Silfra, by virtue of its location in the Þingvallavatn Lake, contains clear, cold water that attracts scuba divers drawn to its high visibility and geological importance; divers are literally swimming between continents. The rift claims a shallow depth nearest to the bank, but deepens and widens further out.

Scuba diving professionals have divided Silfra into three sections: Silfra hall, Silfra cathedral and Silfra lagoon. At its deepest, Silfra is 63 metres deep but diving this depth is seldom done and only by appropriately qualified advanced divers. In any case the most wondrous sights are in Silfra cathedral which is a 100 meter long fissure where you can see almost from end to end.