What to KnowThe Surf City Splash is set for noon Jan. 1 near Huntington Beach PierThe annual dash into the ocean will raise funds for the International Surfing MuseumRun by the Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica Jan. 10 for the 8th Annual Polar Bear Plunge The plunge is set for 10:15 a.m.; if you pay admission to the beach house pool ($10 adult, with other ticketing tiers available), you’ll have access to the heated pool; hot chocolate will be served, and Pat the Polar Bear will pose for photos

Drenched, soggy, soaked, majorly moist: However you choose to describe it, a polar plunge is going to be on the wet side.

So the news that the first day of 2026 will be on the damper side, weather-wise, may not be dampening the mood of those plungers eager to raise money for the International Surfing Museum in Huntington Beach.

Or should we say “splashers” rather than “plungers”: The Surf City Splash is a cherished and chilly tradition for many people in Huntington Beach, and those visitors who want to show help support the surf-focused institution.

The quick dash into the ocean will take place at noon, rain or no rain, on Jan. 1 near Huntington Beach Pier.

There will be a few changes this time around, due to the wetter outlook — the vendor fair will not take place — but the traditional tum-warming burritos, and Bloody Marys, will still be part of the celebratory scene (find them at Zack’s, which is just a short stroll from the pier).

Just ten days later, a similarly soggy celebration will happen up the coast, near the Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica.

It’s the Polar Bear Plunge, another into-the-Pacific dip that features a twist: A “… 300-yard swim out and back around a buoy for those who want to test their stamina.”

You don’t have to join the buoy swim at the Jan. 10 event — it’s optional — but if you’d like to take a warm dip in the nearby beach house pool, an adult entry is $10.

Hot chocolate will be served, and Pat the Polar Bear will be posing for pictures, should you want to impress all of your non-plunging pals.

A bevy of give-back Polar Plunges will pop up later on the 2026 calendar, including several that will fundraise for Special Olympics in both Northern and Southern California; some of the locations and registration pages are now live, if you’d like to wade into a lake or body of water near Fresno, Fort Bragg, or another Golden State spot.