Silfra - Silfra & Thingvellir
Diving Silfra means drifting between two continents, literally. You're exploring a crack in the Earth where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet, filled with glacial meltwater. The visibility is often over 50 meters, making it feel like you're flying through the bluest water imaginable. It's a unique experience for divers looking for something truly different from a typical reef dive.
- Location
- Silfra & Thingvellir, Iceland, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 64.255190, -21.116941
Marine Protected Area: Blikastaðakró-Leiruvogur
Best Time to Dive in Silfra & Thingvellir
The warmest water temperatures in Silfra & Thingvellir occur in August, averaging 12.2°C. The coolest conditions are in February at 3.7°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 3.9°C
- February: 3.7°C
- March: 4.4°C
- April: 5.9°C
- May: 7.8°C
- June: 10.1°C
- July: 11.8°C
- August: 12.2°C
- September: 10.5°C
- October: 8.0°C
- November: 6.0°C
- December: 4.6°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Silfra & Thingvellir
- Æðaklettar (reef)
- ANDRI - 10m (wreck)
- CHARLES H. SALTER - 12m (wreck)
- CLAM - 50m (wreck)
- ESKE - 20m (wreck)
- Faxasker (reef)
- GJAFAR - 8m (wreck)
- GODAFOSS - 37m (wreck)
- HENRIETTE - 14m (wreck)
- HMS Graph (wreck)
- HMS Newcastle (wreck)
- HRAFN SVEINBJARNARSON III - 10m (wreck)
- INGE BENEDIKTE - 14m (wreck)
- KING SOL - 2m (wreck)
- KOPANES - 2m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to Silfra
- DIVEICELAND.COM - PADI
- DIVE.IS - PADI 5 Star Dive Center Iceland - PADI
- Freedive Iceland - ["PADI"]
- Sportkafarafélag Íslands
Marine Life in Silfra & Thingvellir
Home to 30 recorded species including 8 seagrass & algae, 6 whales & dolphins, 6 reef fish, 3 clams & mussels, 3 sea snails & nudibranchs, 1 other.
Notable Species
- Orca (Orcinus orca) - Whales & Dolphins
- Blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) - Clams & Mussels
- salmon (Salmo salar) - Reef Fish
- Dog whelk (Nucella lapillus) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- Common minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) - Whales & Dolphins
- Sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca) - Seagrass & Algae
- bladder wrack (Fucus vesiculosus) - Seagrass & Algae
- harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) - Whales & Dolphins
- dab (Limanda limanda) - Reef Fish
- dulse (Palmaria palmata) - Seagrass & Algae
- spiral wrack (Fucus spiralis) - Seagrass & Algae
- knotted wrack (Ascophyllum nodosum) - Seagrass & Algae
- Oarweed (Laminaria digitata) - Seagrass & Algae
- Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) - Reef Fish
- laver (Porphyra umbilicalis)
- dabberlocks (Alaria esculenta) - Seagrass & Algae
- channelled wrack (Pelvetia canaliculata) - Seagrass & Algae
- basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) - Sharks & Rays
- whiting (Merlangius merlangus) - Reef Fish
- long rough dab (Hippoglossoides platessoides) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Silfra
Based on average water temperature of 7.4°C, currents 4 cm/s.
- Drysuit - water at 7°C demands a drysuit with thermal undergarments
- Hood & Gloves (7mm+) - critical to prevent heat loss
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories