The annual Coney Island Polar Bear Plunge drew thousands of people to the beach on New Year’s Day as participants took a freezing dip to ring in 2025 while raising record funds for local nonprofit organizations.
New Year’s Day was a little warmer than usual, with air temperatures hovering around 50 degrees Fahrenheit and the Atlantic Ocean at a freezing 44 degrees—but the cold did not deter the adventurous New Yorkers who flocked to the People’s Playground to seize an arctic start to the new year.
Thrill-seekers gathered in various attire, from superhero costumes to inflatable animal suits and classic New Year’s garb. Yet, the ocean’s choppy conditions served as an equalizer — everyone, regardless of costume, faced the icy surge of waves crashing over them in breathtaking fashion.
While participation is free, plungers are encouraged to donate to support the event’s charity efforts. The official attendance and fundraising tally for this year’s plunge has not yet been officially finalized, but Polar Bear Club President Jarred Lustgarten confirmed with Brooklyn Paper that over $138,000 had been raised by some 6,000 participants at the 2025 event.
Last year, the Polar Bear Club raised over $136,000, surpassing the previous year’s total.
The funds raised at this year’s event will benefit several local organizations, including the Alliance for Coney Island, the Coney Island YMCA’s after-school program for low-income children, the New York Aquarium’s seascape program aimed at restoring marine species and protecting New York waters, and more.
Since 1903, the Coney Island Polar Bears, the oldest winter bathing club in the U.S., have swum in the icy waters of southern Brooklyn every Sunday from November to April. Every New Year’s Day, they open the beach to allow non-members to take part in what is now an annual tradition for many.
“I feel better when I make myself do something that I don’t want to do but I know will help me. So, it automatically makes me feel better, and the rest of the world magically gets their act together when I get out of the water,” said Lustgarten, who took the reins of The Polar Bear club from long-time president Dennis Thomas last year.
With the New Year’s Day plunge growing in popularity each year, the Polar Bears had to enlist greater help from the Coast Guard and Parks Department this year to deal with the inflated crowd size—5,000 of whom had preregistered for the event.
“It’s been a wild success,” said Lustgarten. “We got it done, and it was incredible, and everybody had a great experience.”
Looking ahead to next year, Lustgarten said club officials will meet with city agencies in the coming weeks to fine-tune any kinks from this year’s plunge. He said the main goal will be to make the wait times shorter at registration to make it a better experience for the plungers who turn out in the cold weather.
Lustgarten anticipated that next year’s event could draw over 7,000 people to Coney Island, aided, he believes by the recent rise in popularity of cold plunging in wellness circles.
Some people who showed up on New Year’s Day took to the water away from the designated area, which he says they are welcome to do given the charitable aspect of the event. However, the Polar Bears are concerned about the risk those people take by swimming away from the watchful eyes of lifeguards and coast guard boats. Lustgarten added the next meeting with city agencies will address the coverage area of lifeguards in 2026.
“I don’t take it personally because none of this money is for us; it’s for the rest of the community,” he said. “So if somebody wants to change their own community, that’s up to them.”
