Long Islanders welcome the new year with 'refreshing' polar plunge

It’s been 10 years since Charlie Weinstein asked his friend Jack Pierce if he and a few other friends wanted to take a New Year’s Day plunge in the chilly waters near their Sea Cliff homes.

"I didn’t know what to expect," Pierce, 71, said Wednesday, standing in the sand on Sea Cliff Beach as the waters of  Long Island Sound’s Hempstead Bay lapped a few feet away. "We did it together and it was fantastic!"

What started as a whimsical plunge has now turned into a popular annual event that draws large crowds from Sea Cliff and beyond. It’s a community gathering that includes people of all ages, kids — even family dogs. People were encouraged to bring food donations to benefit a local food bank and  filled several large barrels.

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Some people came to plunge and others came to cheer them on — undeterred by the 49-degree temperatures that actually felt like 38, cloudy skies and water temperatures hovering in the 40s.

Pierce said the group has plunged in 17-degree weather, wading through slush to get to the water and walking over rocks on low-tide days.

Weinstein, 77, said he flew back from a trip to Oregon on Tuesday night so he wouldn’t miss the plunge.

"Going in the water feels brilliant," he said. "It’s not too cold."

Many people across the United States and beyond welcome the new year with a run into the water, known as a Polar Bear Plunge. It's a New Year's Day tradition in Canada and the Netherlands.

On Long Island, a plunge was also held in East Hampton on Wednesday to benefit a food bank.

In recent years, cold water plunges have emerged as a new health and lifestyle program for people who say they have physical and emotional benefits — such as reducing inflammation and improving mood. Several groups participate in outdoor swimming year-round.

Maria Fort-Valderrama, of Mineola, joined the New Year’s Day plunge in Sea Cliff for the first time with others from her running club, which has been swimming in cold water in recent weeks.

"It’s amazing," she said, wrapped in a towel after her plunge on Wednesday. "It’s freezing, but an adrenaline rush."

She said being surrounded by a large group taking a plunge also boosts her motivation.

Leo Imperial, of Bayville, a member of the running club with Fort-Valderrama, called the plunge "refreshing."

"We have good weather today," he said. "We're blessed."

By Lisa L. Colangelo

lisa.colangelo@newsday.com@lisalcolangelo

Lisa joined Newsday as a staff writer in 2019. She previously worked at amNewYork, the New York Daily News and the Asbury Park Press covering politics, government and general assignment.