Vlog-style transcript of Nate Buchanan, Kara Buchanan, and guide Barrett snorkeling in Silfra, Iceland — a rift on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. The participants describe gearing up in drysuits, guidance from the guide, exceptional underwater visibility (reported 100–150 meters), and sensations of extreme cold from glacial meltwater that has filtered through volcanic rock for long periods (reported 50–100 years). They float through the crack, playfully dive, and end with hot chocolate and thanks to Nordic Holidays. The uploader/creator is Nate Buchanan (video dated September 12, 2017).
Questions this video answers
100–150 meters
50–100 years
2 degrees Celsius
Nordic Holidays
Nate Buchanan; September 12, 2017
Chapters
Sam.
So as it stands, we're actually where we are right now between the two tectonic plates of North America and the Eurasian tectonic plates. So North America is that ridge over there. You can see some people stood up there. And then the Eurasian plate, you can just see there's a little ridge in those hills over there. That's the edge of the Eurasian tectonic plate, basically. So we're on what's known as the Mid Atlantic Ridge or rift right now. So this is Silfra, this big crack here. But as you can see, there's lots of other little cracks dotted around all over the place. And there's hundreds of these cracks all around the national park where we are right now. But what makes sulphur so unique is it's one of the biggest cracks around here. It's also one of the deepest. And it's got this amazingly clear glacial meltwater inside it.
I think he made me way more excited. I'm still nervous about being miserably cold the whole time, but he made me feel pretty good about the drysuit. He basically said if you just leave your face in the water, it'll go numb quicker and then it's not a big deal.
Don't bite it. Just leave it under there. Your lips will go numb. We'll be slobbering when we get out of the water.
He also gave me some tips. Don't move my neck too much because that might let some water in. Don't move your arms too much.
Oh, we get mittens.
Yeah.
I thought my hands were just going to be exposed the whole time. The only thing that's going to be exposed is our face.
They told us our route and I think it's going to be really sweet.
I'm so excited. I'm just continually getting more and more excited as the day progresses when I'm.
Most just like my mind is so blown about the visibility. He said it can be 100 to 150 meters of visibility, which is as far as the eye can see.
Basically your visibility is limited by your eyeballs and not by the clearness of the water, which is just insane. I think I'm going to be so hot. Really? So hot. I think so. I feel like I'm going to outer space. Oh, it's a little tight down there. I'm going to make it.
Hey.
I'm.
I'm so excited.
I'm very concerned by the tightness of this. Look at this.
Oh, you're getting water.
I'm not getting any water. In my. Oh.
He look like a knight. He look like a medieval knight. Slash face, man.
Spaceman knife.
She was up here. It's like my head is so tight, I can't use my brain. Like, I can't get my. My glove on.
Okay. Not sure how I'm gonna operate the camera with these, but I'll do my best. Suit it up. Switch it to the GoPro.
So I've watched one YouTube video about snorkeling so fr. And they said it didn't even feel cold. Just feel like burning fire on your face, and then it just goes numb. So banging on that.
Get everyone on this box.
I don't want to get in. I don't want to do it. Yeah, you do.
Come on. You're always. Look, you're halfway. You're literally halfway there. Do you feel your legs suctioning? Yes.
Hurry. Pull.
Much?
Okay.
Seriously, though, my body just feels like it's being squeezed by my dry suit. And it's cold, but it's not wet. It's the craziest feeling ever.
This is just what you do. Roll on your back. Okay, so I'm going to be at the front, and then you guys just going to follow me so you can. You can put your face in the water now.
I have an itch on it. I can't get.
It is incredibly clear. This is just as good, if not better than I. I cannot believe how clear it is.
So the reason that this water is so clear and you can drink it is because it's glacial water that's gone under the earth and been pushed through all of the porous volcanic rock for 50 to 100 years before it gets to this stream.
It's nice and cold.
It's super hard to go under because these wetsuits are so buoyant. So we're having competitions to see who can get down the deepest.
Sam.
How did you do that? I did a front flip.
And done. I got a whole fresh. A whole thing of cold, fresh water around my head. It's like a brain Preach. But instead of coming from inside your body, it comes from outside.
All right, playtime is over.
Better or worse than you thought it.
Was way, way better than I thought.
I have no control where I'm floating right now.
You feel dry. I can't tell.
I can't fall off.
Oh, I can't even breathe in. Listen.
I have so much. I have so much snot in my nose. I can't even breathe into it. Try to speak really fast. Try to just speak real quickly. I'M done. Can't do it anymore. Okay.
You want some hot chocolate?
Oh, that'd be awesome.
We get hot chocolate.
Your face is so red.
My hands. This feels so good on my hands. They're, like, painfully cold still, but it was worth it. This is so nice.
We end it with hot chocolate, some chocolate cookies.
There's cookies over there. Yeah, I missed those.
It was incredible. Seriously, I think probably, like, top five experiences of my entire life.
When Nate first told me about this, people getting in 2 degrees Celsius water and swimming through the continental plates, I thought, why would you ever, ever, ever want to do that? That sounds so miserable. But it was so cool, and the first few minutes was just so peaceful. And there's this current that just kind of takes you so slowly, so you don't even have to kick, so you're just floating. And then we started doing, like, front flips.
Going to our head. We all got really silly seeing how far we could dive down. I just got a little. Little wet on the sleeves and around the collar, but I couldn't even tell it was wet underwater. I think everything was just so cold that you couldn't even tell. It was amazing. If you come to Iceland, you must, must, must do this.
This was so good.
Thank you, Nordic Holidays, for setting this up for us. It was incredible. Probably going to be the highlight of my time here in Iceland.
Definitely. Now what do we do with my. Don't look at my crazy hair.
Final thoughts, guys. Two thumbs up. That was awesome. I just wish they gave us weight.
Belts so we could go deeper. It was unreal how numb my face was.
It hurt at the beginning, but it gets way better when your face goes numb.
I think one of my favorites was the troll hair.
I loved it.
I got a smile.
It's a beautiful smile. Okay.
Let'S see your smile, Barrett.
I am.
So cute.
I have no control of my top lip.
I see a lot of snot.
I'm trying to smile.
It feels like I'm smiling as big as I can. Ready.
Kayla?
Take this off and try this off.
I'm laughing so hard.
Show it your swallow.
I can't even feel my finger to get this off my face.
