It was hovering around 30 degrees Friday morning when plungers ran into Lake Monroe.
Organizers estimate about 400 people took the New Years Day plunge at Fairfax Beach.
It's a tradition for many.
"Before you get in you're a little anxious like, 'why are we doing this?' and then after you're like, 'yeah that was fun we should do that again!"
Friday was Whitney Jeffers' third plunge. She and her friend Kiersten Teegarden drive from Clay City each year to participate.
"It's just fun! I can't explain it," said Teegarden.
The two stood on shoreline in their swimsuits, arms folded, shivering waiting for the bull horns to start the plunge.
They didn't race into the water like a lot of the participants. They almost waded in, stayed for 30 seconds or so and walked back out. Their red skin covered in goosebumps, they dried off and wrapped themselves in towels.
"Immediately after you come out you just need to warm up your feet cause you can't feel your feet and they hurt that bad," said Teegarden.
"We''ll be back next year," said Teegarden. "Absolutely!"
Christy Duffy-Paiement started the event with her mom 12 years ago. Her mom had just overcome bladder cancer and they thought it would be a great way to celebrate a New Year and a new beginning.
There were fewer than a dozen participants that first year. Duffy-Paiement says when they arrived at the beach this morning at 10 o'clock to start setting up, there were already six cars in the parking lot - an hour before the plunge start time.
"We hit our tipping point about five years ago and it just grows exponentially from there. Some of them are supporting bladder cancer but I think for a lot of them it's just a crazy thing to do."
And through the years Duffy-Paiement has learned a few tricks.
"We started bringing yoga mats to stand on for when you get out of the water so you can get off the sand," said Duffy-Paiement laughing. "So that was our big thing. And warm socks!"
And Duffy-Paiement never gets her hair wet.
This was Chris Bell's first plunge and keeping his head above water might be something he considers if he does the event again.
"Getting your head underwater is what hurts," Bell said. "And I don't have a lot of feeling down here," he said pointing to his feet.
