Polar Bear Swim – New Year’s Day – Britannia Beach, Ottawa, Ontario

Polar Bear Swim – New Year’s Day, 2011 – Ottawa, Ontario

Update: THe cold water is waiting for the 2012 event – see our 2012 blog

Graeme and I and my father got to Britannia Beach (Location) this morning for the “Great Canadian Chill” a.k.a. Polar Plunge. Just posting a few quick shots from the Polar Bear swim preparations in place before the actual activities of the morning began. Will be adding to this post later this evening but have other responsibilities first.

EDITED TO ADD MORE PICTURES:

AS 1:30PM approached, the hole was checked over by the diver and everything was readied for the first two plungers (the participants in the video entered the water a bit later than the first few individuals).

With TV cameras running, the first bathing-suit clad individual emerged from the crowd and headed across the slippery ice to the awaiting hole in the Ottawa River ice. A slight mist and an air temperature of about +6C made for a highly unusual set of conditions for a New Year’s Day plunge in Ottawa, Ontario. Although very balmy for this time of the year, being out there in a bathing suit still raised a few goosebumps.

SEE MORE HERE. The short video clip is fun to watch.

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Women’s Swimwear available through Amazon

Men’s Swimwear available through Amazon

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