join the Polar Bear Club

This New Year’s Day at 1pm. I’m bringing a lot of clothes, and a camera….it’s going to be cold, and the forcast is rain/snow!

I hate cold water and I hate open water…
Recently, I wanted to conquer some fears and challenge my body and mind.
I watched a bunch of old people doing this on YouTube…and I thought, dammit I would never do that…But, thats just what my mind tells me. Truth is, I actually can.
So why not..I will keep you posted on my progress…

My goal wasn’t really to “join” a Polar Bear Club as much as to do a polar bear swim. Although I didn’t actual do a big swim, I did go in damn cold water in November. I swam again in about 52 degree water for ten minutes a couple of weeks ago. I’d like to do this again next winter in colder water than I’ve done so far, but I’ll come back to that in the Fall. I’ve got other things to concentrate on this summer.

It seems like everytime I hear about one, it’s too late cuz I’m seeing it on the news. Is there a schedule of all the polar dips in the Twin Cities?
If you know any of them, will you post it?

O! M! O! was it cold!

I did not wear the wetsuit like I thought I was. When I looked at the original polar bears none of them had them on, so I was not going to wimp out. It was a beautiful sunset. After my dip in the Pacific Ocean. I sat and thought about the upcoming year. It was pretty deserted, except for the couple making out on the lifeguard tower. I could hear a loud suction noise as a walked some distance away. amateurs. They could have used the beginners kissing tips found on the Close-Up
web site.

Crap, I just found out about it, the day after, and now I have to wait a full year to fulfill my dreams of jumping in a cold lake.

Was a great time. I’m not going to close the goal out yet, because (1) I think it ought to be done with more people (2) it ought to be done after New Year’s (3) the water ought to be colder. Not that it wasn’t cold. The weather was beautiful, the water was also. I wanted to stay in longer, but my feet were tingling numb in a way I’ve never experienced before and we thought it best to take it easy for this first swim.

Meeting Theresa in Ocean City, NJ tomorrow around 25th Street beach, if anyone wants to join. It will be my first swim, her umpteenth. I’ve never met her before. Her boyfriend and dog will be joining us. I hear the water is a balmy 50 degrees.

Predicted temperatures for the Atlantic Ocean in Atlantic City, NJ…. for November 58 to 53 degrees… for December, in the 40’s…. for January, mid-30’s. Brrrrr!

November 23 and December 8 are possible dates for swimming “down the shore.” Let me know if you want to join.