Best Time to Dive in Silfra
Divers come for the continental rift, and 100 m visibility. That does not change through the year, so go when the weather is best: May to September. The wider season runs March to October.
- Best time
- May–Sep
- Season runs
- Mar–Oct
- Dived from
- shore diving
- Species logged
- 5
Where it is
111 km across · coastline from Natural Earth 10m
Diving in Silfra — monthly breakdown
A year of scuba diving conditions at a glance. Hover a month to isolate it.
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conditions | Poor | Moderate | Good | Good | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Poor | Poor |
| Marine life | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady |
| Best time | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak | Peak |
Long-term averages, 2016–2025. Visibility is estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a. Water temperature is the surface mean; it is cooler at depth.
The Silfra diving season
February · Shoulder season
1 month- Rain
- 19 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind is up.
March to October · Peak season
8 months- Rain
- 17 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind eases.
Marine lifeGrey seal (hit-or-miss) peaks at Silfra in these months.
November to January · Off season
3 months- Rain
- 16 days a month
Diving conditionsThe wind is up.
- Water temperature is satellite sea-surface temperature, so expect it cooler below the thermocline.
Silfra water temperature and weather
3,703 underwater observation records · 18 surveyed years of ocean data · 0 years of sea temperature
Water & weather
| Month | Swell | Gusts over 40 km/h | Wet days | Heavy rain | Air | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | — | 4% | 18 | 8 | -0 °C | 4.8 h |
| February | — | 10% | 19 | 6 | 1 °C | 8.1 h |
| March | — | 1% | 16 | 5 | 2 °C | 11.2 h |
| April | — | 1% | 15 | 5 | 6 °C | 14.7 h |
| May | — | 0% | 18 | 4 | 9 °C | 18.0 h |
| June | — | 1% | 16 | 3 | 12 °C | 20.4 h |
| July | — | 0% | 17 | 3 | 14 °C | 19.3 h |
| August | — | 0% | 15 | 4 | 14 °C | 16.1 h |
| September | — | 2% | 18 | 7 | 10 °C | 12.6 h |
| October | — | 2% | 18 | 5 | 6 °C | 9.3 h |
| November | — | 3% | 14 | 5 | 3 °C | 5.9 h |
| December | — | 2% | 16 | 5 | 1 °C | 3.5 h |
Swell is the rough end of the month: nine days in ten come in under it. Sea temperature covers 0 years, waves 0.
Pick your week
Gear & storms
Tropical storms
No tropical storm has come within 250 km in 30 years of records. Swell and wind set the season, not cyclones.
- NOAASea surface temperature, from OISST and MUR
- ERA5Wind, waves, rain and air temperature, via Open-Meteo
- OBISMarine species records within 60 km
- IBTrACSTropical cyclone tracks, 1996 to 2025
Silfra marine life — what you'll see diving
| Species | When | Observed window | Reliability | Evidence | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minke whale | Jul–Aug | Near-guaranteed | 111 | ||
| Humpback whale | All year | Near-guaranteed | 3428 | ||
| Harbour seal | Aug, Oct, Dec | Near-guaranteed | 114 | ||
| Orca | Mar–Apr | Likely | 32 | ||
| Grey seal | Jul–Aug, Oct | Hit-or-miss | 11 |
- Observed window
- Months with records. Peak is where most of them fall.
- Reliability
- Near-guaranteed in 60% of surveyed years or more
- Likely 30% to 60%
- Hit-or-miss under 30%
- Evidence
- Years it was seen, out of the years anyone surveyed.
- Records
- OBIS sightings within 60 km.
These are sightings people logged, not a full survey of the reef. A species missing from a month may just mean nobody recorded one.
Diving Silfra — common questions
- When is the best time to dive Silfra?
- Divers come for the continental rift, and 100 m visibility. That does not change through the year, so go when the weather is best: May to September. The wider season runs March to October.
- When is the diving season in Silfra?
- The diving season in Silfra runs March to October, and it is at its best May to September.
- Is the diving in Silfra good for beginners?
- It is better with some experience. The water is cold enough that most divers use a drysuit, which needs its own training.
- What will I see diving Silfra?
- The most consistently recorded species are Minke whale (near-guaranteed), Humpback whale (near-guaranteed) and Harbour seal (near-guaranteed), from 3,703 records within 60 km.
- Does Silfra get tropical storms?
- No. None has passed within 250 km in 30 years of records.
- When should I avoid Silfra?
- December–January are the weakest months for conditions.
- How do you dive Silfra?
- Mostly from the shore. Trips run through the season, Mar–Oct.