Anders Nyberg/Dive.ISThe Silfra Tectonic Diver Distinctive Specialty gives divers the opportunity to explore where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet and learn how volcanoes and glaciers shape Iceland’s iconic landscape.
Iceland’s Silfra fissure is one of the only places on Earth where you can dive between continents. The water-filled crack between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates is, at times, narrow enough that it’s possible to extend your arms and touch two continents at once.
The PADI Silfra Tectonic Diver Distinctive Specialty was written by Dive.is instructors Tobias Klose and David Ramsay in 2010 to answer the many questions asked by visiting divers. The course cov-ers the dive site’s unique geology, why cracks like Silfra exist across the country and how volcanoes and glaciers shape Iceland’s landscape.
The geology briefing takes place either on the drive to Silfra from Reykjavík or at the dive site itself. Altogether, the course takes about six to eight hours.
Upon completion, students receive a Silfra Tectonic Diver certification card and underwater photos of their dive between continents. Dive.is also provides a heated changing area and offers hot cocoa and cookies after the dive.
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The PADI Silfra Tectonic Diver Distinctive Specialty is offered throughout the year, but air temperatures are warmest from April through September.
“Winter is for the real Vikings who are not afraid of the stinging north winds and long, dark nights,” says Dive.is diving coordinator Anete Barovska.
Drysuits are mandatory because the water temperature in Silfra is 35 to 39 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. Dive.is has rental drysuits in standard sizes to fit divers standing 4-foot-11 to 6-foot-7 and weighing 99 to 264 pounds.
“We recommend doing the dives in the morning. Because the water temperature is near freezing. It’s the best way to wake up,” Barovska says.
The course is open to certified divers who are at least 17 years old and hold a drysuit certification. Divers who have drysuit experience but don’t have a certification must fill out a form listing 10 dry-suit dives within the past two years and have it signed by an instructor affiliated with an internationally recognized diving organization.
Divers without a drysuit certification or the required experience can make arrangements with Dive.is to get drysuit certified before diving Silfra.
Anders Nyberg/Dive.IS
Divers who visit Silfra routinely report it to have the clearest water they’ve ever dived. This is because it’s glacial meltwater that spends up to 100 years filtering through layers of porous volcanic rock before filling into the fissure.
“The main thing I noticed after my first Silfra dive was how the clarity alters the perception of distance and depth, making Silfra feel less like a typical dive and more like flying through the landscape,” Barovska says.
The PADI Silfra Tectonic Diver Distinctive Specialty is offered daily throughout the year. For those traveling with nondivers, Dive.is also offers a snorkel tour of Silfra. Visit dive.is for more information or to book your tectonic diving adventure.
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