waters in the world -making your snorkeling experience feel like flying.
Wetsuit
However, one of the clearest water in the world comes with a price, as the temperature lingers around 2-4 degrees Celsius all year round (35 degree Fahrenheit). The wetsuit covers your whole body, but it won’t protect you entirely from the just-above freezing glacial water – but our wetsuit does an amazing job of keeping you relatively warm.
Those who prefer to stay dry and warm should opt for a drysuit instead.
Unlike the drysuit, which allows you to float on the surface, the wetsuit enables you to dive a little under the surface to explore the beauty of Silfra a bit closer. We only recommend the wetsuit for our more adventurous participants because of the cold – but it will be absolutely worth it for those who are up for the challenge!
Not sure on which suit to go with? Take a look at our blog post wetsuit vs. drysuit to help you decide.
Book nowPrice:
16.900 ISK without pick up
20.900 ISK with pick upSummer Departures:
From 1. March – 30. Sept: 9:00, 12:00 and 15:00 (Pick up starts an hour earlier)
Winter Departures:
From 1. Oct – 31. Oct: 9:00 and 12:00 (Pick up starts an hour earlier)
From 1. Nov – 28 February: 10:00 and 13:00 (Pick up starts an hour earlier)Please note that this is the meeting time at Thingvellir, Silfra car park – Pick up from your hotel starts an hour earlier.
If you do not require pick up, the meeting point is Silfra car park in Thingvellir National Park. Please park your car at “Thingvellir P5” and walk 400m back along the road until you reach a smaller car park with all the snorkel and dive vans, and look for your Adventure Vikings guide. Please be there, ready to meet your guide 5-10 minutes before your tour is due to begin.
For GPS: 64°15’23.5″N 21°6’58.6″W
Duration:
4 – 4.5 hours with pick up
2 – 3 hours without pick upPrerequisites:
Be comfortable in water and be able to swim
Be physically fit
Have read, signed, and followed directions on the Silfra Snorkeling Medical Statement
Sign our liability release form at the start of the tour
Be at minimum 145cm (4’9) tall / maximum 200cm (6’7) tall
Be at minimum 45kg (99 lbs) / maximum 120kg (264 lbs)
Be minimum 14 years of age
Not be pregnant
No minimum participantsMaximum participants: 6 per guide
Rank: Medium.
We will provide you with all necessary gear required for snorkeling. You will however have to bring:
Clothes suited to dress under a wetsuit such as swimwear
Warm clothes to wear prior and after the snorkeling
Towel
Lunch or Snack
Camera
You can rent a GoPro camera by usGoPro – 6900 kr ISK.
Rent a GoPro and you will receive an SD card with your footage to take home straight after your tour.
We often get the question on which suit to go with – Wetsuit or Drysuit? In reality, this all comes down to your preference, along with your ability to bear a little cold.
First off we’d like to note that if you’re going with a group, you don’t all need to wear the same type of suit. Just make two separate bookings, one for the ones who choose drysuits and another for those who choose wetsuits. If you make sure the bookings are on the same day and at the same time, you will be snorkeling together.
If you choose a drysuit, you can wear normal clothing underneath the suit, but we do recommend that you wear long sleeves and warm socks. Just make sure it is something comfortable like fleece, thin wool or a sweat suit – we definitely don’t recommend jeans. The drysuit does keep you nice and warm and most importantly it keeps you dry – however, in a drysuit you are unable to free dive, as you somewhat float on the surface.
In a wetsuit you have the opportunity to dive a little underneath the surface of Silfra to explore this natural wonder up close. You will have to wear a bathing suit underneath as there is always a little water that leaks through the suit. Your bodyheat then heats this water up fairly quickly within the suit. You’ll definitely have more mobility in the wetsuit, being able to move around properly and more freely. Note the water temperature at Silfra is 2-4 degrees Celsius all year around – which makes for around 35-39 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, only those comfortable with a little cold from the freezing glacier water should go for the wetsuit. In saying that, most people who decide to go for a wetsuit on even the coldest days do absolutely great.
No matter what suit you go for, Silfra is absolutely amazing and you can’t go wrong with one or the other. Most importantly: have fun and enjoy the magic of Silfra!
Adventure Vikings
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