Every scuba diving enthusiast dreams of scuba diving Iceland. This is because Iceland offers an extremely unique diving experience. Apart from the conducive conditions and the spectacular sites, it is only Iceland, where you can get the rare chance of diving in between the Eurasian and the North American tectonic plates. In short, this equals to scuba diving in a site where two continents were initially connected. This particular idiosyncratic diving spot that is found in Iceland is known as Silfra.
Iceland boasts having diving sites with the clearest water in the world. This is the kind of visibility that allows you as a diver to have a crystal clear view of what the ocean has to offer. The best thing is that you are not limited to one diving site. Besides Silfra, there is Gullfoss and Geysir, Strýtan, Garður, Kleifavartan, Davíðsgjá, among others.
However, you might be wondering when is the best time to scuba dive in Iceland. As much as that question lacks a clear-cut answer, this article will attempt to answer it in the best way possible.
So, what is the best time to Scuba dive in Iceland?
Every diver feels confident to dive in certain conditions or sites. While some don’t like diving in extremely cold weather conditions, there are those who are comfortable in such conditions.
With that being said, there is no ideal time to dive in Iceland. In fact, divers go to scuba dive in Iceland all year round. Visibility and water conditions don’t have significant variation throughout the year.
However, winters are likely to challenge some divers, not unless you are the kind of a diver who doesn’t mind cold water.
Nevertheless, your aptness to reach your preferred diving site, as well as your ability to dive, may be hampered by the weather.
But what are you targeting? Is your objective to experience a midnight or daylight dive? Well, if you are looking for the midnight sun dive, the ideal month of the year would be June. This is a dive that is done right before the sun comes up.
If you don’t have a specific goal and just want to enjoy for scuba diving Iceland, the conditions are favorable from April to October. Usually, you will find that a majority of divers and snorkelers come to dive in Silfra during the summer. In case you like a diving experience that involves a lot of people, summer is the perfect season for you. The common diving temperatures in Iceland range from 35-37 F.
While optimal conditions prevail between April and October, this may not apply to all the diving sites for scuba diving Iceland. Fortunately, dive operators are conversant with each and every site. It is, therefore, important to ask them about the conditions you are likely to expect on a particular site. In addition, they can recommend the best diving sites that may coincide with your interests.
Normally, if you want to go for scuba diving Iceland, you are advised to carry with you some warm clothes that you can put on, right after diving. The recommended diving gear is a dry suit. Also, some diving sites may require you to be of a certain height, posses a drysuit certification and have the relevant diving certification. However, the diving gear shouldn’t be a matter of concern as most diving operators provide you with one.
Iceland is undoubtedly one of the best destinations for scuba divers in the world. Firstly, regardless of the time or the site you choose to dive, you will undoubtedly have a great experience. With the immense visibility, you are guaranteed of the best view of everything, including the plants as well as the sea creatures. It also allows you to take high-quality underwater photos.
Secondly, there are a variety of diving sites. This allows you to have an all-round diving experience.
Finally, you can choose to dive into one of the most coveted diving sites in the world (that’s Silfra). In fact, it’s been said that the tectonic plates that you will be diving in between still drift to an estimated distance of one-eighth of an inch (1/8″) each year. Isn’t that awesome?
