Day 24 - snorkelling the silfra fissure

It was a very crisp morning in Reykjavik, with a heavy frost making everything all twinkly.  I had set my alarm for 6.30 intending to leave by 7.30 to avoid the rush hour traffic, but I woke much earlier quite cold and turned the heater on.  It was showing 8 degrees in the van.  It heats up really well, but also loses heat quite quickly.  I think we hit a first today with ice on the inside of the windscreen. Poor old Grinch had his topnotch stuck in the ice.  I had to thaw it so he could move his head.

I was on the road a little early and navigated the way out to Thingvellir National Park easily, a series of “at the roundabout, take the 2^nd exit”.  It was a lovely morning, still and only a little cloud and I was treated to a beauty sunrise as I headed out.  As I had built in some spare time, I could stop for photos.

I arrived at Park 5 and walked to the staging area, where a number of different operators run trips from.  I’d gone with Adventure Vikings based on Tripadvisor reviews, and had originally opted for a wetsuit, but decided to switch to a dry suit.  This is supposed to keep you completely dry, and I must admit I was a little doubtful about how this could be possible.  I was about to find out.

First off, answer the health related questions.  Then sign the waiver and next of kin information.  I somehow missed that one.  Oops.  It was a little chaotic, with several divers trying to wrangle everyone.  There were I think 4 groups from the same company, but we mostly had 3 different guys, all speaking Italian or Spanish or both, firing instructions.  First we had to get into what I will describe as an insulated onesie.  But first, no hoodies, no high necks, no earrings, no big rings on fingers, no watches.  We were herded into a van and had to change into the onesie.  There was already a guy there in only boxer shorts, waiting for his wetsuit.  German, so he’s used to having his kit off in front of people.  He was already shivering and I felt quite sorry for him.  I quickly stripped off my thick pants, not quite trusting the dry suit principle and hopped into woolly long johns, took off my hoodie and left on my wool long sleeve top.  I figured if they did get wet, it would not be a disaster.  Next we were given the dry suits.  Another onesie, this time with booties attached and VERY tight rubber cuffs at the wrist and neck.  We were instructed to only pull them up as far as our waist and wait for help to do the rest.  There was a zip across the back of the shoulders.  To get the suit fully on, you make your fingers into points (like an Italian "Mama mia" gesture – did I mention the guides were Italian?) and shove your hand thru the rubber wrist tube while the instructor ensured a snug fit.  Next came the head – look down – guide lifts the neck rubber over your head – look up and poof, you are in.  Put your arms straight out like a T shape while they zipped up the shoulder zip.  Next came the choker, a tight silicone band exactly like a dog collar that they put around the neck of the wetsuit.  It initially felt quite tight and uncomfortable, but I quickly got used to it.  Next a hood, just a neoprene balaclava that you pulled over your swede, not intended to be waterproof.  Gloves were next, in a weird configuration with the index finger in a separate section from the other three fingers.  There were “semi-dry”gloves aka wet gloves.  They were not waterproof but were really thick.  We were handed mask and snorkel which was sprayed with soap to prevent condensation.  Grab flippers and it was time to schlepp our way over to the launching platform,  There were several groups ahead of us, and it was really cold waiting.  The wet suit guys were shivering like mad, but we were assured that it would be warmer in the water as it was currently between 2-4 degrees.  By the time we got to put our masks on, the soap mixture had frozen and they were rinsed with warm plain water to remove the soap mixture.  Masks were fitted, so much easier not having hair, and lastly flippers.  By this point it was too hard to bend down and fit the strap of one flipper, with super fat fingers in bulky gloves, so our guide Hugo kindly did that for me.

While we waited, 3 people in groups ahead of ours bailed.  They walk you down the steps into the water and give you a little taste of the sensation, and some decided it wasn’t their cup of cha.  Have to admit, it’s a bit freaky.  As you lower into the water, the pressure from the water pushes the suit against you, but once you are in the water, you are very floaty and it’s actually  quite hard to control your movements.  I felt unbelievably clumsy, never being the most comfortable in water at the best of times.  But it was our turn, none of our group bailed, and we were off.  There is a “point of no return” where if you decide you don’t want to continue you have to let them know, otherwise it’s too difficult to get you out between there and the final platform. 

Interesting to note that there were park rangers on duty there, helping those that bailed and generally keeping an eye on things.  I assume the tour companies have to pay fees to use the space, so some oversight is required. 

I set my gopro running not long before we got into the water, catching by chance, the last woman that bailed.  Footage is a bit ropey, and there are some moments where I panic a bit when I get water in my snorkel and start sucking in water.  But if you can look past the cinematic gaffs, it’s a first person view, in and out of the water, of the experience.  The guide was also taking photos on a go-pro and they will be uploaded to the web in due course.  He took photos of us just after we came out of the water, and I’m sure I will have snot on my face, so I will vet them before I share the link – lol.

Getting out of the water was a matter of drifting to the platform and being grabbed by the arms by two guys in a very slick well-practised routine.  Flippers off and handed to you, bend your knees and stand up, snorkel and mask off and snot rinsed in the water and shoved into your flippers.  Back shoulder zipper unzipped and up you go to wait.

I didn’t notice the cold in the water, and true to it’s word it was a dry suit, no water ingress whatsoever.  Very impressed.  It was getting cold waiting for the rest of the group to come in, plus the next as they double up to share the pain.  There was 6 in a group by the way, one Italian, 4 Germans and me in ours.  By the time we had walked about 200m back to the staging area I was warmer than I had felt all day, including my hands.  Weird. Reverse the routine, masks and snorkels in the white barrel of presumably disinfectant.  Gloves off, you can do that yourself, wrap them in pairs and drop them in the appropriate size tub.  Hoods in the size tub, but wait for help with anything else.

Line up and a guide will undo your choker, lift the rubber seal from the back of your neck, get you to lift the front out while you are looking down, and your head pops out.  Peel it down to your waist and go sit on the platform with our shoes ready.  The neck of the suit is put on a hangar which you are given to hold, wrap your arm over the back of the seat, and they pull from the boots and off she comes.  Step into your boots and off to the van to take off the insulated onesie and re-dress, and back out for a nice hot cup of hot chocolate.  Job done.

I had lots of misgivings about doing this, I’d been barking like a dog coughing the last few days, and I’m glad I switched to the dry suit option.  The “advantage” of a wetsuit is it allows you to dive, but I noticed the wet suit guys did none of that anyway, and I certainly wouldn’t have.  But it ended up being a great experience and I’m so glad I did it.

Did I mention you can drink the water? Filtered over 100 years, super pure. There was lots of stuff floating in it, so I didn't deliberately ingest, but I'm sure I quaffed a couple of unintentional mouthfuls.

After we were done I wandered back to the parking lot to get my camera and re-traced my steps snapping pix of the next group on the production line.  

The staging area

Sit on the shelf, hold on while they pull the dry suit off you

It was a stunning day, sunny and clear and not a breath of wind and so I went for another wander around Thingvellir park.  

I went to the visitors centre and got a BLT for lunch and bought a coffee.  They give you a cup and you then use the machine to order what you want.  It said “place your cup” which I did, expecting it to present a menu.  It didn’t, and so I started pushing buttons, and before I knew it I had ordered a Swiss Mocha.  Ah well, it was hot and drinkable.  

My kind of place 👍

I wandered a bit more and pondered what I would do next.  The weather forecast for the south coast is pants for the next week, rain rain rain and then snow.  Sigh.  Snaesfellnes peninsular is fine, so I decided to head there for a re-do of Kirkjufell, which was miserably wet and did not give us a sunrise.  I arrived around 5 pm, and even though the light was nothing special, I took some pix of it reflected in the lake with long exposure.  

Kirkjufell

And even though we have been here before, we came a completely different route, and as is often the case, the journey is as good as the destination.  Great scenery along the way, such a shame there are not more pull-out spots,

Have settled into the very basic “campground” which has toilets and handbasins for 1000KR per night ($12.42) and have tucked into an Italian anti-pasto platter and salad washed down with a glass of red wine.