“Exhilarating” is not the word I thought I would use to
describe today’s Polar Bear Plunge into Puget Sound right here in Tacoma, WA. I
thought it would be “brrr” or “tcktcktck,” the sound my teeth would make as
they clattered together. But no, “exhilarating” far better describes the
complete feeling.
Jane and Jay tried to get us to do it last year but we
thought “no way” after Jim and I narrowly survived a lung-sucking dip in the Atlantic
Ocean one November about 20 years ago. Ellen and Paul brought up Tacoma’s Polar
Bear Plunge at Point Defiance a few weeks ago, and of course Jane and Jay were
game. But then I made my list of 50 Adventures with 50 Friends in 50 Days and
found I couldn’t leave the Polar Bear Plunge off the list.
The overnight temperature hit 23°F. The high was to be 39°F.
Eventually. The announcer tried to explain how much warmer the 52°F water was
than the 37°F air. Uh, no, it does not work that way. I steeled myself with the
recollection of learning scuba diving and doing my check out dives in Puget
Sound. In January. Brrr. Tcktcktck. If a few years ago you drove down Ruston
Way and saw a really big running penguin from Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium,
that was me trying to stay warm in two layers of 7-mm wetsuit. The air temperature was 44°F and the water was 48°F. Brrr. Tcktcktck.
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| Mindy and Jim, with mountaineering puffies and swimsuits |
We met up with Ellen and Paul dressed in our high-altitude
mountaineering down jackets. I chose a Heat Miser wig to evoke warmth, with my
Hello Kitty kid’s backpack for comfort. Jim went with a Hawaiian shirt and Mardi
Gras beads. Jane and Jay came screaming into the pack during the countdown … 3!
2! 1!
I remember drawing in a deep breath before I jumped just in
case my lungs froze up. I wanted to start full. Jumping off the dock on a brilliantly
sunny day surrounded by friends and screaming Tacomans – what a blast! The
landing was surprisingly soft, but I knew not to linger. I tried swimming with
one arm so I could record the mayhem around me. Jim zipped on past me, touched
the bottom of the boat ramp fast, and hauled himself out.
It took me a few more one-armed strokes, and I’m pretty sure
I was screaming. I expected the near-freezing air to be bracing but it was
weirdly warm. Someone with a big camera asked me how it felt and I think words
came without gasping. I’m really not sure. We joined up with the whole crew
after getting separated in the water, plus Jane and Jay made a few more jumps.
Mark and Dee (chickens…) showed up to watch the spectacle in warm, dry clothes.
Time to warm up and have New Year’s Day dinner!
Adventure #: 1
Activity: Polar bear swimming
Date: January 1, 2016
Friends: Jim, Jane, Jay, Ellen, Paul
1 comment:
Awesome day! Who did the video of you getting out of the water?
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