Cold, clear and calm the waters of the Silfra fissure in Iceland are unique. Taking the plunge into the chilly rift between two continents for many people is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. With this in mind, I had to make sure we didn’t miss the chance on our latest trip to Iceland. Join us as we embark on a chilly adventure. Here is our experience of our tour snorkeling Silfra with Dive.is.
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Planning on snorkelling Silfra? Check out our 11 Top Tips for snorkelling Sifra here!
Contents
From Reykjavík to Silfra
Our pick up stop was the same for all the tours we booked in Iceland. Reykjavík has a system of tourist bus stops. You find the one nearest to your accommodation and wait for up to 30 minutes for the right bus to roll up. We had a message the day before our tour, letting us know that it had been shifted forward by an hour so we were there bright and early at 08:0. Although, as the sun doesn’t rise until 10 in early Feb, I guess I mean dark and early.
When our bus turned up, we hopped in and met our guide, Henry. They cranked up the playlist and we were off on the 45 minute drive to Thingvellir National Park. Of course, Mr Fluskey fell asleep but my nerves were kicking in and the butterflies in my tummy kept me on the edge of my seat.
Check out 4 Days in Iceland – A Long Weekend in the Land of Fire and Ice
Kitting Up
On arrival, we pulled into the car park, which doubled as a base camp. It was time to get into our gear for the snorkel. With the freezing water, everyone is given a drysuit. People can opt for a wetsuit but this is definitely only for experienced divers who have taken on cold water a fair few times before. There was apparently an official changing van but as people were diving, they took priority and we changed in our transfer vehicle.
Remembering that we would be put into dry suits, we both made use of the toilets (having also been mildly dehydrating that morning). This ensured no wee was needed during the trip. I tried to forget my tendency for last-minute panic pees, informing my bladder, “Today is NOT the day”!
We were presented with thick onesies, reminiscent of sleeping bags, which I gratefully scrambled into. The snow was coming down fast and the wind was freezing so any bedding-cum-outfit was fine with me!
Then it was time for the dry suit. The feet were rubber and the legs were quite long so getting my toes right to the bottom of the foot portions was a bit of a struggle. I was dreading putting my head in, worrying that the rubber would rip my hair but it was actually fine.
The gloves were hilarious. I am sure there is a reason they look like camel toes (titter) but they felt so weird. I quickly realised that my palm to use the GoPro was going to be tricky as they were really thick and pushing the buttons would be incredibly difficult.
The last touch was a plain black choker, familiar to any cool kids from the 90s. Mine was tight but not too bad. It seems my trip mates had worse luck and they had to get theirs loosened a little to ensure they could swallow.
Getting to the Fissure
We waddled like sexy frogmen up the snowy path to the metal entryway. Once on the platform, we popped on our masks and snorkels before our guides shoved on our fins, like the least romantic Cinderella moment ever. Then it was time to step down and into the rift before us.
Planning on snorkelling Silfra? Check out our Top Tips here!
Into the Water
As I stepped down, there wasn’t the initial shock that I was expecting, just a squeeze of the suit around my legs. However, when I flopped into a floating position, the water hit my face and hands and that was a little more unpleasant. Getting used to the dry suit took a minute. It was a very odd sensation.
The group came together and we took a quick sip of the water which was fresh and…well, delicious isn’t the word..inoffensive.
We were all asked to practice rolling onto our backs to float, the safety drill. This would allow us to drift safely downstream if we weren’t feeling great. We completed the manoeuvre easily but our trip companion, a lovely lady from the USA, was struggling. She wasn’t doing well with the tight neck of her dry suit and this combined with the cold water was leading her to panic. Henry tried to talk to her and calm her down but she was adamant that she wouldn’t be able to go on so her guided her quickly back to the platform before coming back to rejoin us.
This gave us a little time to adjust to the frigid conditions. The water was so cold on the tiny bit of my face that was exposed, but once my lips were numb, I could relax and enjoy it. Henry asked us if we were both OK and I must say, the tight face hole combined with my numb lips replying quite hard. I felt like a dribbling idiot, so decided to keep my face in the water to avoid any further dribbling.
The Snorkeling
The water in Silfra Fissure is crystal clear and the volcanic basalt rocks, so interesting. The snowy landscape above the water felt like another world when compared with the perfect calm below. I quite enjoyed flipping over on my back and letting the snow land on my face before disappearing back into the cool, calm of the water below.
Silfra is divided into four main areas:
1 – Big Crack
This is where we entered the water. The walls are close together and it extends below and in front of you. It is hard not to gasp and inhale a lung full of cold water. Instead, everyone just makes, “Ooooo” noises through their snorkels.
2 – Silfra Hall
After the 30m or so of floating, the floor drops away again and the walls are a little further apart. This is known as Silfra Hall. You have a while to relax an take it all in as you drift along and I loved relaxing here.
Planning on snorkelling Silfra? Check out our Top Tips here!
3 – Silfra Cathedral
Passing over the shallows, doing ur best not to touch the rocks, we emerged into Silfra Cathedral. This is the deepest part of the fissure at around 20m. Apparently, there are caves down there but I couldn’t even get my bottom in the water in the dry suit, let alone free dive down to check it out! You can see right to the end where the sand rises up. It is at this point, you need to turn left, not to end up in the lake.
4 – Silfra Lagoon
This is where the glacier water blends with the lake water, creating a turquoise basin. Snorkelers are offered an extra 10 minutes here to relax or play in the pretty rock pool. I had seen a video of one group trying to dive as deep as they could and I thought we might do that too but the weather was against us.
Getting Out
There had been talk of a big storm coming in, in fact, our tour had been shifted half an hour earlier to miss it, and we thought better of hanging around. The wind was whipping up waves on the surface so we used our legs properly to flip our way to the metal exit platform as quickly as possible.
We puffed our way back to the car park. It wasn’t that far but the cold had really sapped our energy. I felt quite ashamed about my fitness until I saw two other groups returning who were equally out of puff.
Disrobing
The wind was picking up badly now and everything was stinging in the cold. My plants were frozen solid. The team had a bucket of deliciously hot water, which I made for use of but 3 to 5 seconds after removing my finger, the wind whipped the warmth away.
Still, getting out of the gear was easier than getting into it. The guides got us out of the hoods in seconds and then we hopped up on a high wooden bench/shelf to get out of the rest of the dry suit.
We were a little dismayed to see that the van was full of snow, but realised that where much of the gear was stored in the back, the rear doors were open for loading. Luckily, a hot chocolate and two chocolate bourbons were provided for much-needed sweet warmth. It raised a core temperature just enough to finish getting changed.
Back to Reykjavík
Once everyone was changed and the van was fully loaded, we prepared to drive back in the storm. Other groups were arriving as we pulled away and we wondered whether they would be able to complete the snorkel.
The driving started quite worryingly. The van was buffeted by the wind and snow and we felt a couple of wheel slips. Then we drove past a car that was off the road, we stopped briefly, but the guys said that help was on the way so we carried on. Then, for ten glorious minutes, the sun broke through. Iceland really is a bonkers place.
Check out our other travels in Iceland
Final Thoughts on Snorkeling Silfra with Dive.Is
I was so excited about taking this tour but also rather worried. Being such a lizard, I hate being cold and I get cold every time we scuba dive (in Southern Africa, Mexico and Malaysia just to name a few lovely, warm places). I honestly thought I would get in, get cold and cry through it. However, that was not the case at all! We got cold standing on the snow in the rubber-soled dry suit and then again when we were getting changed. In the water, I felt fine. Cold, but fine.
I can’t quite believe these guys do this every day as it was physically intense (not exercise-wise, just endurance-wise) BUT I would absolutely hop in and do it again.
Rosie xx