Silfra Freedive Tour
Freedive in the clearest water on earth
The Silfra fissure
Freediving between two tectonic plates
Take a deep breath and duck-dive down between the tectonic plates in the clearest water in the world! For the extra-adventurous out there, the Silfra Freediving Tour is a very special experience. Plunging into the Silfra water with the freedom of a wetsuit is unforgettable.
Freediving means diving under the surface using a breath-hold technique. Duck-diving beneath the surface is not possible on normal snorkelling tours because the drysuit is filled with air and is very buoyant. Wearing a wetsuit instead of a drysuit means that you might feel the 2°C water, but also that you'll be freer to move around beneath the surface as you wish. The wetsuit used on this tour is a specialized free-diving wetsuit, which helps to ensure that you stay warm enough while in the water.
This underwater world has a visibility range of over 100 meters. The clarity of the water gives divers the sensation of flying - even more so when you are unburdened by the dry suit and the accompanying diving equipment! You do not need to be a certified diver to join this tour, but you do need to be a good swimmer.
After helping you get into the high-quality freediving equipment, your guide lead you into the fissure. You can spend as long as you'd like in the water. The typical duration of the freedive is about 40 minutes. You will get to see all of the parts of Silfra, from the awesome deep chasm at the beginning to the fields of algae in the lagoon in the end.
Please note that all tour participants need to sign the Silfra Medical Statement (see link below in the section "For Your Safety"). This tour is operated by one of our trusted partners specialized in freediving.
Tour Details
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All year round, daily
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Approx. 4 hours at the site
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Maximum 6 free-divers per guide
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Tour operated by Freedive Iceland
Please bring:
- Swimsuit under freedive suit
- Towel
Included:
- All equipment needed for freediving
- Entrance fee into Silfra
- Warm overcoats (Dryrobes) before and after the freedive
- Professional guidence
- Hot cocoa after freedive
Meeting at Silfra:
Please know that no transportation is available for this tour
Safety requirements
Participants must:-
be at least 16 years of age on the year
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have read, signed, and followed directions on the Silfra Medical Statement PDF
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be a minimum 45kg/maximum 130kg
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be a minimum 145kg/maximum 210kg
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be comfortable in water and be able to swim
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be physically fit
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be ready to wear a sometimes tight & constricting wet suit
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not be pregnant
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eat well before the tour
You will snorkel here
Frequently asked questions about the Silfra Freedive Tour
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Are there toilets and changing facilities available at Silfra?
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There are two small toilets at Silfra. However we kindly ask you to not use them for changing, as it can cause long queues. We do have a changing room vehicle, and often several other cars at Silfra for participants to change clothes in. Due to this layout, we highly recommend that participants arrive at Silfra already wearing their thermal base layer.
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Can I buy food at Silfra?
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Unfortunately, there is no food sold directly at Silfra. There is however a restaurant at the Thingvellir Information Centre which is located just 3,5km away from Silfra.
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Do I need to pay for parking at Silfra?
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The Þingvellir National Park charges a parking fee, which allows you to park in any of the five car parks in the park for the duration of the day. Please note that the parking lot for divers and snorkelers at Silfra is called P5 and is about a 5-minute walk to the Silfra meeting point.
You can pay for parking on CheckIt before or during the day of the visit, and enter the license plate of your car into the system. Cameras check all license plates entering and leaving the parking lots. If you can’t pay online, you can pay at the Visitor center. Pay machines will also be installed at the parking lots in the near future. The pay machines accept all major credit/debit cards.
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How long do I spend in the water on the freediving tour?
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Each freedivingsession in Silfra can be anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes, most commonly around 40 minutes. On the Freedive Foodhunt, you coud spend anywhere from 1 to 2 hours in the water, as the ocean is much warmer than Silfra.
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Will I get cold while freediving in a wetsuit?
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The wetsuit used by our partners on the freediving tour is a specialized 7mm freediving suit. In many cases, no water will touch your skin, but if it does, your body quickly heats up the water. It's important to remember that the Silfra freedive tour is a tour in 2°C water, not tropical warm waters, so your expectations should be adjusted accordingly, but most people are perfectly comfortable in the water using the specialized freediving wetsuit. The Freedive Foodhunt will take you on freedives in the ocean, which is several degrees warmer than Silfra.
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