What It’s Like to Take the Polar Bear Plunge
A view of the crowd at the 121st Polar Bear Plunge from the Coney Island fishing deck. Photo: Zongle Yang
By ERIC LAU
As my friend peered on, I looked around to see hundreds of other people diving in, some laughing, some crying. Already trembling, all I could think about was how long I was going to stay in there and freeze. The rush of wind blowing against my face, I put my feet underwater, and soon enough, everything else, too. Once I was out, I felt like I had a new body for 2024.
The Coney Island Polar Bear Club holds a New Year’s celebration every January 1 where people of all sorts of backgrounds come to Coney Island to enter the cold water. The oldest winter bathing club in the United States, the Polar Bears were founded in 1903 by physical culturist Bernarr Macfadden.
Why would anyone bother dipping into the winter Atlantic? The belief is that going into the cold water makes the body stronger, improves the immune system, and gives a sense of cleansing, especially during the new year.
Ryan Dylan, who has been going for over a decade, arrived early, waiting for his friends who were going in.
“If you go in, your blood is shunted from your extremities,” Dylan said. “It’s almost like an exercise. Your body is being forced to warm itself. It’s good, just like fasting. It's like a good kind of stress.”
Some may say otherwise. Hypothermia, when the body reaches very low temperatures, is a real concern for organizers and participants. Fortunately, life guards, emergency personnel, and ambulances are set around Coney Island to make sure that people get the proper treatment when needed.
“I haven’t seen a lot of crazy things yet, and I think we’re sort of lucky where we are on the boardwalk,” said Katherine Hill, a member of the club who volunteered this year. “So we’ve seen mostly families going into the playground and people trying to find their friends before swimming. I think everyone looks very festive, and I think it’s very nice.”
Vincent Koo, a regular at the New Year’s swim since 2020, brought his son and his son’s friends to try it out.
“Whether you go in the water the first time is up to you,” Koo said. “We do it later in the afternoon, too, so people can sleep in if they need to.”
The teal sky was misty as I waited in line for registration. The entrance to Luna Park, with its smiling mascot, the “Steeplechase Face,” set a tone of uncertainty and mystery for me. It was my first time, and I felt anything could happen, hearing that some people could easily withstand the water while others could only dip in and run out.
It was the coldest thing submerging myself into that thick water. This year, it was apparently easier, though. The average air temperature on January 1 is about 41 F. This year, it was 45. “It’s warmer than last year, believe it or not,” Koo said. “This is unseasonably warm.”
Even after the initial countdown, starting with a performance from a marching band, had long passed, people still stayed hours later, both bystanders and partakers alike.
Across the boardwalk, those who wished to avoid the plunge itself but still wanted to contribute could find charities accepting donations. Merchandise, dancing, sports, snacks, and drinks were part of the celebration. Pets joined in, as did musicians, shopkeepers, photographers, and reporters who wanted to see the 121st annual spectacle.
Many people took the time to dress up. “It’s a chance to have fun, and some people dress up as babies with diapers, pacifiers, and bonnets,” Dylan said. “It’s a chance to be silly.”
As I sat on a bench steadying my breath after four times going in and out, a young drummer blasted the opening of “Rock and Roll” by Led Zeppelin nearby as the sun’s beams grew stronger. People who first went in right after the countdown came in for further rounds, some citing the weather gradually opening up as a reason to come back for more.
I couldn’t say that I wasn’t chilly – I sure was. Shaking but feverishly happy that I actually did it, I found a warm towel as I joined the spectators.
The stretch of the coast seemed to go on forever and the dread as well, but once you’re deep in, the adrenaline takes care of the rest.
“The reason why we do this is because this is discomfort, and a good way to accomplish something is to be uncomfortable,” Koo said. “That’s why I think it’s important to do it. Everybody is out here being positive and bringing really good energy.”
Geovanni Morales regroups after taking the plunge.
By GEOVANNI MORALES
My 2023 was a year of experience. I learned, lost, and felt a lot, and in the climax of it all, I felt like I could’ve done more. I could’ve learned more, experienced more, and most importantly, not felt like a failure for not reaching what I wanted to accomplish. That is why this year I'm dedicating myself to changing, starting with the January 1 Polar Bear Plunge.
Everybody looked at me like I was crazy for doing it. My mom was in shock, yelling in Spanish, “What the h– are you doing that for? You’re going to get hypothermia!” Even I was like, “Do I want to do this? Am I really about to get in the semi-dirty Coney Island waters when it’s like -30 outside the day after New Year’s?” But through all the doubt, I got myself to do it.
First off, I woke up late on the day of the plunge since I was up really late the night prior because of New Year’s. I jolted out of bed, brushed my teeth, and left the house. I went with my friend David who conveniently lives right next door, quite literally dragging him out of the house and straight to Coney Island.
When we both arrived, we were shocked at the amount of people that were there. I expected it to be less crowded but it was quite literally packed with people on the beach. There were DJs playing music, police officers patrolling, Fox 5 News was there. It was crazy to me.
While I was walking up to the water, I started to have doubts. Did I want to do this? If I didn’t, then what was I going to write about?
“This water looks mad cold,” I said to myself. But I needed to do it, not even for school, but for myself, to prove that I could overcome my doubts.
I counted down from five, and as soon as I reached one, me and my friend bolted straight into the ocean, feeling the breeze from the wind and the utter cold.
But what I realized was that it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be; it was not that cold. All the doubt seemed stupid to me now that I was in the water. I enjoyed it so much that I got in multiple times and took pictures.
Leading up to the plunge, I was having so much regret, but in the end, it was a great way to start 2024, and I learned a lot. It taught me to not have so much doubt in myself, to try out new things, and to never be afraid to take a risk.
It's safe to say I really enjoyed the experience. Maybe being cold is just a myth! I might even do it again next year. I mean, why not, right?