TRAVEL
How to Plan a Group Dive Trip to Iceland by Christopher P. Weaver & Michael Salvarezza , ecophotoexplorers.com, NY
T HE LAND OF FIRE AND ICE. That is how people often refer to Iceland. It is a very apt moniker as Iceland is a land of contradiction. The country kisses the Arctic Circle to the north and its many mountains are capped with glaciers and deep snow pack.
climb above 35 degrees F. Dry suit diving is the norm and your customers should have cold water diving experience. Shore dives in the ocean and boat dives in the fjords expose divers to a rocky substrate often covered with kelp. Marine
species found here are endemic to the northern cold waters like the Wolf Fish, Lumpsucker, Atlantic Cod, Metridium Anemones and cold-water nudibranchs. It is best to check with the dive shop you will be working with re- garding requirements and restric- tions. Some dive operators require either formal Dry Suit Certification or a provable 10 dives in a dry suit and cold water. At Silfra, for ex- ample, anyone over 60 years old, or individuals with pre-existing conditions (e.g., heart disease, asth- ma, high blood pressure), must provide a signed doctor's clearance form. Top 4 Dive Sites in Iceland 1. Silfra: Two hours outside of Reykjavik is Thingvallavatn Lake, home to a ruptured landscape torn apart by geological forces. In and around the lake are many fissures and tectonic cracks, many of them filled with glacial melt water from Iceland’s second largest glacier, Langjokull. This water, filtered for 50 years through 30 miles of lava rock, emerges here as clear and clean as possible. It is here that divers can visit Silfra, one of these geological cracks and one of the most iconic dive sites in all of Ice- land.
However, it is also geologically and volcanically active and the land is scarred from recent lava flows and contorted and twisted by the spreading of the earth. Indeed, the mid-Atlantic ridge goes right through the center of Iceland, where volcanoes rise and the North Amer- ican and Eurasian continental plates are ripping apart. In some areas, cracks in the Earth’s crust have flooded with lava filtered glacial melt water, making for unparalleled diving opportunities in crystal clear water with almost unlimited visi- bility. Unlike other dive destinations, Iceland presents a varied set of ex- periences and planning a group dive tour requires planning and a knowledge of the country. Diving Overview Diving in Iceland runs the gamut from ocean-based shore diving, ex- ploration of geological wonders in the countryside, boat dives in fjords to hydrothermal vents and technical cave diving. There are no liveaboard operations or dedicated dive resorts. Rather, divers will be based on shore and will coordinate their dives with local dive shops or tour oper- ators specializing in tours of this
Diver explores Silfra
One of Iceland’s many waterfalls
Fearsome face of a harmless Wolf Fish
fascinating country. The waters are cold, especially in some of the geological dive sites where water temperatures rarely
At Silfra, divers descend a set of stairs installed for safety and access, and then enter a labyrinth of rock walls, boulder
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