Quinn Ricigliano was trying to cure her hangover. Hannah Fargo was trying to clear her head so she could set goals for the new year. And Dominique Smith was trying to carry on an unusual family tradition.
They were among several hundred brave people from across the county who celebrated the new year Monday morning by splashing into cold ocean water at La Jolla Shores beach as part of the annual Polar Bear Plunge. Also on Monday morning, hundreds of swimmers braved chilly water at the annual Penguin Plunge in Del Mar.
This year’s group of plungers in La Jolla was a mix of wide-eyed first-timers filled with fear, and grizzled veterans calmly taking in the sights and sounds of the familiar once-a-year ritual.
People gather for a photo before taking part in the annual New Year’s Day Polar Bear Plunge at La Jolla Shores on Monday, January 1, 2024 in San Diego, CA. Hundreds of people braved the not so cold water for a New Year’s Day dunk. The ocean water was above 60 degrees.
(K.C. Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune)
“It’s just the symbolic moment of getting in the water and saying ‘hey, it’s a little cold but we’re having a new year,’” said Smith, who came from Santee with his wife and two daughters to participate for his ninth consecutive time. “I try to say it won’t shock me every year, but then you get in and it definitely does.”
The water was actually an unusually warm 61 degrees when the plungers ran, jogged or took frightened baby steps into the water just after 10 a.m. The water temperature for the plunge is often below 60, and was a frigid 56 in 2017.
Ricigliano, who came from North Park with three friends, was trying to use the shock of cold water to accelerate curing a “notably rough hangover” from New Year’s Eve.
A first-timer, Ricigliano was in and out of the water quicker than most other participants, but said that was based on success — not discomfort from the cold.
“It was freezing, but it cured the hangover — that’s for sure!” she said.
San Diego CA – January 1: Matt French Wallace and wife Laura walk back to shore after participating in the annual New Year’s Day Polar Bear Plunge at La Jolla Shores on Monday, January 1, 2024 in San Diego.
(K.C. Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Ricigliano and her friends said the plunge was so fun and exhilarating that they plan to come back next year with a stylish twist: they will all wear matching bathing suits.
Fargo was more contemplative about the experience as she stood in Kellogg Park with a few friends, preparing to take the plunge.
“It invigorates you and it helps you realize what you want for the new year,” said Fargo, a Mission Hills resident who did the plunge once before about five years ago. “It clears your head so you can make plans and goals.”
Fargo, a flight attendant, said she hopes to find time in January for a trip to Thailand and to write in her journal. She said taking the plunge Monday will give her the mental clarity to make those things happen.
She prepared well for how cold she’d be after swimming, wearing a fluffy bear cover-up and wintergreen beanie with a tassel. Maybe too well.
“I’m actually sweating right now,” Fargo said before taking the plunge.
Many others had conspicuous clothing, including Santa caps, polar bear outfits and thick pullover parkas. Those outfits helped spice up many of the before-and-after group photos people were taking.
Veterans of cold-water swims on the East Coast or in the Midwest often ridicule similar events in warmer climates because Atlantic Ocean plungers brave water temperatures in the 40s — or even the 30s.
But Tom Hecker, who swam across the English Channel in 2005, said there should be no judgments.
“It’s all relative to what you’re used to,” he said. “For us, 60 or 58 is really cold.”
Lori Lantzy, who is visiting San Diego from New York for the holidays, said the warmer climate was the main reason she participated in the plunge.
“It’s nice here — I’m from New York and it’s too cold to do this in New York,” Lantzy said. “I also just thought it’d be fun to go in the ocean first thing New Year’s Day.”
Leaders of the La Jolla Swim Club, which has organized the event for more than 35 years, estimated attendance was more than 400 — the largest turnout in several years. The event’s group picture and potluck lunch, which were suspended during the pandemic, are back now and strong as ever.
“It’s a nice annual tradition,” said Doug Burleigh, the swim club’s vice president.
Del Mar hosts a similar event each year called the Penguin Plunge. Hundreds of swimmers waded into the sea at 7:30 a.m. Monday for the annual event near the 17th Street lifeguard headquarters station on Del Mar Beach.
Hundreds of people participate in the Del Mar Penguin Plunge on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024, at Del Mar Beach. People braved the not-so-cold water for a New Year’s Day dunk in the ocean, where temperatures were above 60 degrees.
(K.C. Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune)
