stubsadventures

Today was slightly messed up. They tell you the water will be cold. They tell you that diving it in a wetsuit isn’t an option but what they don’t tell you is that it is too cold for your body to even go numb, so just a crazy amount of pain sets in.

Diving in Iceland is stunning and touching both the European and North American tectonic plates at the same time is a pretty amazing thrill but there is nothing that can prepare you for the cold. I have dove in the Atlantic, dove altitude in the Rockies in a wet suit but that didn’t compare to this feeling. The pain that sets in shortly after you hit the water doesn’t dull with time, only starts to throb the longer you’re in there. Focusing on your amazing surroundings can sometimes be difficult when you’re wondering if your feet and hands will ever feel normal again. The dives only lasted a half hour but it’s easy to see why, the body just can’t stand much more of that.

Although there is little wildlife in these lakes, the views are amazing and the colors are vibrant. The best visibility I have ever seen, you could see as far as your eyes would allow. During the second dive, most folks backed out because of the bitter cold but I pressed on, so I could take these pictures. Our first dive was part of our certification for dry suits, so I wasn’t allowed to take pictures on that dive, so not going on a second and walking away without photos wasn’t an option.

The second dive I prepared myself for much worse but it actually wasn’t too bad until the last ten minutes or so and I was awfully glad to pull my sorry ass out of that lake knowing that all that was left to do was pee and dry off.

Overall, an amazing experience and very much looking forward to diving in a volcanic lake and the ocean tomorrow to finish off our Icelandic diving!

Stubs.