2/1/2024 0 Comments Idive tripsIn fact, the only parts of my body that got cold were my lips and my hands, which started getting a bit uncomfortable after 25 minutes or so.ĭive.is doesn’t let people stay in water this cold for longer than 40 minutes. (You remember my fish phobia, don’t you?)Īnd yes, the water was extremely cold - but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. AJ had to swim hard to get our pictures from a few meters beneath.īest of all, there were no fish to be found in the rift. I do wonder how the divers were able to handle it - the drysuits make it difficult to actually get far below the surface. The drysuit kept me from having to do any work. All I had to do was lie on my stomach, kick occasionally, and watch that dreamy environment pass by. Snorkeling couldn’t have been a better way to experience Silfra. I had never been so mesmerized in my life. Then cerulean, further down in the rift, as everything got deeper.Īnd finally, the bottom of the rift vanished into a strong, thrumming shade of violet. Teal rocks further down, covered in a fine moss. More shades of blue than you could ever imagine.Ĭhartreuse rocks on top, occasionally with a sprig of neon yellow grass the shade of a highlighter. Getting into the water redistributed the air pockets within the suit, and I was immediately much more comfortable.Īs the others gingerly stepped into the water, I rolled over to get a look at what lay beneath.īlue. The drysuit kept me right on the surface, and the tightness around my wrist eased. Now, that was a strange sensation - feeling like a giant marshmallow (or maybe the little brother in A Christmas Story), and floating perfectly on my back. Still a bit suspicious, I awkwardly walked down the ladder in my flippers and flopped into the water. “It will feel different once you get into the water.” My right hand felt like it was losing circulation - and I have tiny wrists to begin with. “Is this okay? Are you sure this is okay?” I kept asking AJ. It’s incredibly tight around your neck (as depicted in the photo above), as well as around your wrists. AJ helped us all out, but you’re going to lose a few hairs, no matter what. Know this: drysuits are incredibly uncomfortable and difficult to get on, particularly if you have long hair. On top went a mask and snorkel, a head cover, a set of gloves, and finally a pair of flippers. I have to wonder how many people violated that rule. “Do not pee in the drysuit,” AJ warned us again and again. What did we have to wear to snorkel in such cold waters? First, on top of thermals and thick socks (or for me, two pairs of leggings and two long-sleeved shirts), a warm suit that was essentially a human-shaped sleeping bag. Also with us was a group of divers from Dive.is, who would be following right behind us. There were six of us in our snorkeling group: two American guys, two British guys, a girl from Hong Kong, and me. The drive to Þingvellir National Park from Reykjavik took about an hour, and soon we arrived at Silfra. “It’s my home now.” Later, I checked out his bio on the Dive.is web site and found out that AJ spends his time plotting to be the first man to swim around Iceland. “How could you ever leave Cambodia and Thailand to live here in the cold?!” I asked him. AJ is originally from Poland and has made Iceland his home - though he likes to spend part of the winter diving in Southeast Asia, including one of my favorite places in the world, Sihanoukville! I knew this would be a physically strenuous activity and I was a bit nervous, but our guide, AJ, put me at ease right away, telling stories and cracking jokes. The result? We got Silfra all to ourselves. While there are lots of companies that do Silfra tours, Dive.is is the only tour to do it at this time of day. The tour leaves at 4:00 PM and returns at 9:00 PM, and there’s plenty of light throughout. Silfra is the rift between the American and Eurasian techtonic plates.įrom May 15 through August 31, Dive.is offers a Snorkeling Silfra Under the Midnight Sun tour. Most of my readers thought so, at least at first.īut people come to Silfra, located in Þingvellir National Park, for two reasons: first, to say that they snorkeled right between Europe and America. The water is fed by glaciers and keeps to a temperature of about 2 degrees C (34 F), even in May. Silfra, also known as “The Rift,” is home to astonishingly clear waters - some say the clearest in the world. One of the absolute most extreme things you can do in Iceland? Snorkeling (or even diving!) Silfra. Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on Email
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