Un plongeur dans la faille de Silfra en Islande
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Diving in Silfra Iceland. At the heart of the rift between American and Eurasian tectonic plates. It was a dream I had for many, many years.

Invited to visit this mysterious island. I took the opportunity to plan this mythical Silfra Iceland dive like expedition in a mysterious and unknown world.

After a good preparation, the trip is organized for mid-July 2018.

The journey to Silfra Iceland

This Icelandic land in the form of a treasure hunt will begin with the incredible experience of diving in the Silfra Iceland fissure

Hélène devant le panneau d'indication de la faille de Silfra

© DifferentDive | DDIVE

Appointment is made at 9 am in Pingvellir National Park.

Upon our arrival, Antz presents himself as our guide. “the best guide for the Silfra Iceland fissure” he tells us jokingly.

I have no argument to contradict him because it was perfect) before giving us our diving equipment. Everything is ready for us because our measurements were requested when booking. Therefore, it remains only in Antz to distribute the dive equipment planned for us. Dry suit, under-suit, … everything is prepared and recorded in a personal tray. (The dry suit is so comfortable that I will decide, upon my return, to acquire one of this model).

After the presentation and a briefing about technical aspects of the rig. Antz brings us together for a clear and concise dive briefing of this Silfra Iceland dive. We will dive my partner and myself with another diver and our guide. We will perform two dives at a maximum depth of -20m with a minimum surface interval of one hour.

The sun is already high in the sky. (in July the nights are almost non-existent) And the sky is so blue … it’s going to be fantastic at Silfra Iceland . We get ready, walk the 50 meters that separates us from the spot.

And make the final adjustments: masks, gloves (not dry gloves!), …
Une plongeuse se rend à la faille de Silfra en Islande

Hélène s'apprête à plonger dans la faille de Silfra © Antz | Dive_is

At the signal of our guide, we immerse ourselves. And there, while I have experience of cold water dives since I dive almost all year in cold waters. The extreme temperature (3 degrees) slaps my cheeks and my forehead. I’m thinking of coming out and saying that I can not stand this for more than thirty minutes but the environment is so exceptional that it sends me an invitation to continue exploring Silfra Iceland.

Début de plongée dans la faille de Silfra

After the first turn, the sensation of cold disappears.

It is a revelation. The sun plays with the water dazzling us with its play of light. Shades of green and blue compete leaving us in this dream. This is just gorgeous for our Silfra Iceland dive.

35 minutes later, filled with joy and gratitude, we return to the mobile diving center. There, things are a little less idyllic: we have to walk +/- 200 meters with all our equipment on our back (but our guide tells us that if it is not possible we can drop everything there and someone will come and pick it up) we are also “attacked” by an army of flies determined to take advantage of the moisture of our skin.

Sortie de plongée à Silfra

We warm up in the sun with the help of a hot chocolate and a few cookies.

During the surface interval, we exchange with our buddy of the day and our guide on his experiences of dives around the world. It’s because Antz has already made a lot of moves around the globe that he decided to come back home to enjoy the impressive setting of the Silfra Iceland Fissure every day of his life.

It’s already time for the second dive in the fissure. We re-equip ourselves and take the road towards the spot.

Plongeurs devant le passage pour plongeurs à Silfra ©

I feel a little disappointed because the sky is cloudy. Anyway. I take my camera with me but I think picture will not be so nice. 🙁  Antz explains us that he dove with a National Geographic photographer who prefers overcast weather which, he says, intensifies the shades of blue in the Silfra Iceland Fissure. So don’t worry.

I pretend to believe it but, despite my foolproof trick to make each dive a magic moment, the disappointment is a bit real anyway.

I will have the same cold sensation on my cheeks and forehead in the first minute of this second Silfra Iceland dive However, this time, I know it goes away quickly. The path is the same except that, as we have already explored the Silfra Iceland fissure for the first time, we can dwell on certain details.

Une plongeuse prend la pause entre les plaques tectoniques de la faille de Silfra

As we evolve in the Silfra Fissure, I realize that the shades of blue are really incredible and contrast strongly with the almost fluorescent green of the algae.

Deux plongeurs évoluent dans le lac à la sortie de la faille de Silfra

Once out of the water I tell myself that Antz has a great job taking every day many divers in this dive spot giving them a unique moment and welcoming their smiles once the dive is over.

Hélène et son guide lors de la plongée dans la faille de Silfra

Lost in my thoughts, I begin to dream of returning to Silfra Iceland and it is the heart swollen with sensational images that I leave for the exploration of this incredible island of wild and preserved beauty.

Just for fun and / or if you’re planning a trip to Iceland, check out my favorite places here and some unusual Icelandic info

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Helene