Many people took part in 2023's polar bear dip, and 2024's is expected to be much warmer. Photo courtesy: Ness Lake Bible Camp

By Tommy Osborne

Polar Bear Dip

23rd Annual Polar Bear Dip could be shockingly warm

Dec 29, 2023 | 4:46 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – The 23rd annual Polar Bear Dip is returning to Ness Lake Bible Camp, but this year’s dip may not be very polar due to the unexpectedly warm winter Prince George has seen so far. With a forecast of just -2°C for January 1, this gives newcomers the best opportunity to get involved, although hardcore dippers may be left wanting more.

“The most memorable dips I have are the coldest ones. The coldest ones, you go in, you get in the water, and you come out and you really feel like you’ve done something crazy. The water is evaporating off your body, your hair freezes,” said Dave Horton, Ness Lake Bible Camp’s Executive Director, who has participated in every polar bear dip except one since it started.

“I think this is also the most accessible year, if people are like, ‘I don’t want to go in,’ this is your year,” he continued.

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While the warm weather may be great for new dippers, it also comes with potential safety concerns, as the ice is not nearly as thick as usual. Normally there could be 14-18 inches of ice, but this year there is only around 8 inches, and among those 8 inches only 2 is properly clear frozen ice. The dip itself will still be safe, but Horton says you’ll have to be a bit more careful on the ice than usual.

“Safety is always a first concern for us so we’re just managing the crowd differently this year. We’re really encouraging people to not be on the ice. The snowmobilers that usually come out, come out in your car, come out in your van, come out in your truck. To stand in groups on this ice is not an amazing idea,” he said.

Even though safety will be more important than usual, that doesn’t mean the dip itself is unsafe this year. That will be able to proceed more or less the same as usual, so don’t let potential thin ice concerns prevent you from participating!

Beyond being a fun, albeit cold, activity, the polar bear dip also supports a great cause. The Ness Lake Bible Camp raises funds to help send kids to camp who may not be able to afford it otherwise. In 22 years its raised around $190,000 and hopes to surpass the $200,000 mark this year.

“We’ve raised as much as 30 grand (in one year) and sometimes just ten grand, but ten grand is amazing and I’d be happy to see ten grand again this year. (To send) one kid to camp, depending on the the camp that they choose, is anywhere between $200 to $400, so this program helps subsidize that cost,” said camp program director Dayna Penson.

Beyond funding great summer memories, summer camps are fantastic for childrens’ mental health too. Being outside, meeting new people, getting physical activity, these are all huge in healthy mental development for children, and a dip in Ness lake can help make it all happen.

“They enjoy their week and they want to be outside way more by the end of the week than they do at the beginning. We do have a Nintendo Switch, so it helps with the transition, but a lot of them would rather be on the zip line or canoeing than playing Nintendo Switch, so it’s really cool to see the transition throughout the week as kids enjoy the outdoors,” Penson said.

You can visit nesslakebiblecamp.com for more details, as well as how to register or donate.