Not allowed to dive without drysuit certification ;-)

[beester]

Sure, but it's surprising that someone like Beester didn't recall having read about the requirement. Like Marie, I have come across articles on diving Silfra, and from what I recall, they mention the requirement of proof of drysuit proficiency.

To be frank I even have friends who used to work as dive instructors in Iceland (so mainly silfra diving) and I didn't ask them anything as well. It really was a last minute decision, my mistake ;-)

 

[Tracy]

While hilarious, it is also annoying. But yes, my fundies card from three years ago does state I am proficient with a drysuit and nitrox. It makes a technically worthless certification a good card to carry.

 

[inquis]

from what I recall, they mention the requirement of proof of drysuit proficiency.

I have always thought that a series of dive log entries would qualify, but apparently not. Good to know. (Silfra is on my bucket list.)

 

[crofrog]

Heya all...

Not sure if this should be in the "scandinavia/iceland" forum or not (if so please move, thanks mods).

I've just returned from a beautiful 15 day trip to Iceland with my family. We enjoyed ourselves immensely, seeing parts of the west fjords, the north, whale watching, a lot of hiking with our little terrorist (3y old toddler), and so fort. Diving was not on my mind but the day before our return home we were in the neighbourhood of the silfra canyon and I thought... "why not see if I can do a dive here".

I'll let wikipedia explain what silfra is (Silfra - Wikipedia).

I didn't plan on diving so I only had a couple of C cards with me. A GUE T2+ card and a IANTD normoxic Tx instructor card. I enquired with 2 people setting up dives and snorkling trips there and they basically told me no diving without a drysuit certification or proof of drysuit diving (meaning a document signed by an instructor telling them that you've done 10 drysuit dives in the last 2 years). If diving there hadn't been a hindsight thought I might have informed myself, next I understand the liability issues (although nobody actually asked about diving insurance).

Anyway I couldn't proof that I have drysuit experience or a cert. Because I don't have one! The GUE card nor the instructor card shows this. I started looking online on my other certs (that I didn't have with me) but on none of them was written drysuit proficiency or anything. I later found out that on the newer fundies tech card it states drysuit proficiency but mine was an older version. So I was basically out of luck. I tried to explain to them that being a technical diver/instructor implies that you have drysuit proficiancy unless you live in Chuuk lagoon. I posted this on facebook and about 10 of my diving friends/colleagues messaged me that they would set me up with a digital drysuit cert from various agencies asap. But by that time it was late afternoon, we had to leave and the next day we were flying out, so no need anymore. Bit funny this, doing deep technical stuff, being an instructor, having more than 1200 drysuit dives under my belt, having dived 6 different drysuits and owning 3, and being blocked from doing a 15m max depth, 45 min dive in a "pool".

So quick warning: if you want to dive in Silfra, don't be stupid like me and get a drysuit cert or somebody to (f)make you 10 drysuit logged dives.

Final inquiry for those from Iceland. Is there an active rec/tech diving community in your country. Driving around some of the westfjord bays I was constantly thinking "yes this might be a good diving spot" or "I'm wondering if any ships sank here". I know I'm autistic when it comes to diving

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Did your fundies card say "trained in drysuit" mine does.

That's hilarious though that you're a T2+ diver and they're like nope.

 

[beester]

Nope my fundies card doesn't state anything regarding drysuit, it's been a while tho, so probably the reference on the card has been altered.

 

[Marvinshirley2]

Was in Iceland last fall. The cost for the day to get drysuit certified and then the dive was something like $900, which was too rich for my blood. So, when there, I inquired about snorkeling, but they required a medical because I am over 60. Oh well.