Dozens of swimmers celebrated the new year with the annual Polar Bear dip in Rockaway Park on Friday, enjoying warmer air and water temperatures than last year's frigid plunge.
While the entrance to Beach 119th Street was closed due to boardwalk construction, the neighbors marched three blocks east for their 17th annual jump in the ocean.
It's one of many Polar Bear dips on the peninsula, drawing locals and visitors to the ocean to christen the New Year.
A month of record-breaking warmth helped make this year's swim a little easier to handle.
It was a balmy 43 degrees outside, and the Atlantic Ocean was around 53 degrees, according to readings from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Last year's swim saw temperatures that felt like the 20s with the water around 44 degrees.
