Crowds Take a Plunge to Welcome the New Year
Ocean City's annual First Plunge draws hundreds of participants.
More than 500 fearless souls capped off Ocean City's New Year's Day celebration and started the year 2013 with an icy plunge into the Atlantic Ocean on Tuesday afternoon.
Ocean City's annual "First Plunge" polar-bear swim has grown in popularity over the years, and Tuesday's overcast skies did nothing to diminish the crowds eager to take the year's first ocean swim on the beach at Ninth Street near the Ocean City Music Pier.
The official meteorological readings at plunge time: 41 degrees in the air and 44 degrees in the ocean (according to the National Weather Service and the NOAA marine station at Steel Pier in Atlantic City).
The First Plunge ended a New Year's lineup that started at 4 p.m. Monday (Dec. 31) with the opening of Ocean City's First Night celebration.
The event included its usual array of costumes, screams and laughter. Check out our photo and video gallery above.
Chuck Biscuits
4:28 pm on Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Retards
Bev Halpin Stirling
7:58 pm on Tuesday, January 1, 2013
One of these years I hope to get up enough nerve to do the First day Plunge! I watched from the boardwalk and everyone looked as though they were having a blast!
Jeffrey Steel
8:30 pm on Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Chuck, get a life. Great way to start the year by being negative and insulting.
It's a great tradition and lots of fun. Ocean City is a great place to live and have fun. Happy 2013!
Bruce Hamilton
11:04 am on Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Agreed. I missed this year because of knee surgery, but will be back next. Happy New Year!
Karen Bolden
11:17 am on Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Thanks Jeffrey for saying that to Chuck......wow what a miserable guy he must be. This is a really nice tradition that is as fun to read about as to watch....I wish Chuck some happiness in his life.....get happy
Lisa Anderson Yoskin
1:01 pm on Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Okay if I go in the ocean before August, that's enough of a polar plunge for me! Anything below 75 degrees is way to cold!!!!!! BRRRRRRRRRRR I got goose bumps just watching!
Eric Sauder
3:06 pm on Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Agreed.
jessica lewis
4:53 pm on Wednesday, January 2, 2013
do it every year and love it. No beter way to start off a new year!
Jacqueline Wheiler
8:52 pm on Wednesday, January 2, 2013
My Granddaughter just moved to Ocean City and this was her first plunge ever. I traveled down with her Mom and we had a blast even though we didn't take the plunge. Friendly people...everyone wishing you a Happy New Year. We will be back next year. Keep it going and ignore unkind comments.
Jackie Wheiler