What to expect at Seaside Heights’ Polar Bear Plunge 2026

💧Thousands expected to plunge into the frigid ocean at the annual Polar Bear Plunge

💧The event was postponed after the Blizzard of 2026 buried the boardwalk and beach

💧Security will be heightened with FBI support, drones and undercover officers

UPDATE: See photos and the crowd, participant and fundraising totals from Saturday's event

SEASIDE HEIGHTS — From security to patient plunge participants, all is finally ready for the annual Polar Bear Plunge benefiting Special Olympics New Jersey on Saturday.

The annual event was postponed two weeks from the original date of Feb. 28 after the Blizzard of 2026 left parking lots, the boardwalk and the beach covered in over 2 feet of snow. Seaside Heights Police Chief Tommy Boyd says another factor was the boardwalk.

"We have a brand new boardwalk, so we can't scrape the boardwalk with the machine, because it'll ruin the boardwalk. So we had to let it go normally, and you can hand-shovel it," Boyd said.

New Jersey 101.5 Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow expects Saturday to be partly sunny, breezy and dry with temperatures around 50 degrees. Saturday should be seasonable, with high temperatures expected right on the normal for this time of year, at 50 degrees. Boyd expects that will bring in record-breaking crowds and more plungers.

"When it's warm, a lot of people who aren't plunging will come. When it's cold and miserable a lot of times it's just the plungers, but this time, I think the weather is going to be in the 50s or 60s. So there's a good shot that we're going to have a very, very busy, busy day," Boyd said.

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FBI, drones and undercover officers boost security

The U.S./Israeli conflict with Iran will cause security to be heightened with support from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. The Ocean County Sheriff's Office will have "highly sensitive" drones in the air with the ability to knock out other drones. There will also be an increase in the number of undercover agents in the crowd.

"We don't expect anything. We expect nothing but a great day. But at the same time, you have to be vigilant," Boyd said. "Everybody in law enforcement is scared of the so-called sleeper cell. And if anybody says they're not worried about it they're lying to you. We worry about everything."

All the borough parking lots will be open at no charge, although recent construction has closed some. Boyd suggested parking in the municipal lot at the south end of the borough. There are no road closures in place. Boyd's advice is to arrive early.

"The earlier you get here, the better you're going to be off," Boyd said.

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Julia Slevin/Townsquare Media

Tips for Polar Bear Plunge visitors

New Jersey 101.5's Big Joe Henry, who will be doing his show live from Spicy's Cantina starting at 10 a.m., is looking forward to hosting his 30th plunge. He said Special Olympics and the borough took a gamble in postponing.

"When you change an event as large as this to another date, you're really blowing caution into the wind, because a lot of people who had planned on it for so much, for so long, are no longer available on the new date," Big Joe said.

Joe said one of his favorite parts of the Plunge is seeing everyone come together to help out a worthy cause.

"It's just a warm and fuzzy event all the way around, from those that get involved, the sponsors, the organization, to the recipients of that special care that they get," Big Joe said. "And also the fact that so many people would come out and support it. I mean, you know, you get 7000 people to jump in the ocean in February or March, in 30-degree waters. That's pretty impressive."

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