Silfra Fissure
Þingvellir, Iceland
- Typical depth
- 18 m
- Type
- Freshwater
- Level
- Beginner
Notes
Crack between the Eurasian and North American plates; glacial water, 100 m+ vis.
Marine life
- Other
- virtually sterile water — almost no fauna
- Invertebrates
- freshwater algae ('troll hair' on rocks)
Site features
- Tectonic Fissure
- Glacial Meltwater
- 100m+ Visibility
- UNESCO World Heritage
- Drysuit Required
- Freshwater
- Drinkable Water
- National Park
When to dive
- Best
- year-round
Silfra is a fissure in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge inside Þingvellir National Park (UNESCO World Heritage), where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates pull apart ~2 cm/year. The water is meltwater from the Langjökull glacier ~50 km north, filtered through porous lava aquifer for 30–100 years before emerging — yielding 2–4 °C, exceptionally clear, and potable. Visibility is among the highest of any natural body of water (commonly reported in the high tens to over 100 m horizontally). Year-round dive — the constant meltwater flow keeps the fissure from freezing — but Sep–Apr surface temperatures and ice make the parking-lot kit-up brutal. Drysuit certification (or 10+ logged drysuit dives) mandatory at all operators. The standard route — Silfra Hall → Cathedral → Lagoon — is a mild downstream drift with a final swim across a shallow lagoon to exit.
Conditions & access
- Visibility
- 80–120 m
- Water temp
- 2–4 °C
- Current
- Mild
- Access
- Permit required
- Min cert
- Open Water + drysuit certification (or 10+ logged drysuit dives) — non-negotiable at all operators
Location
64.2558° N, 21.1217° W
Sources
Curated from 2 sources
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