Diving in Iceland

[Dave]

Silfra (The name is a variation on the word Silver) is a deep crack in the lava in the National park Thingvellir in Iceland. It is about 5 to 10 meters wide and 200 meters long. Average depth is about 20 meters but there is a dropoff down to 40 meters. Silfra is a large fresh water spring where water from the nearby glacier Langjokull surfaces and runs into the lake Thingvallavatn. Silfra's main attraction is the total clarity of the water. The clarity of the water gives the diver the feeling of flying above the bottom and on sunny days when there are slight small waves on the surface the light breakes into its rainbow of colours creating a beautiful display of colour. The water is very cold, only about 2 degrees celcius, so frost protected equipment and dry suits are necessary. The lake Thingvallavatn is also interesting with some canyons in the bottom but less visibility. No boat is needed for Silfra the diver simply dresses on shore and jumps of the vertical bank.

More... (http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/europe.html#Iceland)