Have you ever imagined ice diving as the ultimate swimming adventure challenge? What about making it your next ultimate swimming adventure in Iceland? Try diving in nothing but a swimsuit and goggles, through glacial lakes. It is an amazing experience, and one I recommend to all adventure seekers out there.
This isn’t just swimming—this is an extreme swimming adventure under ice in one of the world’s most extreme environments.
To dive under ice on one breath, braving the cold, and confinement is one of the most exhilarating things out there. So I wanted to make a resource of ice diving as the ultimate swimming adventure in Iceland for anyone that might be interested.
I will go through:
- What is ice diving
- A background to ice diving in Iceland
- Why this swimming adventure interests me
- Preparation
- Safety tips
- Personal Experience
- Challenges and Risks
- Why People do it
- Places to ice dive
- Conclusion
Here’s what it’s like to embark on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
What is ice diving and why is it the ultimate swimming adventure?
Well it can be a bit confusing. When you search for ice diving or ice swimming and diving under ice it is usually scuba diving under ice that comes up. That is one option of course. But for those extra crazy inclined you can also do freediving under ice, and in just a swimsuit!
That is how I first tried diving under ice, but I cannot wait to try out scuba diving under the ice in the future.
In brief, you can dive (in whatever way you prefer) in frozen environments such as lakes, quarries, fjords and even the ocean. When the surface layer is frozen you often must drill holes into the ice to make entry and exit points for the diver.
In other places such as Greenland, you can dive in the ocean around icebergs which sounds amazing to me!
As these places are extremely harsh and dangerous conditions to dive in, additional safety procedures are necessary for divers.
I won’t go into detail about the safety around scuba diving, because I prefer and have more experience freediving in these environments.
A background to ice diving in Iceland
Iceland is home to glacial landscapes and lakes that are perfect for ice diving in the winter months. Winter diving in Iceland can be a completely different experience than in summer.
It’s possible to dive under ice in Iceland, because of the glacial waters and stable ice conditions. There are beautiful geological formations like the Silfra Fissure, where you can freedive (or snorkel, or scuba) in crystal-clear glacial water and dive between two continents.
During the winter months, the temperatures dip low enough to freeze the surface layers of lakes in Iceland. This creates a stable ice cover that allows divers to safely swim underneath. Because the ice cover is so thick and stable, it provides safe and secure access points for divers to dive under the ice.
It’s really important for the divers to dive in environments where the ice does not break or shift unpredictably. That is why Iceland can be a perfect location for this extreme activity.
I’ve mentioned before that cold-water swimming is a trendy activity here. People love to dip in the sea and warm up afterwards in a hot tub.
Well, you can even take it a step further and dip under the ice, hold your breath and swim to the next carved hole in the ice and just pop up like a seal!
Why this swimming adventure interests me
Arctic swimming and diving under ice was straight away on my bucket list when I decided to move to Iceland. I knew this was a place where I could level up my diving and swimming skills in nature. It was a way to challenge myself and I knew I would become obsessed with the thrill of it.
I wanted to combine my experience of freediving with the challenging environment of doing it under ice, and without a wetsuit.
Thankfully, there is a badass community that drill holes into frozen lakes during the winter months here in Iceland. I absolutely knew I had to try it, and I am waiting for the frosty weather to start so we can jump in again.
However, the act of diving under ice in your togs and a pair of goggles is not for the faint-hearted. The first time I waited for my turn, I watched someone bash his head into the ice while coming up. I tried not to let the blood dripping down his face deter me from my dive, and just composed myself.
Preparation for frozen lake diving
It requires a lot of mental composure, not only to stay calm diving under ice but to hold your breath.
For me, I was confident in my freedive training that I could hold my breath and not panic. However, the icy conditions were another ball game, and I didn’t know how much I could expect to see under the ice. It wasn’t great visibility to be honest, but there is a safety line to follow from one hole to another. This makes it easier to stay on track in case you panic or lose sight of the exit hole.
Just writing about it now makes me so excited for the next time! I am all about the thrill of it, combining the cold temperatures with diving and being in a harsh environment. I just love it.
Ice diving Safety Tips
Safety while ice diving is the top priority in these conditions. If you ever feel unsafe on this swimming adventure, I advise you not to do it. Your mental state needs to be calm, and without fear or hesitation. Some things to look out for if you find yourself signing up for an ice dive:
Check the weather, make sure it is safe conditions to do the dive on the day.
Make sure you are connected to a lanyard so that you can easily get out by rescuers if needed. There can also be a safety line that you follow from one entry hole to the next, if you need assistance.
Appropriate clothing is necessary for during and after the dive. That normally includes gloves, a hat and socks, just as if you were going sea swimming. It is also important to have warm clothes to change into afterwards.
Have warm drinks ready for afterwards. If you don’t have access to warm showers or facilities (which you should), make sure you have tea or hot chocolate ready for you at least.
Know your limits. Sometimes there can be multiple exit holes that are longer dives. If this is your first time, or you are still new to the sport, play it safe and start with the shortest distance. Don’t risk it before you even know what your limits are.
Enjoy the experience and you can build up to longer distances, making this your own swimming adventure challenge!
Make sure the team organizing the event know what they are doing, and you feel safe in their hands. Ask all your questions and go over the safety procedures before you dive.
My Experience of ice diving in Iceland
The first time I went diving under ice, I was like a kid at Christmas! It was around December time if I recall, and I was so up for this new swimming challenge.
I had just had my daughter two months earlier, and we wrapped her up well and brought her with us. Andri was watching her while I jumped into the icy lake for the first time.
It was probably even better than I had imagined, as I had wanted to try this for so long. I think having my little girl with us added to the experience. I also just felt like myself again after giving birth and becoming a mom. It felt good being in the outdoors doing something a little crazy, but this time with her by my side.
Challenges and Risks to extreme diving
The biggest challenge in arctic ice swimming is managing your breath, and the cold. Staying calm helps with these things, so that is my biggest tip.
Learn the basics of breath-holding if you want to feel confident and comfortable on the dive.
Have some cold-water tolerance built up before you dive under ice.
Why people go diving under the ice
In my experience, ice diving and activities like it attract a certain type of person. It is an extreme diving adventure, so yes it attracts thrill seekers. However it also calls those that are mindful. They are looking to connect with nature, and with themselves further. It is an underwater ice exploration, but you explore much more than that.
It is a way to discover more about yourself, and what you are capable of. All this while doing something wild, and adrenaline fueled. This combo is my favourite and is what draws me to do things like this all the time. It also builds a nice community and a social aspect to it.
There is a great sense of accomplishment in facing -and conquering-the extreme.
Places to try ice diving
This list is not exhaustive, but some of the places I have heard about for ice diving as the ultimate swimming adventure for divers. This is both freediving and scuba, with and without wetsuits or drysuits. It is up to you to figure out which one calls you!
Scuba in Iceland Home (icedive.is)
Freedive in Iceland Want to Freedive in Iceland? – Great Reviews & Ratings – Freedive Iceland
Lake Päijänne, Finland Diving under ice: 6 incredible places! | Red Bull
Freediving under Ice | Paijanne on the Rocks
Morrison’s Quarry, Wakefield, Quebec, Canada Dive Site Review of Morrison’s Quarry, Wakefield, QuLOCATIONeacute;bec (freedivecanada.com)
White Sea, Russia Ice Diving (ice-diving.com)
The fjord of Tasiilaq, Greenland Iceberg diving | Northern Explorers (northern-explorers.com)
Lake Sassolo, Switzerland
Even Antartica! Antartic Ice Diving — African & Oriental Travel Co. (orientafricatravel.com)
If you are interested in free diving under ice in the frozen lakes of Iceland, here is where to go to find out more information.
Conclusion to ice diving
If you’ve ever thought about ice diving, or looking for your next swimming adventure, I highly recommend going for it. I had no regrets and just became more obsessed with extreme ice diving! If you have tried it, let me know how it was for you!
If you are interested in more cold water stuff in Iceland, continue reading below.
