A Glimpse of 2009 Vancouver Polar Bear Swim

This year is the first time I've ever gone down and watched the insanity which is the annual New Years Day Vancouver Polar Bear Swim. I read somewhere that this year's edition is the 89th one. Last year we cruised off the beach in a double hulled outrigger canoe ("V-12" canoe) but went back in when we realized we'd be waiting for another hour. We didn't have enough coffee and Bailey's to keep 12 people warm that long!

Anyways, I had no wish to go in the water. I got unceremoniously dumped into English Bay of Kits Beach in late November when the solo outrigger canoe I was on "huli-ed", i.e.: flipped over. I had no time to tell if the water was really cold because I didn't spend more than 10 seconds in it! Mind you, the temperature then was about 5-6 degrees Centigrade warmer then than it was today. But it certainly wasn't as warm as the water in Hawaii!