For diehards like Joe Schneider and Carl Wanek, it’s simply not good enough to tip-toe into the chilly water or even to wade out waist-high.

For them, it’s all or nothing. They take the madcap New Year’s Day plunge in Ocean City every year and emerge from the ocean soaking wet – no matter how cold the water temperature.

“You have to go under or it doesn’t count. It’s like a rebirth,” Wanek insisted.

The two friends have participated in Ocean City’s wacky plunge tradition on New Year’s Day for 15 years in a row. They even showed up in 2018 to take a dip by themselves when dangerously frigid temperatures forced the city to cancel the official plunge that year.

But on the first day of 2025, Schneider and Wanek had plenty of company among the 2,600 self-styled polar bears charging into the surf at the Eighth Street beach to welcome the new year.

The water temperature was in the high 40s, about the same as the air temperature on the beach.

Schneider and Wanek, Ocean City residents, added a touch of comedy by dressing up in outrageous Donald Trump caricature costumes that grabbed plenty of attention.

Schneider’s Trump-inspired navy blue suit, maroon tie and white shirt were dripping wet as he came out of the water mimicking the shimmy-style dance routine Trump performed on the campaign trail.

He also wore a Trump mask complete with the soon-to-be-inaugurated president’s meticulously coiffed hairdo.

“It’s 100 percent positive,” Schneider said of the reactions he received from onlookers about his costume.

    Joe Schneider, of Ocean City, does a little dance after emerging from the ocean in his Donald Trump costume.
  

The attire for many other plungers ranged from skimpy bathing suits to silly costumes. Michael Corcoran, who travels from his home in Douglassville, Pa., to Ocean City to take the dip every year, was dressed in a Santa Claus getup.

“It’s like tradition,” Corcoran explained of his dedication to the plunge for 15 years. “But I do have my moments when it’s windy and cold.”

This year, Corcoran was accompanied by his 13-year-old son, Brandon. When asked whether he intended to jump in all the way, Brandon hesitated for a moment and responded, “Maybe.”

After the plunge was over, both Corcoran and Brandon were pretty much soaked. Brandon sat down in the water while venturing in up to his waist.

“It was cold. But it was refreshing,” Corcoran said.

    Dressed in a Santa Claus outfit, Michael Corcoran, of Douglassville, Pa., confidently flashes a victory sign while getting ready for the plunge along with his son, Brandon.
  

The plunge is one of the headline events during Ocean City’s family-friendly New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day celebration attracting thousands of visitors to town each year. Illustrating the plunge’s drawing power, the Boardwalk was packed on Eighth Street near the Ocean City Music Pier.

“This is another tradition for us that keeps getting better and better and better,” Mayor Jay Gillian said of the plunge. “It’s safe, and it’s for the families. It’s the best.”

Gillian stood on the beach while a long line of plungers prepared for the go-ahead to jump in the water. But he had no intention of joining them in the ocean.

“No, definitely not. I’m too old for that now,” joked Gillian, who turned 60 in December.

Michael Allegretto, the mayor’s aide, handled the countdown to start the plunge.

“Happy New Year, Ocean City,” Allegretto boomed into the microphone amid cheers.

    In all, 2,600 plungers registered for the event.
  

The plungers let out a huge cry when Allegretto began the countdown from 10 to one. Many of them screamed while storming into the water in a giant stampede.

Just before the plunge began, Allegretto urged everyone not to jump in all the way or stay in the water too long because of a strong current.

Emergency crews were on hand to ensure the safety of everyone in the water.

Friends Holly Aiken, Shae Holahan and Sadie Surgent, who are 14 years old and students at Ocean City High School, do the plunge every year.

“It’s like a fresh start to the new year,” Holly said.

Dressed in bikinis, the girls said they intended to fully submerge in the water. Sadie noted that for New Year’s Day 2024, all three of them actually went into the ocean twice while taking the plunge.

This year, they added a special touch to celebrate New Year’s Day: They all had “2025” written on their stomachs as they prepared to jump in the ocean.

    From left, Ocean City High School students Holly Aiken, Shae Holahan and Sadie Surgent prepare to take the plunge with the date "2025" written on their stomachs.

Photo Gallery

Ocean City New Year's Day Plunge 2025

Thousands of plungers, many in bathing suits and costumes, take a chilly dip in the ocean to celebrate the new year. Check out these photos from the plunge.