The polar plunge was vastly different than I expected. We had heard that you are connected via a line so that if you go into cardiac arrest, they can immediately pull you out.
Well, that wasn’t the case – and it’s a much better experience. Around 6pm or so, we got the briefing – after the Captain rammed the ship into some fast ice along the Peninsula Coast. (So far we only landed on Antarctic islands, but there is a plan to land on the continent tomorrow morning.)
Those who wanted to plunge went to our cabins and changed into bathing suits. We all wore our bathrobes (provided on board the ship for use) and our Oofos. We brought the Oofos to wear around the cabin, and I’ve taken to wearing them to breakfast as well.
We waited in line on the 3rd deck, and our fearless leader Shaun showed us how it is done by purposely falling into the 28 degree water backwards – a sort of Nestea plunge (YouTube the ad if you are too young to remember). I immediately knew there was no way I was falling in backwards.
People went in the water in all different styles – straight in jumps, dives, cannonballs, and even an impressive double backflip by Easton, a 16 year old former gymnast whom we have had several meals with (and his mother).
Before going down the stairs to the marine deck, we took off our robes and Oofos, but the stairwell protected us a bit from the wind. Carol and I kissed, and jumped in together holding hands. At some point we parted.
The water was colder than you can even imagine (28 degrees! – which is colder than you think!), and I popped up as quickly as I could. Carol jumped in closer to the stairs, and she is a faster swimmer, so I had a few extra moments to flail around in the cold. I did not curse, which is good, and while I didn’t want to stay in any longer, it wasn’t terrible.
I surfaced with my face toward the zodiac that held the camera crew, and tried, as Shaun exhorted, to surface with a zen-like look on my face. I think I succeeded, but I haven’t seen any pictures.
As we climbed up the ladder, we were greeted by Shaun with a towel. Drying off immediately, the only thing that really stung was our toes (reported by many who plunged/jumped). That’s a sign the blood was heading back to protect the more vital organs.
Quickly up the steps, grab the bathrobe, and celebrate. They offered a blend of hot tea and whiskey, but since I don’t like tea and I don’t like whiskey, I passed. Later I grabbed a hot chocolate at the bar – it was great.
Apparently I missed the captain of the ship jumping in from the third deck! Wow – the times we have chatted, he’s quite the adventure enthusiast – a young man of 35, he loves to climb mountains, ski, and other outdoor activities.
We felt great after jumping in, but still took hot showers after a short celebration on the aft deck. Would Carol ever do it again? She says maybe. Would I ever do it again? Maybe. It wasn’t as bad as we expected.
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