North Iceland
Dive Strýtan Day Tour
The only geothermal chimney in the world you can dive to!
An extraordinary dive tour
Strýtan is a hydrothermal chimney in the fjord that leads to the town of Akureyri in the North of Iceland. This is the only hydrothermal chimney that we know of on earth that is at a depth recreational divers can dive to. Please note that Akureyri is 400km north of Reykjavík.
The Strýtan day tour is guided by Erlendur Bogason, the discoverer and researcher of Strýtan and Arnarnesstrýtur, or divers he has trained.
The day tour consists of two dives, one dive in each of the hydrothermal chimneys, Arnarnesstrýtan and Strýtan.
Only a 5 minute zodiac boat ride away from the shore, Arnarnesstrýtan is the first dive site of the day. Between the dives is a resting period in the Strýtan dive center. The second dive is the Strýtan herself, a 10 minute zodiac ride this time.
Strýtan is unique and breathaking. It stands alone at 65m and rises up to 15m. It has been building since the last ice age, for around 11000 years. It is a very vulnurable rock giant that can break easily.
We will show you the variety of animals and plants living on the cones and you can help us discovering new animals we haven’t seen before. At the small cones we will feed the wolf fish named Stefanía with the shell Arctica islandica.
You will feel the 79°C hot water steaming out of the cones and we will take some hot water with us up to the boat and make hot chocolate.
This tour is only for experienced divers that want to dive to a truly unique dive site.
Must-do dives for adventurous scuba enthusiasts
My wife and I did the Strytan Day Tour with Erlendur as our dive master, with Sævör assisting. To say these folks are knowledgeable would be a massive understatement. Strytan Divecenter is the real deal — this is not an on-rails tourist experience, it’s an opportunity to dive some magnificent sites with extremely experienced locals. The dives can be challenging, especially if you’re new to drysuits, but Erlendur provides good advice (much better than you’ll find on YouTube), and I think my drysuit skills improved considerably over our two dives. The sites themselves are definitely worth diving — the fish life here is plentiful and friendly. It may not be brightly colored like you’d find in a Pacific reef, but it’s beautiful all the same. And of course, the geology of the hydrothermal chimneys is unlike anywhere else, and was a powerful experience to see. I’ll definitely be coming back to Strytan Divecenter when I’m next in Iceland!
Tour Details
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All year, depending on weather
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6-8 hours
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Minimum 2 divers per dive instructor
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Maximum 4 divers per dive instructor
Please bring:
- Your PADI Advanced Dive Certification or equivalent
- Proof of dry suit experience. A drysuit certification or proof of minimum 10 dry suit dives within the last year signed by an instructor
- Proof of minimum of 25 logged dives and max 6 months since last dive
- Warm clothes
- Long underwear
- Thick socks
Included:
- All transport
- Experienced dive guide
- All equipment
- Two dives
This tour is depending availability. If we are able to go on the requested date and time, we will confirm the booking and send you a payment link for the total amount. You choose the day you want to go on this page, then choose the start time on the next page.
Safety requirements
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have at minimum an Advanced SCUBA dive certification (PADI Advanced Open Water or the equivalent)
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have dry suit diving certification and a logged dry suit dive within six months of the tour date OR have at least 15 logged dry suit dives within six months of the tour date and be able to provide written proof from a diving instructor of these dry suit dives PDF
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have read, signed, and followed directions on the Diving Medical Statement PDF
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have our Diving Medical form signed off by a doctor if they are age 60 or older PDF
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sign our liability release form at the start of the tour PDF
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be at minimum 150cm / maximum 200cm
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be at minimum 45kg / maximum 120kg
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fit within our dry suit size chart PDF
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be at least 17 years of age (signature of legal guardian required for under 18 year old participants)
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be physically fit
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be able to communicate in English
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not be pregnant
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eat well before the tour
Experience the tour
Experience the tour
