Deep Water Diving in Iceland

For divers, Iceland is a natural wonderland. While Silfra, the gin-clear water-filled fissure separating the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, takes centre stage for many divers, a whole world of underwear marvels exists. Tucked away in the far northern reaches of the Atlantic Ocean, some of the best deep water diving in Iceland can be found along the coast. Divers who don their dry suits can explore the WWII wreck of a British oil tanker and search for wolf fish in the deep. Surface intervals are just as impressive, with volcanoes, glaciers and geothermal pools dotted across the Land of Fire and Ice, as well as the possibility of catching the celestial wonder of the Northern Lights...

El Grillo

The fishing village of Seyðisfjörður sits at the innermost point of fjord Seyðisfjörður and its puffin colonies. Puffins aside, this picturesque village is also the launch point for diving the WWII wreck of the SS El Grillo. Built in Newcastle in 1922, this steam ship met its watery demise on the night of 10th February 1944 while anchored in Seyðisfjörður Fjord. Three German Fockes attacked the vessel, laden with a cargo of bunker oil, damaging her beyond repair. The captain made the decision to scuttle the ship, and today, the El Grillo rests in 45 metres of water inside the fjord.

Wreck fans looking to experience the best deep water diving in Iceland will need to be comfortable diving in a dry suit, but after the dive, you can reanimate yourself with a bottle of El Grillo beer. The smooth beer's label recounts the fascinating history of the wreck, and if you're still not completely thawed out, you can opt for a dip in the nearby geothermal Vök Baths.

Garður

Less than an hour's drive from Reykjavík, Iceland's Southern Peninsula is dotted with extensive kelp forests, pinnacles and coral patches along its shoreline. Garður means 'garden' in Icelandic, and the dive sites here live up to their name. Within these cold-water environments, a diverse array of alienesque marine life exists, from wolffish to scorpionfish and the frogfish's distant relative, the monkfish. Diving around the pinnacles and in amongst the kelp reveals myriad diverse critters, set against remarkably colourful algae and coral patches.

All ocean diving, not just the deep water diving in Iceland, requires a dry-suit certification - which we can arrange in your home country or Iceland - to ensure safety and comfort in these chilly waters. After diving in Garður, you can warm up with a brew and history lesson. On the tip of the peninsula, the old Garðskagi Lighthouse, built in 1897, offers a glimpse into the region's maritime heritage.

The Strýtan Vent Field

Located just 62 miles from the Arctic Circle, the city of Akureyri lies at the base of the picturesque Eyjafjörður Fjord in northern Iceland, one of the country's longest fjords. Stretching close to 40 miles in length and spanning ten miles at its widest point, this expansive fjord even houses Hrísey, Iceland's second-largest island, affectionately known as 'The Pearl of Eyjafjörður.' While the views are impressive above water, below the water harbours the Strýtan Vent Field, one of the best sites for deep water diving in Iceland.

The vent field lies within the fjord and is among the shallowest such vent fields known to science. But that's not to say it's shallow in diving terms. The geothermal vents release a mixture of silica, magnesium, calcium and oxygen, which harden on contact with the cool seawater to form chimneys. The vents rise from the ocean floor at 70 metres to within 15 metres of the surface, and divers can see colourful sponges, hydroids, brittlestars, nudibranchs and sea spiders while circling the crystalline chimneys.

In addition to the excellent deep water diving in Iceland, you can also spend adventure-fuelled days uncovering Iceland's wild beauty, from towering fjords and glistening glaciers to hiking among thundering waterfalls and geothermal geysers. Our team of dive travel experts are on hand tocurate your ideal Icelandic adventure to ensure you get the most out of your North Atlantic diving adventure...