Do I need a guide for Silfra?

[ScottishTapWater]

I'm going on a (non-diving) holiday to Iceland in a month.

Thinking of taking a dive or two while I'm there, and Silfra looks promising.

However, I don't really want to fork out for a group tour and be surrounded by barely qualified OWDs.

Do I need a guide there, or can I just rent some gear and jump in with a buddy?

Second question, anyone in Iceland in the second week of May and want to be said buddy?

 

[runsongas]

technically no, but the one shop that used to rent tanks and weights won't anymore afaik

so unless if you know a local diver that can help with that, then you are pretty much SOL

if you have a thick enough freediving wetsuit, you could also opt to free dive it

the permit fee is 1500 ISK and 500 ISK for parking iirc

 

[34109411]

I'm going on a (non-diving) holiday to Iceland in a month.

Thinking of taking a dive or two while I'm there, and Silfra looks promising.

However, I don't really want to fork out for a group tour and be surrounded by barely qualified OWDs.

Do I need a guide there, or can I just rent some gear and jump in with a buddy?

Second question, anyone in Iceland in the second week of May and want to be said buddy?

you are dry suit diver ?

 

[ScottishTapWater]

you are dry suit diver ?

Yes mate, BSAC Sports Diver, so most of my diving has been done in the North Sea in a dry suit

 

[ScottishTapWater]

technically no, but the one shop that used to rent tanks and weights won't anymore afaik

so unless if you know a local diver that can help with that, then you are pretty much SOL

if you have a thick enough freediving wetsuit, you could also opt to free dive it

the permit fee is 1500 ISK and 500 ISK for parking iirc

Oh really? There nowhere else on the island that'll rent gear? I'm pretty reluctant to pay to take all my kit for one dive.

 

[macado]

Anyone have anymore information on this?

My understanding is to that you technically do not need a guide but a lot of shops will not rent you tanks or weight.

Does anyone have any contacts in Iceland?

I'm hoping to do a trip here at some point and I also really do not want to pay for a follow the leader type dive tour for 30 minutes.

It seems like based on this thread it's possible but I was wondering if anyone had more recent information.

Thread 'Diving Silfra - without a guide?'

Jul 6, 2016

A friend and I are going in Iceland in September, taking all our dive gear with us (except tanks and weights). We want to do some local diving, including Silfra. On some websites I read that it was mandatory to have a local guide to dive Silfra; while others don't mention it.
We find the cost dive shop-led of Silfra excursions quite high for what are basically shore dives. My friend and I are experienced cold water divers and we would prefer to do our own thing... Is it really mandatory to have a guide in Silfra??

• flowerdiver
• iceland silfra
• Replies: 8
• Forum: Scandinavia

 

[sea_ledford]

interested as well. I am looking at a trip to Iceland this December.

 

[34109411]

Anyone have anymore information on this?

My understanding is to that you technically do not need a guide but a lot of shops will not rent you tanks or weight.

Does anyone have any contacts in Iceland?

I'm hoping to do a trip here at some point and I also really do not want to pay for a follow the leader type dive tour for 30 minutes.

It seems like based on this thread it's possible but I was wondering if anyone had more recent information.

Thread 'Diving Silfra - without a guide?'

Jul 6, 2016

A friend and I are going in Iceland in September, taking all our dive gear with us (except tanks and weights). We want to do some local diving, including Silfra. On some websites I read that it was mandatory to have a local guide to dive Silfra; while others don't mention it.
We find the cost dive shop-led of Silfra excursions quite high for what are basically shore dives. My friend and I are experienced cold water divers and we would prefer to do our own thing... Is it really mandatory to have a guide in Silfra??

• flowerdiver
• iceland silfra
• Replies: 8
• Forum: Scandinavia

i am always surprise why people will not pay to have a guide in order to save few bucks. Beside level of training and personnel skills it s always a good practice to hire a local guide to discover a new area. But hey what could i do.

Be safe

 

[macado]

i am always surprise why people will not pay to have a guide in order to save few bucks. Beside level of training and personnel skills it s always a good practice to hire a local guide to discover a new area. But hey what could i do.

Be safe

You do you.

I'm not going to compare diving CVs/resumes/experience but playing follow the leader for a ~30-35 minute dive PADI-style excursion is not really my style of diving.

It's not always about the money. Sometimes part of the discovery and experience is doing things yourself.

Guides can be a great resource but not everyone needs or wants one

 

[mrtechbench]

I get lots of ads on Facebook for bicycle pump smaco tanks if you want to travel with all that stuff and a medium to full size tank.

Just kidding, that would take forever to pump up an al63, al80, 7L, 12L, or whatever tank you have.
They have a little compressor you can buy to save you 20 hours of pumping.

Just kidding, that's also a bad idea.

I read somewhere that Iceland requires guides at silfra and has strict depth limitations. From a business perspective, they probably make tons more money by requiring guided dives and drysuit classes than they lose by not renting gear.

Personally I like having a guide when I go somewhere new. I don't get to dive very often so it's not that big of a cost difference overall to me. It might be different if I went diving every day, but I like having a guide to show me cool stuff and as a relatively simple way to ensure I get a competent buddy. I'd love to go to silfra and the thermal vents, and my drysuits are all back zip anyways so not really condusive to solo diving. I have zipped and unzipped alone for solo dives but I'm always worried about breaking the zipper, usually more worried about not getting to dive after the time and effort to get there, than the cost to repair.