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Polar Plunge


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On our Lindblad/Nat Geo expedition in 2013 on the National Geographic Explorer, the Polar Plunge was getting to jump off a platform on the side of the ship into the 29-degree F Antarctic waters wearing only a bathing suit. AWESOME! Not to be missed, imho. :D

 

I suspect it's something similar on other ships that offer this. I can only speak from my personal experience.

 

My journal entry (with photos) from that day:

 

https://antarcticjourney.wordpress.com/2013/08/17/day-six-part-two-penguins-a-paddle-and-a-plunge/

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It's a chance to "swim" in the polar waters. The logistics vary depending on the ship and the expedition staff. Sometimes it's a jump from the landing deck or from a zodiac, but most of the time it's a run into the water from the beach at Deception Island.

 

Word has it that Ponant stopped allowing it in 2015, but someone shared in the discussion that Silversea Explorer still allowed them to do the beach run version. And they have a blurb about the tethered version on their website, but it's from 2014 and seems a bit outdated, since the warm-weather pool concept described at the top is now very much frowned upon under the IAATO rules due to the disruption of the environment.

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Word has it that Ponant stopped allowing it in 2015, but someone shared in the discussion that Silversea Explorer still allowed them to do the beach run version. And they have a blurb about the tethered version on their website, but it's from 2014

 

That's quite a photo, thanks for sharing. So people were "tethered" to a crew member in the zodiac? ;p I had no idea this was one way of doing it. (I've just Googled it to learn more.)

 

On our plunge that I described above (untethered), the ship's doctor was on hand on the platform the entire time (in a warm parka!), and crew members began pulling you out of the water as you surfaced.

 

Again, it was awesome!

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  • 7 months later...

There was a polar plunge on our Quark expedition Sea Adventurer ship, from the ship not from land. I din not participate but, watched about 30 people jump from the ships platform into the 29F water while tethered around the waist no one needed to be pulled in all "swam" 1-2 strokes back to the platform with the ships doctor waiting just inside. Luckily no one needed her assistance.

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What is the Polar Plunge and do all of the ship offer it. We are on Silver Cloud Explorer in February.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

Which date are you booked on the Cloud? We are booked on the February 18 sailing. Are you on our cruise? I would consider doing the Polar Plunge but my husband says "no way". :o

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  • 3 weeks later...

My wife did this recently on SilverSeas. I was there to document on camera. It was at the "geothermal" beach at Deception Island, but the water was well under 50F. No "tethering" or lifejackets, just strip down, run in, and get out and get warm clothes on. They did give you a nice certificate and the pics I took are priceless.

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