Crowds flock to Cayucos to brave frigid waters for Polar Bear Dip
Hundreds of brave participants braved water temperatures in the low 50s to welcome the new year near Cayucos Pier.
At Wednesday’s 45th annual Carlin Soulé Memorial Polar Bear Dip, 4,500 people turned out to the event, with as many as 1,500 to 2,000 taking the plunge, master of ceremonies Phil Howard said.
“Forty-five years — he’s been to all of them,” Howard said, waving to a returning diver. “That’s the kind of dedication we have here.”
Featuring a costume contest, prizes, a DJ and certificates of participation, crowds started massing at the beach several hours in advance of the noon plunge.
The plunge traces its roots to 1981, when Way Station restaurant owner Carlin Soulé sought to add a bit of excitement to New Year’s Day on the Central Coast.
That first year, Soulé, his wife, Margaret, their friends and a handful of employees at the Way Station ran into the ocean to celebrate the new year.
Eventually, the community embraced the tradition, which now welcomes thousands at Cayucos State Beach each year to participate in the Polar Bear Dip in Soulé’s memory.
This story was originally published January 1, 2025 at 3:16 PM.
