Polar Plunge: The Rule Book – ADDENDUM

You may recall my terribly cold and less than graceful demeanor at the New Year’s Day Polar Plunge in Yarmouth that lead me to writing The Rules for Polar Plunges… This past Super Bowl weekend I had the chance to support several of my friends and a great cause at another cold water event: The Cape Cod MSPCA Super Bowl Polar Bear Plunge at Mayflower Beach in Dennis.

This time I gave support from the beach. I also loaned my GoPro camera to my friend (we will call her Mary-S) who WAS taking the big plunge. After this weekend, I have a couple more rules to add to my original list:

Rule 7: If you don’t go under it doesn’t count. That’s to say, if you simply strip down and tip-toe into the water up to your waist and run back, you aren’t supposed to claim you actually “plunged”. You have to dive or dunk your head completely under the water. (Please note: I went under on New Year’s Day).

Rule 8: When using an underwater camera, like a GoPro, make sure it is securely attached. If not, it will end up on the chilly, sandy bottom of the ocean. You will then have less than a 50 / 50 chance of recovery, as very few people will RETURN into the frigid water to recover your camera.

We learned Rule #8 on Sunday when I watched Mary-S’s jubilant run into the cold clear water with the rest of the screaming and cheering crowd, and her triumphant return to the beach… She still had the camera harness, but no camera. It took a moment to realize what had happened. After some scans of the beach, an announcement similar to a lost child alert was made over the bull-horn for my GoPro. A gentleman with a plastic Nemo attached to the top of his head waded out into the water and fished around until he called out that he had found the GoPro!

I want to share with you the footage from the event… Which looks like a comedy skit where Mary-S bravely dives into the water and then sinks to the bottom in shock. I love the sound effects in the video. I also want to stress the fact that no one was hurt during the filming of this Polar Plunge.

I also want to say thank you to the man in the NEMO hat. You are our hero! (You are also insane because I have seen you in the water at SEVERAL plunges now!) Thank you!