North Fork Polar Bears to plunge Peconic Bay

The wary onlooker swore he’d never dip his toes into the icy Peconic Bay. But after watching the North Fork Polar Bears’ regular cold-water swims week after week, he bought booties. Just in case.

When he finally went in, he screamed the entire time. Then he laughed. Then he cried.

“You get high off the endorphins, but if you’ve been holding a lot of fear, the release of that fear and the combination of joy can be overwhelming in a really good way,” Patricia Garcia-Gomez, co-founder of the North Fork Polar Bears, told The Suffolk Times on Friday, Jan. 9.

That plunge was his way of telling himself he’d be OK, after recently losing his father, Ms. Garcia-Gomez said.

On Jan. 25, the group she founded with Dafydd Snowdon-Jones hopes to create more moments like that at its fourth annual Polar Bear Plunge at Veterans Beach in Mattituck, expecting 200 to 300 plungers and a total crowd of 500 including spectators. 

“Some people ask us to hold their hand and we’ll do that too,” said Ms. Garcia-Gomez, 59, of Orient. “It’s whatever is required.”

The event has grown dramatically since its debut in 2022, when organizers set a goal of $5,000 and raised $55,000. Year 2 brought in about $70,000.

Last year’s plunge raised around $89,000, Ms. Garcia-Gomez said, but was affected by the Los Angeles wildfires, which occurred the same weekend.

“People were writing to us saying ‘My friend’s house burned down,’” she said. “It was a real moment in the world where people were supporting firefighters in Los Angeles.”

This year’s goal is $50,000, split between the Center for Advocacy, Support & Transformation and the Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Program’s Back to the Bays Initiative.

CAST provides food relief and health services on the North Fork and Shelter Island, while Back to the Bays funds marine habitat restoration, including a stewardship site in Southold sponsored by the Polar Bears.

Ms. Garcia-Gomez, who swims in the ocean every day year-round in a regular bathing suit with booties, gloves and a thermal hat, said the the North Fork Polar Bears group has grown from six people to more than 150 on their WhatsApp chat. 

The club hosts weekly Sunday community plunges for cold-water enthusiasts throughout the year. 

“Everybody who thought they’d never do it — they’re loving it,” she said. “It’s a beautiful community that came out of just pure enthusiasm and people having an open mind.”

Last year’s plunge drew more than 400 spectators and participants to Veterans Beach, with about 200 taking the icy plunge in 28-degree water — the coldest on record for the event. The Mattituck Fire Department, wearing dry suits, cleared the frozen shoreline before the plunge.

“They literally broke the ice for us,” Ms. Garcia-Gomez said. “They created so much joy because people felt safe. People who may have trepidation can just follow the enthusiasm and know that they’re taken care of.”

This year’s plunge includes two new initiatives: a youth program and an environmental partnership.

The youth program, inspired by a team of five Mattituck High School girls who led last year’s plunge holding hands, offers $15 registration for anyone under 18. Scholarships are available for youths who can’t afford to pay.

“We don’t want price to be a barrier for any youth that wants to sign up,” Ms. Garcia-Gomez said. “Anybody who needs assistance just has to send us an email.”

The Mattituck students organized themselves, created their own team fundraising page and brought their parents to cheer them on, Ms. Garcia-Gomez said. Top youth teams will compete for prizes including a pizza or taco party.

The environmental initiative partners with Ocean Bottle, a company that removes plastic from the ocean. Each $125 “Ocean Hero” registration includes a commemorative water bottle and funds the removal of 1,000 plastic bottles from the sea. The goal is to remove 100,000 plastic bottles total.

Proceeds also support the building of “seahorse hotels” — structures made from recycled oyster traps that give seahorses something to attach to when eel grass washes away.

“Many people don’t know that there are seahorses on Long Island,” Ms. Garcia-Gomez said. “I found one when I was swimming one day. It was the most magical thing I’ve ever seen.”

Seahorses have what’s called “site fidelity,” meaning they return to where they were born and mate for life. The hotels help preserve their habitat in the Southold stewardship site.

Mr. Snowdon-Jones added in a statement: “We’re also super excited to have launched the North Fork Polar Bears-sponsored Southold Stewardship Site with Back to the Bays. We’re building seahorse hotels!”

Kimberly Barbour, director of the Back to the Bays Initiative, said proceeds will expand oyster reefs, seahorse conservation programs and hard clam seeding efforts at the Southold stewardship site.

Erica Steindl, executive director of CAST, said the plunge provides critical funding during high-demand months. 

“Every dollar raised for CAST helps ensure we can continue providing food access, education and essential support to our neighbors who rely on us,” she said. “We are incredibly grateful to the individuals, businesses, sponsors and volunteers who make this event possible year after year.”

Registration is available online in advance or on-site starting at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 25, with the plunge starting at 10 a.m. Standard registration is $25-$50, as well as $125 for Ocean Hero packages.

Water temperatures in the Peconic Bay are currently around 35 degrees and typically range in the mid-30s in late January. The event will proceed “rain, shine or snow,” according to organizers. 

Two years ago at Silver Sands Hotel, hundreds showed up despite pouring rain. Participants are encouraged to dress for conditions, whether in bathing suits, neoprene suits or warm accessories like swim gloves and winter hats. Organizers recommend water shoes for the stony beach and bringing towels and a change of clothes to warm up quickly after exiting the water.

Event amenities include a Bunji Box mobile wood-burning sauna for plungers to warm up before entering the water, hot chocolate and coffee from Panoramica, and fire chimneys from Cifarelli’s Nursery for spectators. The fire department and emergency medical services will be on site. Volunteer Polar Bears wearing special beanies will be available to assist first-timers.

The plunge is sponsored by local businesses including The Suffolk Times. Other sponsors are Clear View Building Services, Magnusson Architecture and Planning PC, Aldo’s Coffee Company, Borghese Vineyards, Bunji Box Sauna, Cifarelli’s Nursery, East End Beacon, Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, Greenport Pilates Yoga and Wellness, North Fork Arts Center, Northfork Sun and Panoramica.

Registration, team information and sponsorship opportunities are available at https://bit.ly/NFPB26 or NorthForkPolarBears.org. Scroll down the site for a Q&A page with tips for first-timers available on the website.