Night Diving Under The Northern Lights

Posted December 1, 2015

What extreme conditions would you go to achieve the perfect dive? This pain versus pleasure conundrum is one all hardcore divers have mulled over, and it is something that the frozen landscape of an Icelandic Winter seeks to challenge every year.

Aurora Borealis dancing above the Silfra Ravine in Thingvellir.

IMAGE: Aurora Borealis dancing above the Silfra Ravine in Thingvellir.

 Baptism By Fire: The Extreme World of Winter Dry Suit Diving

Scuba Diving In Snow Covered Silfra

A night that lasts 20 hours every day, plunging all areas outside the major cities into darkness. At least a foot of snow sits upon the ground, with a layer of ice covering the surface of the cold water. The air chills every breath, yet the wind is calm. And in the midst of the South-Western Thingvellir region – beneath the florescent waves of the aurora borealis – the magnificent Silfra ravine lays illuminated below the surface, the world’s clearest water providing a night diving nirvana in a frozen wilderness.

Bright Dive Lights And Underwater Night Vision

Iceland may offer many excellent diving locations all-year round, yet none can compare with this. Protected from the elements by a drysuit and armed with a torch, the experience of moving gracefully through this crystal clear fissure – the icicles locked in above your head with the yellow and green colours of the Northern Lights shining through them – is unbeatable. It may not be easy to get there: the Scandinavian weather will test your mettle, the equipment will take time to get ready and the entrance ladder will be covered in a layer of ice. But perfection comes easy to no one, and once all these hurdles have been overcome the mesmerising sight of its underwater caves, its frantically searching trout and its brightly coloured algae are there to see, all in water with at least 100 metres of visibility at all times.

Heat, Life And Atmosphere After Diving

This experience is something no diver should miss. Magmadive want to give you the chance to battle the elements and find your own underwater heaven, which is why we’re offering night-time dives this winter at the Silfra ravine. Come book your trip today and see the wonders of this astounding fissure and the Northern Lights both at the same time. And don’t worry about the cold – David’s organic piping hot soup will warm you up once it’s all over.

Dry suit divers walk back through the snow at Thingvellir.

IMAGE: Dry suit divers walk back through the snow at Thingvellir.