Dive Review of Dive IS in
General Travel/Other Locations/Iceland

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Dive IS: "Silfra Fissure, cold but amazing - another bucket list dive", May, 2019, by Phil Hamilton, MA, US ( Sr. Reviewer 8 reports with 3 Helpful votes). Report 11303.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations	N/A	Food	N/A
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	This was a "bucket list" dive; I had seen a presentation about diving in Iceland, and when the opportunity arose to make a 2-day stopover in Iceland on the return from diving in the UK, I had to do the Silfra Fissure dive. The fissure is fed by glacial run-off that has been purified by filtering through the volcanic rock of the island. I've never dived in water so clear and pure (using mask defog is not permitted). The high point is to be able to stretch out your arms at a narrow point and touch both walls of the fissure. One wall is the North American tectonic plate, the other is the European plate - you touch 2 continents at the same time. You can make your own way to the dive site but Dive IS will pick you up at one of several points in Reykjavik. They will supply all the gear you need; as I only needed a tank and weights, I received a discount (that paid for a T-shirt). Divers must have dry suit certification and at least 10 dry suit dives (DIVE IS does run 2-day dry suit courses for those lacking the certification). Divers over 60 are required to produce a doctor's letter of their fitness to dive. Good buoyancy is appreciated as there is silt that can be kicked up. The groups are small (max 4 divers be guide) and all the guides have to be certified to at least instructor level. If you don't bring a camera, don't worry as the guide will take a lot of photos which later can be purchased for a reasonable fee and downloaded from Dropbox. Entry and exit is by a wide and sturdy stainless steel staircase (the walk back to the entry point in full gear can be a bit of a challenge). Apart from filamentous algae in the summer and arctic char in the lagoon during spawning season, there is no apparent life in the water. However, the bonus is the amazing spectrum of colors as the sunlight reflects off the rocks in the clear waters. Would I dive it again? Probably not, but there are other dive sites in Iceland that I'm tempted to visit. Also, there are a lot of non-diving sites worth seeing. The downside? Iceland is a very expensive place to visit. We stayed at the Canopy Hotel "downtown" which meant we could walk to almost anywhere interesting in the capital.
Websites	Dive IS
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	Galapagos, Indonesia, Maldives, Caribbean, Sea of Cortez, Roatan, Utilla, Belize, Costa Rica, Curacao, Cozumel, Australia, California, New England, Fla keys, Philipines
Closest Airport	Reykjavik	Getting There	A perk of traveling Icelandair from the US to Europe is that they encourage you to see Iceland with financial penalty for breaking your trip for up to 7 days.
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	calm
Water Temp	36-36°F / 2-2°C	Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility	250-300 Ft/ 76-91 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	no
Enforced diving restrictions	Guided tour, maximum depth 18 meters
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	no
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	None	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals	N/A	Tropical Fish	N/A
Small Critters	N/A	Large Fish	N/A
Large Pelagics	N/A
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities	N/A
Overall rating for UWP's	N/A	Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	No need for rinse tanks, this is fresh water and is pure enough to drink

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Dive Review of Dive IS in General Travel/Other Locations/Iceland

Dive IS: "Silfra Fissure, cold but amazing - another bucket list dive", May, 2019,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Dive IS in
General Travel/Other Locations/Iceland