Polar Bear Swim at English Bay is Vancouver’s oldest and most stubbornly popular New Year’s tradition — thousands of people running into the Pacific at 2:30 PM on January 1, in water of roughly 5–7 °C. It has run since 1920, founded by Peter Pantages of the vaudeville theatre family, which makes it one of the oldest polar bear swims in North America. The 2026 edition was the 106th; January 1, 2027 will be the 107th. Registration is free, walk-up on the day, and watching costs nothing at all.
This guide covers everything for participants and spectators — how registration works, what to wear, the warming-up logistics that matter more than the swim itself, the history, and how to enjoy the spectacle without going in.
Table of Contents
Polar Bear Swim Quick Overview
- When: January 1, every year — swim at 2:30 PM sharp
- Where: English Bay Beach, West End, Vancouver
- Cost: free to swim and free to watch
- Registration: walk-up on the day, 12:30–2:00 PM, free with photo ID
- Water temperature: typically 5–7 °C
- Air temperature: usually around 5 °C, sometimes colder
- Running since: 1920 — the 107th swim falls on January 1, 2027
- Participants: commonly 2,000–2,500, with far more watching
The thing nobody tells first-timers: the swim lasts about ninety seconds and the warming up takes an hour. Almost all the planning that matters is about what happens after you come out of the water, not before you go in.
When & Where
- Date: January 1, without exception
- Swim time: 2:30 PM — the horn goes and the crowd runs
- Registration window: 12:30–2:00 PM at the beach
- Location: English Bay Beach, at the foot of Denman Street
- Arrive by: 1 PM to register comfortably and find your group
The 2:30 PM timing is deliberate and long-standing: late enough for the city to recover from New Year’s Eve, early enough to be properly light. Sunset in Vancouver on January 1 is around 4:20 PM, so there is plenty of daylight for warming up afterwards.
A Century of Swimming
The swim was started in 1920 by Peter Pantages, a Greek immigrant restaurateur from the family behind the Pantages vaudeville theatre circuit. He swam at English Bay every day of his life and persuaded a handful of friends to join him on New Year’s Day. Around ten people turned out for the first one.
Pantages kept it going for more than fifty years, and it has run continuously since — through the Depression, the Second World War, and every bad winter in between — making it one of the oldest events of its kind in North America. His family remained involved for decades after his death in 1971.
What began as ten people is now a crowd of a couple of thousand swimmers and many more spectators, and the event has spawned imitators across the Lower Mainland. The 2026 swim was the 106th.
How to Register
Registration is simple, free, and only exists so you can get a certificate — you are not required to register to enter the water.
- When: 12:30–2:00 PM on January 1, at English Bay Beach
- Cost: free
- Bring: photo ID
- You get: a participation certificate
- No advance registration — it is walk-up on the day
Register early in the window. The queue at 1:45 PM is considerably longer than at 12:40 PM, and you do not want to be standing in a registration line in swimwear fifteen minutes before the horn.
Water & Air Temperature
The numbers are less extreme than the reputation suggests, and more than cold enough to be genuinely shocking.
- Water: typically 5–7 °C (41–45 °F)
- Air: usually around 5 °C, occasionally near freezing
- Wind: the variable that actually determines how bad it feels
- Rain: likely — this is Vancouver in January, and the swim runs regardless
For comparison, a cold shower runs around 15 °C. Water at 5–7 °C is cold enough to trigger an involuntary gasp reflex on entry, which is the single most important thing to understand before you go in.
What Cold Water Actually Does
Understanding the physiology makes the experience far less alarming, because the worst part is entirely predictable and it passes.
Cold shock response hits within the first few seconds: an involuntary sharp intake of breath, followed by rapid uncontrolled breathing and a spike in heart rate. This is normal, it happens to everyone, and it peaks around 30 seconds and subsides within about two minutes. The danger is inhaling water during that first gasp, which is why you enter facing the shore and keep your head above water.
What it is not is hypothermia. Genuine hypothermia takes far longer than the ninety seconds anyone spends in the water here. The real risks on the day are slipping on wet rocks, the gasp reflex, and getting cold afterwards because you did not organise dry clothes.
Practical implication: walk in, do not dive or run in headfirst. Let the gasp happen while you are standing. Breathe out slowly and deliberately. It passes.
What to Wear
- Swimwear — the standard; many people wear costumes over it
- Old trainers or water shoes — strongly recommended; the beach has rocks and shells and your feet go numb fast
- A swim cap — a surprising amount of heat goes from your head
- Neoprene gloves and booties — if you want to be comfortable rather than authentic
- A costume — a long-standing tradition; the crowd rewards effort
- Not: cotton anything, which holds water and freezes you afterwards
Wetsuits are permitted and a minority wear them. Regulars will consider it cheating. The ninety seconds is survivable without one.
Pre-Swim Tips
- Eat properly beforehand — your body needs fuel to generate heat afterwards
- Do not drink alcohol first. It impairs judgement, dilates blood vessels and accelerates heat loss; it is the worst possible preparation
- Warm up on the beach — jog on the spot, keep moving, arrive warm
- Set up your dry clothes in a bag somewhere you can find it fast
- Bring a friend to mind your things and photograph the moment
- Agree a meeting point — the beach is crowded and phones are in bags
- Use the washrooms before; queues afterwards are long
- Go in facing the shore and let the gasp reflex pass before turning
Post-Swim Warm-Up
This is the part that determines whether you remember the day fondly. Have it organised before you get in the water.
- A towel and a changing robe — a hooded changing robe is the single best piece of kit for this
- Dry clothes in layers, including a hat — put the hat on first
- Dry socks and shoes, which matter more than you would think
- A hot drink in a flask — the queue at every nearby cafe is enormous
- Keep moving for 15–20 minutes after; do not sit down immediately
- Expect to feel colder ten minutes after than you did in the water — this is normal as blood returns to the extremities
- Avoid a scalding hot shower straight away; warm up gradually
The single best piece of advice: pack your dry kit in the order you will put it on, in a waterproof bag, and hand it to a friend who is not swimming. Fumbling with a knotted bag using numb fingers in a crowd is the actual test of the day.
Who Should Not Do This
The swim is safe for healthy adults and it is not for everyone. Sit it out if any of the following apply:
- Heart conditions — cold shock causes a sharp spike in heart rate and blood pressure
- High blood pressure or circulatory conditions
- Pregnancy
- Asthma, unless you have discussed it with a doctor — cold air and water can trigger attacks
- Raynaud’s or other cold-sensitivity conditions
- Having been drinking, including the night before if you are still impaired
- Weak swimmers — though the water is shallow, it is crowded and chaotic
Lifeguards and first aid are on site, and the water is shallow at the entry point. Spectating is a completely legitimate choice.
Spectator Experience
Watching is genuinely fun, and most of the crowd at English Bay on January 1 is there to watch rather than swim.
- Arrive by 1:30 PM for a good position along the seawall or on the beach
- The seawall above the beach gives the best elevated view of the mass entry
- The moment itself — the horn at 2:30 PM and the run into the water — lasts about a minute
- The costumes are half the entertainment
- Dress warmly; you will be standing still in January for an hour or more
- Bring a flask — cafes near the beach are overwhelmed
Photography Tips
- Shoot from the seawall above the beach for the scale of the mass entry
- Get down to beach level for individual reactions — the faces are the photograph
- Burst mode at 2:30 PM; the run in happens fast
- The best shots are after, not during — people emerging, wrapped in towels, laughing
- Protect your gear from spray and rain
- Costumes before the swim — wander the beach from 1 PM
- The light is flat and grey most years; embrace it rather than fighting it
Family-Friendly Options
Plenty of families attend, and children do participate, but with realistic caveats.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult in the water
- Small children lose heat much faster than adults — a very brief dip or a paddle at the edge is plenty
- Spectating is the better option for most young children
- Bring far more dry clothing than you think you need
- The atmosphere is family-friendly and the crowd is good-natured
Other Polar Bear Swims Nearby
English Bay is the original and by far the largest, but the Lower Mainland has several alternatives on the same day — usually smaller, less crowded and easier to park at.
- White Rock — a long-running swim on the pier beach
- Deep Cove, North Vancouver — sheltered water and a village setting
- Port Moody, Coquitlam and other suburban swims — community-run and family-scaled
- Times vary — several are in the morning, so it is possible to do two
If crowds are the obstacle rather than the cold, one of these is the better first attempt.
Where to Stay
- West End: walk to the beach in minutes, and — more importantly — walk back to a hot shower
- Downtown: 15–20 minutes on foot
- Anywhere else: workable, but a wet transit ride afterwards is unpleasant
Staying in the West End is worth paying for on this particular day. Being ten minutes from a hot shower changes the experience completely. See our West End guide.
New Year’s Day is also low season — rates are among the cheapest of the year, unlike New Year’s Eve itself.
After the Swim
- Warm up properly first — 20 minutes of moving before you settle anywhere
- Denman and Davie Streets have cafes and restaurants within a few minutes’ walk, though they are busy
- Book a late lunch in advance if you want a table; January 1 has limited openings and swimmers fill the ones that exist
- The seawall walk toward Stanley Park is a good way to keep moving while you warm up
- Collect your certificate if you registered
January 1 is a quiet day across the city, so check opening hours before planning anything beyond the beach. Our winter in Vancouver pillar and Vancouver in winter month guide cover what else is running. If you are in town over the holidays, the Vancouver Christmas markets wind down on Christmas Eve, a week before the swim.
Related Vancouver guides
Keep planning with these guides:
- Best Beaches in Vancouver (2026)
- Free Things to Do in Vancouver (2026)
- Vancouver at Christmas (2026)
Polar Bear Swim FAQs
When is the Vancouver Polar Bear Swim?
January 1 every year, with the swim at 2:30 PM at English Bay Beach. Registration runs from 12:30 to 2:00 PM on the day. January 1, 2027 will be the 107th swim.
Do I need to register for the Polar Bear Swim?
Not to enter the water, but registration is free and gets you a participation certificate. It is walk-up only on January 1 between 12:30 and 2:00 PM at the beach, and you need photo ID. Register early in the window — the queue grows considerably by 1:45 PM.
How cold is the water at the Polar Bear Swim?
Typically 5–7 °C (41–45 °F), with air temperatures around 5 °C. For comparison, a cold shower runs about 15 °C. Wind is the variable that most affects how bad it actually feels.
Is the Polar Bear Swim dangerous?
Not for healthy adults, with sensible precautions. The main issue is cold shock — an involuntary gasp and rapid breathing in the first 30 seconds, which passes within two minutes. Walk in rather than diving, keep your head up, and do not drink alcohol beforehand. Avoid it entirely if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, asthma or are pregnant.
How long do people stay in the water?
About 60–90 seconds for most participants. Hypothermia is not a realistic risk over that timeframe — getting cold afterwards because you did not organise dry clothes is the actual problem.
What should I bring to the Polar Bear Swim?
Swimwear, old trainers or water shoes for the rocky beach, a swim cap, a towel or changing robe, dry clothes in layers including a hat, dry socks and shoes, and a flask of something hot. Pack the dry kit in the order you will put it on, and give the bag to a friend who is not swimming.
Can I wear a wetsuit?
Yes, they are permitted and a minority wear them. Regulars regard it as cheating, and ninety seconds is entirely survivable without one.
How old is the Vancouver Polar Bear Swim?
It began in 1920, founded by Peter Pantages of the Pantages vaudeville theatre family, who swam at English Bay daily. About ten people joined the first one. It has run continuously ever since, making it one of the oldest polar bear swims in North America.
How many people do the Polar Bear Swim?
Commonly 2,000–2,500 swimmers, with substantially more people watching from the beach and seawall.
Is the Polar Bear Swim good for kids?
Children can participate accompanied by an adult, but they lose heat much faster than adults — a brief dip or a paddle at the edge is plenty. For most young children, watching is the better option. The atmosphere is family-friendly throughout.
Where should I watch the Polar Bear Swim?
From the seawall above English Bay Beach for the elevated view of the mass entry, or down at beach level for the reactions. Arrive by 1:30 PM for a good position, and dress warmly — you will be standing still in January for an hour.
Related reading: Pair this with our Vancouver events and festivals pillar, our Vancouver in winter guide, and our December guide for the run-up to New Year.