More than 1,000 swimmers defy arctic blast by leaping into ocean for Coney Island polar bear plunge

http://www.nydailynews.com ^ | 01/01/2018 | Katie Honan

[heterosupremacist]

video @ link (2:13)

Only half as many swimmers were crazy or brrr-ave enough to take this year’s New Year’s Day plunge.

With temperatures hovering near 15 degrees at 1 p.m., more than 1,000 swimmers joined the Coney Island Polar Bear Club for a dip in the Atlantic Ocean, well below last year’s 2,500 hardy souls.

“I’m traveling America, and why not do the dip?” said Jonathan Er, 23, who is visiting from Australia.

“I heard it’s a good way to cure a hangover.”

[heterosupremacist]

[digger48]

Bikini Malfunction ALERT!!!

[Parley Baer]

...and the wind is around 9 gusting to 20.

[a fool in paradise]

I thought warmer temps meant fewer polar bears.

[bramps]

Definite shrinkage.

[digger48]

Grandpa’s definitely going to have some shrinkage issues

Paging George Costanza...

[Terry Mross]

Side boob. Nope. Bottom boob.

[A_perfect_lady]

I just... don’t understand why anyone would do this.

[Jeff Chandler]

Coney Island Sea Temperature
(Today) 1st Jan 2018
8.3°C / 47°F

That’s cold but tolerable for a few minutes. Heck, the water’s 57°F in Huntington Beach, CA today.

[Thank You Rush]

I would guess that they are still hungover and don’t know any better...

[wally_bert]

Boggles the mind.

[stevio]

I would consider doing this, I’m lovin’ this cold weather in the NE.

[Enchante]

[Larry Lucido]

Old Guy: We're having a party here?

JERRY: No, we're having an intervention

Old Guy: An intervention? Who's intervening?

JERRY: There's a friend of ours on drugs and we're going to confront him.

OLD GUY: Sure, we used to do that when one of our polar bears stopped coming. We would go to his house and say, "What you don't want to be a polar bear anymore? It's too cold for you?"

[tflabo]

I would never do this not so much because of the coldness factor but from the stress on the body along with shivering can lend itself to reduced resistance to illness bugs floating around this time of year.

[Lisbon1940]

Can you just show up and swim or do you have to be a club member?

[heterosupremacist]

Lisbon1940 wrote:

Can you just show up and swim or do you have to be a club member?

I suspect if you are dumb enough to go ‘Polar bear’ you would be welcomed.

[SaveFerris]

Excellent

[Enchante]

Not only will I never do this, but I will never ever be even remotely tempted to think about doing this. NO WAY.

[Lisbon1940]

You may be right, but with most clubs there are dues and committee work expected. Usually, I decline to join when asked.