Cold Water
Strýtan
Iceland
A shallow hydrothermal vent cone rising to 15 m in a cold Arctic fjord
3–10°C · 37–50°Fvis 20 m · 66 ftadvanced
Country
Diving in Iceland
3 dive destinations in Iceland, up to 290 km apart. Water temperature across them runs 2–11 °C. All 3 are in season in Mar–Oct. 7 named dive sites have their own pages.
- Destinations
- 3
- Dive sites
- 7
- Water
- 2–11°C
- Most in season
- Mar–Oct
RegionCold Water
Where are the dive destinations in Iceland?
- 1StrýtanMay–Aug
- 2SilfraMay–Sep
- 3Reykjanes PeninsulaJul–Aug
Numbers match the table below. Land outline: Natural Earth (public domain).
How do they compare?
| # | Destination | Best months | Water | Visibility | Depth | Level | Access | Sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Strýtan | May–Aug | 3–10°C | 8–20 m | 12–30 m | Advancedsites from intermediate to advanced | Day boat | 2 |
| 2 | Silfra | May–Sep | 2–4°C | 40–80 m | 4–18 m | Intermediate | Shore | 3 |
| 3 | Reykjanes Peninsula — Garður & Flekkuvík | Jul–Aug | 6–11°C | — | to 25 m | Intermediatesites from beginner to intermediate | Shore | 2 |
When is the best time to dive Iceland?
The most destinations are rated good or prime at the same time in Mar–Oct: 3 of 3. Each row is one destination's own season rating.
| Destination | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Strýtan | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Fair |
| 2Silfra | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair |
| 3Reykjanes Peninsula | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| Good or prime | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
Which destinations combine into one trip?
Destinations that fit within 200 km of each other end to end and share at least one month rated good or prime. Distances are straight lines between destinations, not travel routes.
77 km end to end
In season together: Mar–Oct
All 3 destinations in Iceland
Cold Water
Silfra
Iceland
Visibility measured in tens of metres inside a rift between two tectonic plates
2–4°C · 36–39°Fvis 80 m · 262 ftintermediate
Cold Water
Wolffish, grey seals and kelp forests on a lava coast within an hour of Reykjavík
6–11°C · 43–52°Fintermediate