Thousands of brave divers took to the chilly waters of the Pacific near the Cayucos Pier on New Year’s Day to celebrate the 46th annual Carlin Soulé Memorial Polar Bear Dip.
Hosted by the Cayucos Chamber of Commerce, the Polar Bear Dip often draws several hundred to thousand divers willing to charge into the ocean clad in everything from swimwear to elaborate group costumes at noon on the first day of the new year.
Despite the damp, cool and overcast afternoon following a rainstorm that rolled through the area, divers were still undeterred by weather.
Thousands of divers braved the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean during the annual Carlin Soulé Memorial Polar Bear Dip on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. The 46th annual dip drew thousands of divers even amid overcast and rainy weather. Joan Lynch jlynch@thetribunenews.com
Erin Culp, a diver who dressed as Dr. Seuss’ Lorax with her friends, said the Polar Bear Dip has been part of her New Year’s Day tradition for several years.
“How can you not have fun here? It’s just a blast,” Culp said. “Everybody is very festive, and a lot of costumes, and you get to run around and burn some calories from the holidays and jump in the ice-cold water.”
Diver Erin Culp poses for a photo before running into the ocean during the annual Carlin Soulé Memorial Polar Bear Dip on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. The 46th annual dip drew thousands of divers even amid overcast and rainy weather. Joan Lynch jlynch@thetribunenews.com
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.
A family of inflatable sea creatures charge into the ocean during the annual Carlin Soulé Memorial Polar Bear Dip on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. The 46th annual dip drew thousands of divers even amid overcast and rainy weather. Joan Lynch jlynch@thetribunenews.com
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.
Thousands of divers braved the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean during the annual Carlin Soulé Memorial Polar Bear Dip on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. The 46th annual dip drew thousands of divers even amid overcast and rainy weather. Laura Dickinson ldickinson@thetribunenews.com
A group of divers dressed as inflatable pigs socialize before the annual Carlin Soulé Memorial Polar Bear Dip on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. The 46th annual dip drew thousands of divers even amid overcast and rainy weather. Joan Lynch jlynch@thetribunenews.com
Fresno resident Ellie Delana steps out of the waters of the Pacific following the annual Carlin Soulé Memorial Polar Bear Dip on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. The 46th annual dip drew thousands of divers even amid overcast and rainy weather. Joan Lynch jlynch@thetribunenews.com
Joan Lynch is a housing reporter at the San Luis Obispo Tribune. Originally from Kenosha, Wisconsin, Joan studied journalism and telecommunications at Ball State University, graduating in 2022.
