Arguably the hardiest souls braved force five easterly winds and an air temperature barely above freezing for the polar bear swim at the bathing pools at La Vallette on Christmas Day.
Organisers estimated that more than 200 swimmers took part, including children as young as nine, in choppy conditions which forced the event to move from the Ladies’ Pool to the Children’s Pool.
Conditions had improved markedly for yesterday’s Boxing Day dip at Cobo, where hundreds more pulled on trunks, bikinis and a handful of crazy costumes and dived into the calmer, but no warmer, waters for anything from a few seconds to more than 25 minutes.
It was the 25th anniversary of the event, run in aid of the Guernsey Cheshire Home, and organiser Rhona Humphreys thought it may have been a record-breaking year.
‘I think there must be close to 3,000 people down here, with the swimmers and those supporting. It feels busier than ever,’ she said.
‘We couldn’t have asked for better conditions. For so many people, this event has become part of Christmas. It’s a big fundraiser for us and we love putting it on and seeing so many smiling faces taking part.’
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