Water temp was low 30s and the windchill factor brought air temp equivalent to close to zero. Plungers had to navigate frozen heaps of ice and sand, the residue of a lakefront frozen until 24 hours earlier. Quite a few crossed the line in the sand from "This is fun!" to "Never again!"
Plunge protocol requires workout suits (or less, in the case of intrepid bikini-clad dippers), but Open Water Chicago has a nice report of a wetsuited swim earlier in the day with pictures that show ambient environment: http://openwaterchicago.com/
Bayfield, WI, has a costumed plunge in March as part of its Winter Festival: http://bayfield.org
Pictures of your special plunge are welcome!
:applaud:
Parents
Former Member
Low 30's? Whoo! Mine wasn't that cold but it was of a pretty healthy distance... I swam about 11k (meant to go 10k, whoops) in 53 degree water from Avila Beach to Pismo Beach on the Central Coast of California sans wetsuit.
I've got pictures and a write up over here: robaquatics.com/.../2011-pismo-polar-bear-10k-swim.html
Video over here: robaquatics.com/.../more-2011-pismo-polar-bear-swim-coverage.html
I have however done a midwestern ice strewn polar bear swim before too in Milwaukee when I was a freshman in high school... questionable decision for sure but we had fun being dumb :D
Low 30's? Whoo! Mine wasn't that cold but it was of a pretty healthy distance... I swam about 11k (meant to go 10k, whoops) in 53 degree water from Avila Beach to Pismo Beach on the Central Coast of California sans wetsuit.
I've got pictures and a write up over here: robaquatics.com/.../2011-pismo-polar-bear-10k-swim.html
Video over here: robaquatics.com/.../more-2011-pismo-polar-bear-swim-coverage.html
I have however done a midwestern ice strewn polar bear swim before too in Milwaukee when I was a freshman in high school... questionable decision for sure but we had fun being dumb :D
